ALL BLACKS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 13, 15 July 1924, Page 8

ALL BLACKS

THE FIRST TEST

GAME OF MISSED CHANCES

NEW' SOUTH WALES" WON BY-

SHEER MERIT-

(From Our Special Correspondent.). SYDNEY, 10th July: .The visit of the All Blacks io Sydney was keenly anticipated, and when, on making their first appearance here they were motored around the Show Ground in a fleet of Rugby cars, they were cheered in such a - manner that nobody could say that the welcome was artificial or merely a matter of courtesy. The. team did not come-unherald-ei.l, and was reputed to be able to give' an exhibition of Rugby . equal to the New Zealand pre-war standard, yes, and even to the 1905 standard. ,In last Saturday's game the All Blacks did not live up to that reputation, and were beaten by a team that-thoroughly deserved its' victory. New South .Wales won by sheer merit. GREAT ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE GAME. ... There'were over 30,000 people at the match, and the ground could not have accommodated comfortably, a greater crowd. Followers of football in Sydney are so disgusted by the displays that have been provided ■ for them this year by the League that the attendance would probably have been larger had not the limitations of the ground been generally realised. It seemed an anomaly that the adjacent Cricket Ground, with its, provision for 60,000 spectators, should-be the scene of an inter-club League game which . attracted -only a handful of people. . The rivalry between ths codes is so great, however, that it is not surprising that the anomaly should exist. As it was, the first Test provided one of the greatest advertisements the Rugby code has. had in Sydney for many- years. . The clean sportsmanship displayed on both sides-was a revelation to the crowds- that had become accustomed to the fisticuffs' that have marked big League games', notably one of the Tests between Australia and England. Not . once during the whole game' were questionable tactics displayed, and the crowd 'was . clearly delighted when, as happened on more, than one occasion, a player, assisted an opponent from the ground. This sort of thing seemed quite foreign to Sydney football, but-it indicated the spirit in which the game was played. Still it must not be imagined that either side gave quarter. The contest was keen from beginning to end, and it was probably tho pace set by the New South Wales backs that disconcerted the lAll Blacks, who had had little opportunity to train. . The New Zealand forwards semed very tired before the first spell came to an end. 'NO EXCUSES FOR DEFEAT. The All Blacks offer. no excuses for their first defeat, and were the first to acknowledge the all-round superiority of the. New 'South'.Wales team. .It must be said to the credit of the New South -teanV. -that, they regarded very, seriously"" the 'TeSts before them, and went to no end of trouble to. select tho best team. Trial games and a systematic scheme of training-did their■'part, and as/aresult the All Blacks-met: the cream -of Rugby football .here,, .with every man in the pink .-of -condition. The confidence which the New South Wales team displayed in the result was one of the most remarkable features-of tlie game, and contrasted with the ap-' prehension of the New Zealanders. who doubted whether they would be-able to combine effectively, a's they had not hart a' match together. Subsequent events proved tl»t the doubt was justified. PORTER, THE HERO OF THE ' MATCH. .;■ The weakness of the New Zealand team lay in its inability to turn to profit many, of the chances, that: .came its way. It. lacked, resourcefulness, and dash, and enterprise, and most of the in- I dividual members of the team must share the blame for this. The outstanding player-on the field, however, was an All Black, C. G. Porter (wing-for-' ward), who was here, there, and every-' where, always doing; more than his share of ths work and doing it exceedingly well. His anticipation of what the next move would be was almost uncanny, and whenever the ball was kicked downfield he was. almost invariably waiting for it. ' He.initiated move after move, and was untiring. The referee's interpretation of the off-side rule was lenient, but Porter was not a very flagrant offender, although some anticipate that he will meet with'trouble when he is in England. Porter's play received tho close attention of the crowd, and it is safe to say that if he. played regularly in Sydney he would .quickly become the idol of football followers.' • Porter was the hero of the match. FAILURE OF: MILL. The weakest player in tho New Zealand team was J. Mill (half-back)," whose play throughout the match was far below. New Zealand representative standards. He seemed to lack courage, and often when he .did secure the ball he passed it out wildly, and tho pass coukl not- be taken. Then the New South Wales forward line would swoop down oh the ball' and away it would go at the toe with the New Zealauders following. Time and again Mill failed to be handy when the ball came out of a scrum or a melee. He was. far too slow for the dashing pace that was set by the homo team,-'and to a large extent he" was responsible for the disappointing display given by tho •back division. Among the backs' Hart and Lucas, on the wings in the threequarter line, were the pick, though it was some time before the. former settled down, and he-missed several passes at critical.stages of the game: ..In .Lucas's play there were : flashes., of brilliancy, and if he continues on lie' is bound to make a name for himself on the English tour. . NEPIA DELIGHTS THE CROWD. Nepia came with a great reputation, .«H(J tho crowd eagerly watched him when his first opportunity came. He took the ball brilliantly and" he kicked it brilliantly, and the crowd cheered with_ -delight. After- that he continued to kick brilliantly, but he developed a roving habit, and was often out of his place. His tackling was by no. means sound, but this was'a department'in which other members of the team were also surprisingly deficient.; Half a d6zen times or niore there was the spectacle of an All Black swinging an opponent round and round by the arm. ''Tackle low" is a .football axiom that should be impressed very-.•" thoroughly upon the All Blacks. They were given a taste of the efficacy of low tackling, but did not benefit by. tho examplo that was set by Now South Wales. BADELEY DISAPPOINTING. Besides Hart and Lucas, one other back, A. E. Cooke (five-eighths) stood out. He figures in much brilliant work, •and in_ several passing niches, ho had ' the assistance.of Brown and Lucas, but

