RUGBY FIREWORKS

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 287, 31 August 1931, Page 10

RUGBY FIREWORKS

Australians Improving UNLUCKY TO LOSE Canterbury’s Narrow Win By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, August 29 Canterbury defeated the Australian Rugby touring team at Lancaster Park to-day by 16 points to 13. The game was started in cold, overcast weather, but the ground and ball were dry. Half-way through a light drizzle began, and continued until the end of the game. The visitors showed .excellent form, better than that of Canterbury, but the luck of the play was against them. The Australian forwards were heavier man for man, and won most of the scrums. The backs handled better, and generally were faster than Canterbury. Australia led s—o at half-time, and deserved a-bigger lead for the- Canterbury team had not settled down in the first halt. After this, the scores see-sawed, and were 13 all until some minutes before call of time. Australia was penalised frequently for lifting in the scrums, and Roberts profited by one of these infringements to put Canterbury ahead with a penalty goal. The Australians were attacking hotly when time was called; . The teams were:— Australia: Full-back, Ross; three-quar-ters, Hemingway, Cowper, Towers, and Palmer; five-eighths, Primrose; half, Malcolm; forwards, Cerutti, Bonis, Blajr, Judd, White, Perrin, Palfreyman^and Clark. Canterbury: Full-back, Roberts; threequarters, Hart, Innes, and WBllams; fiveeighths, Oliver and Day; half, Mullan, forwards, Andrews, Cottrell, Pease, Simpson, Kearney, Manchester, King, and Sweeney. Canterbury won the first few scrums, but its efforts to open up play were smothered, and play settled in'Canterbury territory. Thrill. There was a thrill when, from a scrum three yards from the Canterbury line, a Canterbury man passed to Day. whose clearing luck was smothered by Hemingway, and the ball bumped over the line. Fortunately Roberts won the race for the ball, and forced. , The .referee kept a firm .hold on the came, and penalties were fairly frequent. From one of these Roberts just failed to e °The first score came from beyond halfwav The Australian backs secured from a scrum. Primrose, running across the field, outstripped the opposition, and gave Cowper a straight run down the field. When he met Roberts he gave the ball to Towers, who scored unopposed. Ross goaled. ' Australia. ...... •»• • • • £ Canterbury u Canterbury made valiant efforts to equalise the scores,, but the .visitors won most, of the scrums, and gave the ball to their bdeks, who proved, a much more dangerous attacking combination that the home side. ■/ 1 Spectacular Movement. ' ? One movement which broke down at the Canterbury twenty-five was perhaps the most spectacular of the match. Malcolm set his backs going.on the blind side, -and Towers brought in a group of forwards in an excellent bout of passIng. in which nine men handled at speed and with the greatest snreness. Canterbury met a stout defence in their efforts at attack, and never until near half-time did they look like scoring. It was a fine dashing rush, but Towers rescued his full-back from a tight corner. The spell ended with the score s—o in favour of Australia. A few nondescript rushes put Canterbury on attack early, and they kept up the pressure. A penalty relieved, ana the forwards charged after the kick. Towers carried on, and a score seemed certain when Hart dashed across to find The Canterbury forwards improved greatly, and at the end of a forward struggle in midfield King broke away, passed to Mullan, who scored. Roberts goaled. Canterbury .......... 5 Australia 5 Soon afterward Mullan passed from a scrum to Day, who drew the defence, passed to Oliver, to Andrews, to Innes, who scored. Roberts goaled, Canterbury ..'. 'lO Australia 5 In a great scramble Bonis scored for Australia near the corner and a magnificent kick by Ross evened the scores again. ■- ' Australia 10 Canterbury 10 Again the visiting backs moved off brilliantly. Towers cut in, passed to Hemingway, and the winger ran round behind the posts. Ross missed the easiest kick. Australia 13 Canterbury 10 Canterbury evened with a penalty goal by Roberts when the Australian forwards lifted in the scrum in front of the goalposts. i . Canterbury ■ 13 Australia ...., 13 The final score came from a penalty awarded Canterbury in front of Australia’s goal. Roberts’s kick was safe. Canterbury 16 Australia 13 With a few minutes to go Australia attacked fiercely and was almost across several times. The visitors gave a remarkable exhibition of bright football. Even when hard pressed in their own twenty-five the backs would open up play, and dangerous attacks often developed from these passing bouts, some of which were not broken down and safely arrested until the ball had been carried deep into Canterbury territory. Canterbury were outweighted in the scrums by 17st. 131 b., which more than represented the weight of the extra man which the visitors packed in their three-two-three formation. The first quarter of an hour of play was till in favour of the Australians. Their backs combined snappily, ahd Canterbury had to force twice. Skilful Manoeuvre. Malcolm shot the ball out speedily to his backs, who took thg ball on the move. The climax of a series of-passing rushes came with Towers’s try close in on the posts. It was one of the most skilful pieces of back play seen at Lancaster Park for a long time. At the end of it’ Roberts, the full-back, was left to oppose three racing Australian backs. His position was hopeless. It was the pace of the Australians, together with swift, accurate passes from’ the scrums, which had Canterbury puzzled.. Two or three Canterbury backs have real speed, but seldom had a chance to display it, being well bottled up by the fast and vigorous Australian forwards and a set of backs who showed superior tactics in attack and defence. Hart was kept busy watching Palmer, but more than held his Own. The difference was that for every chance Hart was given Palmer had three or four. Speedy Towers. Towers at outside centre, together with Cowper, frequently deranged the Canterbury defence by penetrating runs. Mullan at half was outshone by Malcolm. The Canterbury half hesitated for a fraction of a second in giving his passes, and often was caught by the Australian forwards. There is-no doubt about, the visitors ability to gtay qut a fast game. The paoe

increased rather than diminished as the game neared the end. Forwards and backs,were going as hard, seizing opportunities in the last five minutes as in the first quarter of an hour. It was a really fast game, and both sides stood up to the exhausting struggle remarkably well. Given dry fields and a dry ball with a little of the luck they were denied today this Australian side should win matches in New Zealand, and will certainly extend the best side New Zealand can field. GAVE GAME AWAY Penalties in Front of Goal BACKS’ DARING TACTICS Dominion Special Service. Cliristchurcb. August 29. The Australians were decidedly unlucky not to win against Canterbury. They showed more sureness in handling, were all round faster, their backs had more resource, and far more daring in attack and defence, and the forwards had such an advantage in weight in the scrum that their backs had the lion’s share of the ball. The run of play went against them time and again, otherwise they might have piled up a really big score. Canterbury won by the sure kicking of Roberts, who landed goals from two penalties which the over-eager Australian forwards gave, on each occasion right in front of the goal. Not Afraid to Pass. The Australians, as all Australian teams do, would pass when on defence as readily as on attack, and proof of the effectiveness of defensive passing is that it got them out of several corners effecfivly, and not once did Canterbury benefit from these tactics, considered unorthodox and risky by Now Zealand players.