LEAGUE Kiwis Beat Western N.S.W. 51-3

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28906, 28 May 1959, Page 5

LEAGUE Kiwis Beat Western N.S.W. 51-3

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(Rec. 8 p.m.) FORBES (New South Wales), May 27. Cyril Eastlake scored 21 points when New Zealand opened its Rugby League tour of Australia today by beating Western New South Wales, 51-3.

Eastlake, playing centre threequarters, scored three tries and kicked six goals. In the first half, however, Eastlake’s kicks missed seven of his eight attempts at goal. Although Western New South Wales _ held England to a 24-all' draw last year they could not cope with the speed of the Kiwis. At half-time New Zealand led 23-0.

The only New Zealand casualty was the forward Henly Maxwell, who had three stiches inserted in a gash above his right eye after the match.

The crowd of 3000 gave the Kiwis a great reception when Eastlake led them in a haka before the game started. The first try of the tour came from M. L. Cooke seven minutes after the start after N. K. Roberts had cut through from a scrum on the Western N.S.W. 25 yards line. The next try came five minutes later when G. Menzies cleverly gathered a loose ball with his right hand near half-way and after being tackled sent it to B. T. Hadfield and on to P. T. Turner, who scored.

Sixteen minutes after the start Menzies made another try when he brilliantly cut through from a scrum and passed to Turner, who was hampered but. was able to bounce the ball across to Hadfield who scored wide out.

Cooke scored his second try after lead-up play by J. R. Butterfield and T. T. Kilkelly and this time Eastlake kicked his first goal in six attempts to make New Zealand 14, Western New South Wales 0.

B. K. Griffiths made a good run to send C. R. Johnson over for a try for 17-0 after 32 minutes. Griffiths scored the next try himself after being given the overlap. When Eastlake again failed to convert New Zealand led 20-0.

H. Maxwell injured a leg and limped for S'few minutes, but just before half-time Eastlake scored to make the half-time score New Zealand 23, Western N.S.W. 0. During the first half the only time the Kityi line was threatened was when a winger crossed but lost the ball. Each side won seven scrums in the first half and the Kiwis were penalised seven times to Western N.S.W.’s three.

An interception by Menzies enabled Cooke to send Hadfield over for the first .try of the second half. Butterfield was tried as goat-kicker but failed.

Eastlake intercepted 35yds out for a try between the posts. He converted to make it 31-0. Western N.S.W.’s first and only score came after 60 minutes’ play when the winger Fitzpatrick scored in the corner.

Eastlake then kicked an easy penalty goal to make the score 33-3. With 10 minutes to go Menzies handled twice before scoring for Eastlake, who again converted. Two tries by Kilkelly were both converted by Eastlake and then Eastlake scored the final try. The Western New South Wales team was not as strong as the team last year.