DRAW AT CARDIFF

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 68, 22 March 1919, Page 14

DRAW AT CARDIFF

NEW ZEALAND v. WALES

HISTORY REPEATED AT

SWANSEA,

(PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONBENT.)

LONDON, 3rd January.

It was rather a coincidence that after a long series of successes against English Rugby teams, the combination representing the Dominion should suffer defeat at the hands of ..Wales at. Swansea by a margin of one try, just as" the All Blacks did in 1905.

The New' Zealand teams from various depots in England have been uniformly successful throughout the season. For the great match against Wales it was hoped to_ strengthen it by some members of the Divisional XV., but although 'these reovuita left the front some time ago, transport difficulties delayed them so seriously that the organisers in London thought it wiser to play the practised XV.,, which had already put up such a good record, than to disorganise the combination at the last moment. Consequently none of the trench players were included. _ This was a wise decision under the circumstances, but- it is admitted that the team was not as strong as it might have been. The Times says: " The visitors unquestionably rendered a splendid account of themselves. _ They had the larger share of the game in the opening half, and several times towards the close came very close to a share of the success,"

The match was played in splendid weather before a gathering of 20,000 spectators, and from beginning to end it was vigorously and even fiercely contested. The teams were : —

New Zealand: Full-back, O'Brien; three-quarters, Storey, Cockroft, and Roberts; five-eighths, M'Naught and Turcal; half-back, C. Brown; wing, Murray; forwards, Hasell, Sellars, Wilson, Moffitt, Bruce, Fogarty, and Kissick. Wales: Full-back, Dr. Gwyn Thomas (Neath); three-quarters, R- Plumraer (Newport), W. Davies (Swansea), B. Davies (Llanelly), and J. Bacon (Cross Keys); halfrbaeks, S. Jerram and B. Beynon (Swansea); forwards, T C. Lloyd (Neath), P. Coldrick (Newport), Huddlestone (Newport), Tom Williams (Swansea), W. Jenkins (Cardiff), F. Parker (Swansea), J. Jones (Aberavon), and M. Lloyd (Neath).

Mr. Best, of Penarth, was referee. The New Zealanders opened the attack with great vigour. Before long Bacon broke away for Wales, and was just brought down by Ranji Wilson at the critical moment. Then the New Zealand forwards bestirred themselves, and by a great effort carried everything before them, until Evan Davies scooped up tho ball, and found touch. Throughout the first' half the diggers continued to attack Moffitt, from a forward rush, got over with the ball at his toe, but a Welsh player touched down. The tension against Wales continued until Jerram, by a fine run half-way down the field, changed the complexion of the game. Nevertheless, New Zealand continued to attack throughout the.first spell, but unfortunately had not scored when half-time was declared.

The crowd of spectators over and over again encroached on the field, and at least five times during the game the referee had to stop the play to curb tho enthusiasm of the Welsh invaders.

Tho second spell opened entirely in favour of Wales, and at an early moment a. passing bout between Evan Davies, Plummer, and Bacon ended in Bacon scoring almost at the corner. The kick was a difficult one, and failed. Thenca onward the game became even more fierce, New Zealand making desperate efforts to equalise the score, and Wales responding just as strenuously to prevent them. If anything, Wales was on the offensive. Jerram, at half, was a brilliant figure, constantly feeding his backs. The New Zealand forwards held up all attacks, and occasionally converted them into defence. Moffitt played a great game. One of the forward rushes took the ball to the Welsh line, and Turcal got possession, and was held up almost on the line, Tom Williams being the most conspicuous Welsh defender Shortly afterwards, Lieutenant Cockroft and M'Naught opened a new attack, but Cookroft was pulled down on the line by Evan Davies. It was a very Jntense period, and Wales could do nothing but fight hard to clear the line. Here again Tom Williams was their most conspicuous forward.

A quarter of an hour before time the New Zealand half-back, Brown, was knocked out in stopping a rush, but wns able to resume play. Wales shook themselves up towards the end, and ployed with rather more dash, but the sterling advance of the New Zealand forwards especially neutralised every attack. Jerram alao ,was injured in stopping a rush, but continued to play. Within the last few minutes New Zealand made a final effort, and gained much ground, but the attack was stopped by a knock-on. Right up to the whistle the game was very fast and furious. A ponalty to New Zealand failed, and Wales won by tho try to nothing. The Sporting Life says: "It was a magnificent match throughout, the Welshmen rising to the occasion in magnificent fashion. Indeed, on the general run of the game, Wales _ was the stronger side, and deserved their memorable viotory."

The Daily Telegraph congratulates the Welsh players on a " rare_ achievement," and hopes that there will be another chance of the two teams meeting. ,

The Morning Post says that New Zealand's work outside the scrum was quite up to tradition, but the Welsh tackling left nothing to chance, though the off-side rule might have been more religiously observed. It was all very hard Rugby. " It resolved itself virtually into a duel between forwards and the astute Welsh half-backs and centres."

The match at Swansea on 26th December realised gate money amounting to £1200, which will benefit the Soldiers' Widows' and Orphans' Fund.

At the dinner at the Royal Hotel at Swansea, after the match, Major Cameron, N.Z.E.P., admitted that the better side had won, and threw out a challenge for another game. On behalf of .the Welsh players, Mr W E. Rees, of the Welsh Football Union, presented a case of pipes to Mr. Ranji Wilson, captain or the " All Blacks," and a cigarette case to Sergeant M'Naught, while Major Cameron presented a pipe to tho organiser of the Welsh team. ■

On Boxing Day, at Cardiff, 8000 people watched a match between a New ZealancT team gathered from various depots, which defeated a Cardiff team by Bto 6. Each side scored twice, but Cardiff did not convert.

A RETURN GAME—NO DECISION.

A return game between almost the same teams was played at Cardiff on New Year's Day. The Welsh side was rather uneven, the forwards being slightly too old to last on the very sticky ground. The New Zealanders made the game very fast from the beginning, and would undoubtedly have won if they had realised that it was a forwards' day, and not wasted so much energy in feeding the back line. • Almost every attack by the. three-quarters broke down on account of the greasy ball. Near the end of the first spell the Welsh forwards dribbled into the New Zealand twenty-five, where Coghlan picked up in the loose and commenced a dangerous attack, which ended in his getting the ball again and scoring. Well into the second half the New Zealand backs succeeded. Brown, M'Naught, and Roberts together got over tho line, and Roberts scored well in. Again tho kick failed. Unfortunately, the New Zealand captain did not realise the possibilities of a forward game even at this stage, and the whistle blew with no further scoring. The teams wore: —

Wales: D. Williams (Swansea), J. H. Bacon (Cross Keys), M. G. Thomas (St. Bart's Hospital)," J. Coghlan (Cardiff), R. Plummer (Newport), R. Lloyd (Pontypool), Clem' Lewis (Cardiff), J. Webb (Abertillery), P. Coldrick (Newport), D. Llewellyn (Cardiff!. T. Davios (Pontypool), G. Samuel (Cardiff), N. C. Jones, K. G. Honions (Swansea). 0. Pavcy (Penarth).

New Zealand: J., O'Brien, .1. Sfohr, It. Roberts, I. Storey. M'Naught, Cockroft. Bl'owji, 8<slllir«. fllU«!l> Mqflitt, WiUoll, Bruce, Kissiok, I'ogarty, Sing*-