THE SPRINGBOKS

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 33, 8 August 1921, Page 10

THE SPRINGBOKS

DEFEAT OF SOUTHLAND

12 POINTS TO 0

GF

INVERCARGILL, 7th August.

The South African Rugby team met and defeated Southland, on Saturday, the final score being 12 to nil. The ground was very soft from recent rains, but conditions overhead wero excellent. There was a light wind, but not enough to affect the play, and the sun was not bright. A crowd of about twelve thousand attended. The teams were as under:— '. SPRINGBOKS. De Villiers. • , H. Morkel, Strauss, Meyer, Van Heerden. Michau, Townsend. Harry Morkel, Kruger, Scholz, Pienaar, Hellish, Walker, Dv Plessis, J. M. Michau. . ■■'' SOUTHLAND. i Brown. Lynch,■■ Gilmour, Lopdell. O'Kane, St. George. Davidson. > |. Rice 1, Agnew,, Cockroft, Langbein, Whyte, Strang, Brett, Baird (wing-for-ward). The Springboks won the toss, and | Southland kicked off to the north end, with the faint breeze against them. Forty-minute spells were played at the request of the visitors. The game settled down quickly to a tight forward battle, the ball rarely being allowed to get out of the Bcrum, and honours in the scrum were evenly divided. Five minutes after play opened the ball came from a tight ruck, and was sent to Townsend, Michau, Strauss, Van Heerden iin turn, the last-named outpacing the opposing backs and scoring near the corners. De Villiers took the kick, which failed. The Southland backs were not tackling well, and were handling the ball nervously. The local men's dribbling rushes puzzled the visitors, but for the most part the play consisted of tight work along the lines in Southland territory. A good dribbling rush by the Southland forwards was pulled up in the Springboks' quarters by off-side play. The penalty:kick was returned to the line in neutral territory. Bad handling by the backs gave Morkel possession. He speculated and followed ' up, and gathered in the ball. Lopdell collared him, but ho passed infield to Meyer, who got across. De Villiers failed to convert. A few minutes later De Villiers took a shot from a,penalty at half-way, but the ball went wide, and Southland forced. Loose rushes carried Southland to the South African twenty-five—the local , side's first real attack—and from a mark St. George had a shot at goal, but failed. The Southland forwards kept up the pressnre with loose work, but could not • break through, De Villiers saving once with a timely mark. The' spell ended with play at midway, and the South Africans tiring. During the first half the visitors had frequently been penalised foi- off-side play and illegal tackling. In the second spell the South Africans again had a faint breeze behind them, the wind having changed. Southland hammered away with looEe dribbling rushes, in which Baird, ,-Whyte, and Strang were prominent. On one occasion Db Villier* was collared in posses sion at the twenty-five line, and a penalty was given for hanging on to the ball, but Baird's shot at goal failed. A little later the Springboks wero penalised for off-side play, when a dribbling movement was in full career. Lynch tried to drop-kick a goal,,but failed, the ball falling short. Meyer cleared, and some long kicking ensued, the visitor* hiving the best of it. At length, from a long-cross-kick, Morkel tried to get through, but Baird saved. The Springboks attacked hard with solid assaults by the forwards, but Townsend was caught picking the ball out of the scrum, and play came back to the centre. Southland broke away. Baird parting a dribbling movement, which enabled Lynch to come through, but Van Heerdon fell and brought down Lynch, Strauss saving the situation. The Southland forwards kept sip the attack, but Michau. with a' brilliant mark, saved a very hot assault I ten yards from the goal. A long kick sent play to the Southland end, and from a long line-out tho 'Springboks set their backs going, Morkel being tackled and brought down. Southland forced. From the rnck Townsend sent to Michau, to Straues, to H. Morkel, the last-. named outpacing the wing, a.nd just ! beating Cockroft, one of the forwards. De Villiers failed to convert. A close struggle among the forwards followed, and then from a long Jine-out Townsend secured and sent to Van Heerden, who raced for the corner. He was tackled, but fell over the line, scoring a good try. De Villiors a.gain failed to con,vert. .-.'■

With about half the spell gone, Southland swept down in loose rushes, Whyte being prominent frequently. From a penalty on .the South Africans' twentyl five line Whyte had a shot at goal, but missed, and De Villiers cleared, but the Southland backs started a first passing movement, which was successful till Gilmour kicked for tho line. The SouthAfricans returned to the assault, and the ball went through -Lynch a legs, but St. George went down and stopped a heavy rush. O'Kane cleared. Near the centre Davidson was hurt, and a section of the crowd hooted (without justification) the Springbok forwards. Southland were attacking in the loose when tho game ended with the score—

Springboks ' Southland IS Mr. R. M'Kenzie was refere*.