ALL BLACKS BEATEN

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 223, 16 June 1932, Page 9

ALL BLACKS BEATEN

Wellington Win 36—23 SOME FINE RUGBY Poor Display by Tourists BELOW THEIR BEST FORM Repeating the performances of other Wellington representative teams which have met All Black combinations in specially arranged games prior to oversea tours, a new Wellington fifteen soundly defeated a team selected from the 1932 touring All Blacks by 36 points to 23 at Athletic Park yesterday. Playing conditions were ideal. The turf was in splendid condition, the sun was obscured by clouds, and there was an entire absence of wind. The form of the N ew Zealand team cannot be accepted as the best they are capable of because at no stage did it ever reach decent club standard. Their forwards played like sluggards and their efforts at combination among the backs were poor. Allowing for the fact that many of the New Zealanders were taking care of skin and limb, which was very obvious with more than half of the team, something better was expected of them. Their forwards were beaten for the ball in scrums and lineouts, and for most of the game the Wellington pack was playing over them. The All Blacks’ weakest feature was their tackling. Few of the side made any genuine attempts to bring their men down, and the Wellingtonians put this lapse to full profit. The Wellington team played a good game, and after the first ten minutes never looked like losers. Some of their work was brilliant. Features of the game were the four tries scored by N. Ball, the All Black, and seven goals kicked by Neal. There were a number of last-minute changes in the teams which took the field as follows:— New Zealand.—Collins; Williams, Caughey, Bullock-Douglas; Innes, Lilburne; Kilby ; Solomon, Max, Metcalfe, Clarke, Purdue, Jessdp, Hore, Cottrell. Wellington.—Cress well; Ball, Pa2e, Macdonald; Killeen, Neal; Tindill; Stiver, Held, Martin, Wilson, McPherson, Diederich, Lambourne, Quaid. Neal, Macdonald and Stiver figured in the first attack for Wellington, but Purdue headed a rush back to half-way. Kilby and Innes returned play to the Wellington quarter, where from a line-out Kilby sent his backs away, and Lilburne and Innes ran Caughey into position, the Aucklander scoring near the posts. Collins goaled. New Zealand 5, Wellington 0. Wellington went to the attack, and Macdonald figured in a clever run which beat Caughey and Williams, but Stiver knocked on. New Zealand swung back to the attack, and Lilburne cut through the Wellington inside backs, but Cresswell saved cleverly. However, Wellington were penalised while still defending, and Collins placed a penalty goal. New Zealand 8, Wellington 0. A Clever Try. ' Wellington’s first score was cleverly achieved. The ball swung out to the right flank to Macdonald, who badly beat Williams. When met by Collins he centred the ball, and Diederich, who was cruising down midfield, gathered it up and scored by the posts. Neal converted. New Zealand 8, Wellington 5. Williams retired at this stage, and before his flank was filled with a substitute Wellington executed a movement down the vacant sideline and scored. Macdonald gained possession following a line-out, and with no wing-tbreequarter marking him he had a clear run till he drew Collins and passed infield to .Tindill. who crossed. Neal missed the kick. New Zealand 8, Wellington .8. Proctor then came on to replace Williams. Wellington Take the Lead. A crisp piece of passing by the Wellington backs gained the lead for Wellington. Tindill sent his backs away, and Neal completely cut Innes out. Stiver took Neal’s pass, and transferred to Diederich, who help the ball long enough to give Ball a chance, and the winger crossed at the corner. Neal goaled. Wellington 13. New Zealand 8. Following a serum at half-way Lilburne broke through, and raced right down. to Cresswell before he passed to Caughey, but Wellington eventually escaped from an awkward situation. Lambourne was injured, and was replaced in the Wellington pack by Bydder. Kilby had Wellington defending, and Purdue was prominent in good work, which kept the home side in their own twenty-five. The New Zeailand forwards gave Kilby the ball from a scrum, and he and Lilburne engaged in smart passing which brought Caughey into position for a try by the posts. Collins goaled, bringing the scores to 13 all. Brilliant Wellington Movement. Page and Macdonald, both of whom were playing well, engaged in a smart parsing bout, which took Wellington to the New Zealand twenty-five. Further brilliant work by Macdonald saw him. throw the New Zealand backs out of position. Tiudill, Killeen and Diedrich carried on the movement, which resulted in Ball taking the final transfer, and he crossed at the corner after beating two men. .Neal converted with a great kick. Wellington 18, New Zealand 13. Wellington added to their score .right on the spell. The ball swung across from a scrum to BullockDouglas. who was caught in possession. Ball gathered it in. beat two men before side-stepping Collins, and went over-with Caughey vainly trying to pull h’m down. Neal goaled with another magnificent kick from the side-line, making the half-time scores:— Wellington 23 New Zealand 13 The second spell bad not loug been in progress when Ball evaded a tackle by Ilullock-Douglas, passed infield to Page, and the centre, when blocked, sent it out again to Ball, who dashed over for his fourth try. Again Neal found the crossbar with a splendid kick from the touchline. Wellington 28, New Zealand 13. Hore, who had received a knock on the back, left the field, and was replaced ay Manchester. Wellington added to their score when Neal goaled from a penalty. Macdonald figured in another fine run, which ended in Quaid and Page almost crossing, but Lilburne came across and saved. Fine Foot Kush. McPherson, Stiver anil Diederich were at the head of a Wellington foot rush which the New Zealand backs failed to check. Reid joined them in the twentyfive. and snapped the liall up to run a few yards and touch down. Neal again goa’ed. Wellington 36, New Zealand 13. New Zealand's score was then raised by Proctor. who, following concerted work by Lilburne and Innes, struggled over with two m-n hanging on to him. Coll’ns goaled. Wellington 36. New Zealand IS. Jessep. Max. and Cottrell engaged in short passing, which gained ground, and from the succeeding ruck Max broke away. Cottrell and Manchester both handled bebore Max took it again, and he sent Manchester over near the posts. It was a fine piece of work bv Max. Collins goaled. Further efforts by New Zealand to add to to their score failed, and Wellington were resuming the attack when time was called, the final scores being:— . Wellington -’>6 New Zealand . 23 Mr. A. de Clifton was referee.