A MEMORABLE GAME.

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 7, 8 July 1922, Page 14

A MEMORABLE GAME.

The success of the Springboks during their tour through this country last season left some doubt in the minds of many followers of the game as to the jirestige of New : Zealand Rugby, but we're that great team from overseas to make another visit to the Dominion this season it is safe to say that it would not leave again with so fine a. record. That opinion is partly based upon the general improvement in club football throughout the Dominion, but mainly upon the magnificent display given in the. North-South match last Saturday, under conditions which were most unsuitable for Rugby of the best order. To those who were at Eden Park—far too small a percentage of supporters of the national game—there will be no concern about the standard of Rugby for a"few years to come; and there are many who now, consider that the ma-; 'lerial can be found that will bear comparison with the great forwards of fifteen' to twenty years ago. The forward play in the inter-Island match last Saturday was a rare treat—men of fine physiquo displaying great dash, splen- j did footwork, and command over the ball in a loose dribbling rushes; vigour and .determination, smart breaking away from the line-out and scrum when necessary, and fast following up.. The back play, while revealing no players of the calibre of the stars of other days, was surprisingly bright and crisp, and unusually fast and open considering the extremely bad. state of the ground. The play as a whole, with the) brilliancy of the,« North forwards an .outstanding fea"turej made up a wonderful game for such a day, sufficient to indicate that on a fine day Rugby of a superlative type would have been the order. The superiority of tho South backs, ■ who quickly adapted themselves to the conditions, finally carried the. day, but it was not before the North pack had been deprived of its most capable leader, Bellis. Compared with the "Possibles-Prob-ables" match''in Wellington last year, tho'game last Saturdy was oven betterand:' it brought out, other than the points already mentioned, a marked improvement in tackling and in rushstopping. The speed of the play, from end to end of the field, was undoubtedly ' contributed to by tho new rule penalising to a large extent the kick into touch, although, [ot .course, the. players, the backs particularly, were out to shine in open play, in view of the fact that they were being closely watched l .by,.the.. New. Zealand'selectors (Messrs; A- J-. Griffiths and ,D. Stuart). Throughout ithe game those players, who were .iri-'ithev Ne>y Zealand-teams', last year were always prominent, but on each side there were three or four men who; Stood out eminently.- Bellis, Brownlee, Masters, and Cupples . were .the great four of the\ North p_ck. 'Belli 3 was at the top of his form—a real'tiger for work, always conspicuous in the break-away rushes, and causing- no end of trouble to the Southern backs. When he was conveyed from the field towards the close of the game ho received a wellmerited ovation. Of Brownlee a wellknown selector said : "He reminds me of Tom Cross"—a fine compliment. 'Cupples;' a tall well-built player, 21 years of age, waa all that the Springboks said of him last year. M''Cul!ough,,'Shearer, iuid;.,Calcin:ii'were small in comparison^ to' the remainder of the pack, but the Wellington men/battled hard, (Calcinai'showing'7 particularly good dribbling) the whole way. O'Brien was injured early, and- M'Nab, who relieved him, showed plenty of vigour. Mark Nieholls was the best of the North backs, sound in attack and deffnee. but the other five-eighth, Byrne, v/iis cut of his claA Hickey (Taranaki). !T--!r:i!-|Al I-'lp ere as a- winc-threoquarter j:Ki-.vi;' ill"'ordiiu'i-y. possessing*., good idea of side-stepping. The same is to bo