Brown lacked"'brilliancy"except for the occasion when he figured in the tactics winch resulted in a try towards the end of the second spell. "Brown could not gather a pass "while the pace was on, and more-than once the All Blacks were j penalised for his offside play:- Tho New Zealand captain, ...C. Badeley, was among the backs who disappointed. He did nothing to attract attention during the whole afternoon, nor was there any evidence that he had a sound control over the tactics employed by his men. FORWARDS. CRITICISED. The All Black forwards were slower and played with less dash than, their opponents' vanguard. Their scrum for- ■ niation. was weak, and for that reason ! they did not secure the advantage that should have been theirs -because of their ' weight. Every time the scrum crumbled I up prematurely, and this, released the s home forwards, who were quick to . harass the Black backs, neutralising all . efforts on the part of the New Zealand team to get away with the ball. Only ■ very seldom did the New Zealanders • hook the ball out. On one occasion on .' the twenty-five line tho ball came 'out , clearly to Mill, but a faulty pass pre- | vented a certain score. On almost all other occasions the backs were sent m ; motion not from a scrum but as the re- > suit of individual brilliancy. Dribbling : rushes by the Black forwards were • pleasing features of. the match, but even i in this department the All Blacks were not the masters. Outside Porter, M. , Brownlie was the most successful forward. He showed more initiative than t . the. rest, and was particularly good in ; lino-out work, while his tackling Was ; also fairly effective. • Wasters, playing ; lock, failed to impress, and White may .be placed in the same category. C. ; Brownlie Was distinctly off colour, -. but'j ; tho rest, Irvine, Mnnrp, and J. RichJ ardson, played wonderfully, well. ■.- i ABSENCE OF COMBINATION. ■ It is quite clear that a lack" of know- • ledge of one another's play was respon- ■ sible for the defeat, of the All Blacks in their first match, and it is reasonable • to suppose that they .will do better in the remaining Tests. In the first match ; thero. was a; complete absence of combination. The All Blacks cramped their ' pla-y and refused to take risks, while the .opposite is true of the New South .Wales team.. New Zealand will do better when the ball :is flung around and every opportunity seized. In open play . the New Zealanders were outclassed. ' . GAME AGAINST METROPOLITAN •.'.'" . TEAM. ■ Jesterday the All Blacks were op- >. posed to a team considerably weaker than that Which it met on Saturday— '. a team chosen from, the Metropolitan area., and one which might reasonably be ' designated as the New South' Wale» B representatives. . Against this, combination the New Zealanders gave an ex- ' hibihon of Rugby, which ranks, as" one ■ of the finest shown here. They gave 1 convincing proof that their" form on Saturday was' false, and they, piled up a great score in a.brilliant fashion, playr ing | a fast, open game. Honour* rested with the forwards,, with Parker and [ Oupples,- neither of whom played in the first Test; shining above the others. The forwards, individually, and collectively •■ gave a : great display, which was not to ; be compared with their exhibition in the , first Test. .They simply walked through then; opponents. In the back- division, ■ Aepia, at full, showed • greatly improved , form, and delighted everybody. Sven- •. son and Mark Nioholls, Who made their ; nrst... appearance,-^-covered—themselves* , with glory, but by 'far ' the' most' briThanfc player .on the field was Lucas. It looked, as though the All Blacks could have won by 60 to 5. ; " .