SPRINGBOKS TAKE A RISK

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 259, 29 July 1937, Page 13

SPRINGBOKS TAKE A RISK

Weakest Team Fielded MUDDY CONDITIONS NOT RELISHED Home Side’s Inspired Game Dominion Special Service. Hamilton, July 28. South Africa took a risk in fielding the team they did to-day against the combined King "Country. Waikato and Thames Valley fifteen. It. was the weakest team the tourists could select from their entile' party. 'l’liey were warned in Auckland that’this match probably would be more difficult than the opening game of the tour, but they still chanced it and, when the ground became so bad, they were in a sorry plight, for they do not relish bad conditions. Waikato played an inspired game. They carried flic confidence of the entire province. and, with an ounce of luck, thej' would have justified it. They adopted the | correct tactics for the prevailing conditions. The ground was vile and football ' was almost impossible, consequently skill I was quickly neutralised. The game beI came a kiek-and-follow business, aud it was only the solid footwork of the Afri- | can forwards in the middle period of the I second spell that pulled them through. Crossman a Good Leader. Crossman directed the operations of the combined team splendidly, lie played a good game himself and spurred his forwards into action .with telling effect. All the home forwards played well against their redoubtable opponents. Their plan | was to boot the ball along the greasy ground and trust to the African backs making mistakes. Defence was largely reduced to a question of good luck, but the one man to rise superior to the occasion was Brand, whose work was high class. His ground fielding in absolutely treacherous conditions was skilful and confidently executed and his kicking of the greas}’ ball was without blemish. The fact that they led at half-time by the only try scored kept a high pitch of enthusiasm among the combined team and they threw themselves into the fras’ with ; everything they had to give. Their for-' wards had the better of the Africans in the first spell and for the early portion of the second. Then obstruction following a ruck gave Turner a chance to equalise, and he made no error in lifting the slippery ball out of a mud heap for a perfect goal. The African pack then settled down to more cohesive team work. Responding to Nel’s

■sponumg to ixels command for ‘‘Feet, feet and feet again,” they eventually assumed the mastery, and Strachan was rewarded with the winning try, which looked inevitable following a series of hammering assaults

on tne home line. Fumbling ofi the ball, quite excusable under the conditions, prevented the African backs from making much headway. Van der Vyver supported de Villiers well, but was often caught in possession bs’ the Waikato breakaways. Turner was the best of the African three-quarters. He came in from left wing to first centre after the interval, and materially sharpened up the attack. He made one dazzling run, completely outwitting the defence, but got out of touch with his supports and was brought down just short of the line near the posts. Hard-working Forwards. Wynyard, Morgan, Trusttum and Best were continually at the head of Waikato foot rushes, which gave the Africans many anxious moments. Robinson played a sound defensive game behind the home scrum, standing up solidly to the African forwards and feeding Crossman at ever.v opportunity. _ Phillips was the better of the home wingers, and Childs, for a threequarter, inexperienced to full-back play, got through his onerous task with great credit to himself. ■ It probably would have been a much different story on a dry ground. The mud levelled them all to the one class, and the combined team produced a game that clearly had the visitors worried. It was obviously something more than the visitors anticipated. Once they got. into the lead everyone expected the Africans to close the game up, but they continued to give the ball the air. Waikato never despaired, and were attacking ferociously in the African quarter when time was called. There is ample evidence that football in this district has improved. To-day’s combined team contained three men with I AU Black experience, and five who had ■ taken part in this year’s All Black trials, ;i.nd they had been assembled in Hamilton for some days prior to the match, training each day and being coached in tactics. The Africans showed when in Australia a disinclination to wet weather play, and to-day’s form stresses the necessity for them to tighten up and .use their weight more effectively, otherwise they will not be difficult to beat iu such conditions as were experienced to-day.

CAPTAINS’ COMMENTS By Telegraph—Press Association Hamilton, July 28. After the match, P.' Nel, the Springboks’ captain, said: “It was a hard game, played in the best of spirit, and I would like to pay a tribute to the Combined team for the manner in which they adapted themselves to the very heavy conditions and the clean game they played. We never experience such mud in our own country, and wo learnt a lesson from the Combined team." Several playing members of the visiting team agreed that the game was a hard and keenly-contested struggle, one remarking that the New Zealanders had a real Rugby tradition. Like the Africans, they played a hard game all the time, even minor teams, and fought to the bitter end in a manner seldom seen in Australia, where teams were not so hard to beat once a lead was gained over them. Crossman, captain of the Combined team, said the home team was delighted with the game, considering the conditions. They weije pleased they had given the Springboks a hard fight for it- It was possession that won the game for the visitors.