said of Fitzgerald (Marlborough), who is really a five-eighth. Fea arid Dickinson, South Island, were tho beat backs on the ground', the latter, only a youth, being probably the most promising five-eighth in tho Dominion. Ho is fast, and anticipates cleverly. Towards tho end'of the game Fea, who was continually ranking openings, made too much use of tho short punt, but he is in the _r.t-cl_.ss of New Zealand's backs torday. Steel was not overburdened with opportunities, but it was quite evident that his game has not gone back. The half-backs, H. E. ' Nieholls and Mathieson, wero good, tho Petone man better suited to a * dry weather game, and having sounder method, than tho Southener. Svenson played a sound game andSiddells gave an improved display. The full-backs, Brook and Bell, had a hard day's workJ Brook played much deeper than Bell, and moved up to play, but his rush-stopping and tackling were behind the Southener, although he was more tactful in kicking. V. Badeley showed fine judgment in kicking. Richardson i was the pick of the pack forwards (North andl South) —a better man than Richardson of the third Test. In the line-out, and loose rushes, he was excellent, a^id his tackling was deadly. He is approaching the Seeiing standard; Other prominent South forwards were Whyte, Smyth (who were hooking) and Peterson, but the pack was a good one. In view of the fact that two players (Ford and Glendinning) arrived in Auckland in an unfit condition for play, the selectors were compelled to . call on Aucklanders as emergencies. The fact that K. Ifwerson (injured shoulder), C. Fletcher, and Reed were unable to play, through unforseen circumstances increased the selectors' difficulties. NORTH-SOUTH INCIDENTS. Players who were prominent in the main incidents of the North-South match, are mentioned in the following details, space for many of which could not be given in the'telegraphed report of the play.:— Within the first minute of play, the South backs; made it known that they intended to play a prominent part in the game, in spite of the fact'that conditions were all against them. Mathieson, the Southern half, snapped up tho leather from a rush by thr North forwards, sent it on to'Fea, as the other backs, gathering up pace, drew into line. From Fea the leather waa transferred with precision to.Dickinson, to Svenson, and then to Steel, who was well tackled, but recovered quickly to participate in 6, vigorous attempt to score. In the scramble, the ball was kicked into "dead" terri tory—and Souths first flash was result .less. Directly afterwards, tho North forwards indicated, by means of a fine, penetrating rush, that they were a force to be reckoned with. .Their solid driving power placed South back on their line; the ball shot out from the ruck: and Brownlee and an opponent shot after it. Brownlee won, and as the referee signalled a try, a great cheer rang out, renewed when he indicated the success of the kick by Mark Nieholls. The favourites; were 'five points dowri, and as North continued to dominate play, forwards and backs battling in great style (though the latter made little headway with their efforts at passing), the enthusiasm of the crowd increased. Once Siddells gathered in the ball from an almost impossible pass, and North were nearly over again. Retaliation ,by South, mainly the backs, further enlivened the proceedings, and from then onwards, the .battle was stirring. When North were penalised not far from their goal, Souths supporters saw a bright prospect of three points, but Bell's kick turned just outside the post. ■ A North rush, in which Calcinai, Shearer, H. E. Nieholls, and Bryne were prominent, Shearer picking up and sending out a long; pass to the backs, was the forerunner of /many others, generally led by Bellis, with Brownlee, Masters, and Cupples in attendance.. Fitzgerald saved; danger from one attack; by-: forcing, and Dickinson later made'a spectacular save. . During a ' subsequent drive by the South forwards, Mark Nieholls appeared to be injured. He was .lying flat in the mud' for quite a while until play stopped, and then when assistance arrived, it was found that the damage was confined to his trousers. The next outstanding incident ; was a cross-kick by' .Fea, taken up by Fitzgerald and then Richardson, whose, pass, backwards was accepted by Calcinai— off-side iri front of'his own goal.. Bell missed an; easy chance to/goal. An example of fast following-up by the North forwards in ensuing play was given, when Fea was tackled during the very moment when the • ball was dropping from his hands to his boot in an effort to punt. North's second try came about as the result of clever work in a scramble near the corner. , Hickley -was' 'grounded near the line; Bellis; and H. .E. Nieholls exchanged passes, and Hickley- came again, side-stepped, and ran .'right.around the ruck to .score easily. The ball was top heavy. and greasy for Mark Nieholls : to convert the try. The Nieholls brothers, Bryne, Siddells, and Hickley were seen in one neat passing bout, and Bellis, M. Nieholls, Bryne, and Borrell in another, before the spell ended. Brook, :at full-back, was a shining light, just after the interval.' Two -Southerners dashed down upon him as ho was" fielding near the goal-line, but he coolly side-stepped them, and cleared temporarily. Steel next rushed down upon him, but the full-back saved, ;and again ho heat another man nicely.: Those incidents were followed by another dangerous nish by the North forwards, Cupples finally having a. clear run to the ball, which had, been kicked over the goal-line. Bell,, however., beat the big forward over a stretch of 15 yards and forced. The qualities of the Southern backs were, displayed more clearly during the Test of the game, but they by no means had a monopoly of play. Fea was mainly instrumental in opening up chances for Steel, and the, West Coaster, after once breaking away and'being well tackled by Hickey, fended off an opponent and crossed near the corner. Dickinson made a good attempt to goal. The charging* down of a mark hv V. Badeley (North) nearly brought off another score, North forcing in the nick;

of time under the post.. After Hickey had covered a lot of ground to save a . likely try, ■Matheson sent Fea away, and the latter worked* his way cleverly , through the opposition, and across the line. Instead of touching down as he was about to be tackled, he passed, not - knowing thati he was over the line. The I ball was forcted, and a certain try lost. For a time tlie North forwards, with Bellis, Masters, Cupples, and Brownlee most prominent, held sway, with the backs also lively. But play, keen and interesting, was not all the one way, and when Bellis was compelled to retire 'owing to an injury, the Southerners made matters exceedingly lively. Richardson took a high lob pass from Carnegie, a struggle ensued on the line, and Williams made his way over. There was' great excitement as Bell took the kick,_ but again .the ball just missed. A well-judged short punt by Fea led up to the winning try. Brook mis-kicked in attempting to speculate to safety, and Fitzgerald followed up to dive on the ball before it went into touch-in-goal. The kick fell short. Fea, Dickinson, and C. Badeley (playing for South) and Svenson mads bright dashes for tries, hut infringements held them up; As the Nortli made a last strenuous endeavour to avert defeat, excitement -was at high pitch. South held Out, and won. Appreciation of tho great display was shown by an outburst of applause as the players filed off the field.

O'Brien and Borrell were injured during the' first spell, their places being taken by M'Nab (Hawkes,Bay) and V. Badeley (Auckland). In the second spell, Whyte, Steel, and Bellis reoeived injuries . which necessitated their retirement, and Stewart (South Canterbury) and C. Badeley (Auckland) relieved the South Islanders, while Bellis's place was not filled.

<A neat reverso pass by Siddells, an attempt by Mark Nieholls to "pot" a goal, and a backward pass by Mark Nieholls to Brook were additional incidents in tho second spell.- „ '