NEW ZEALAND'S BAD LUCK

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 76, 26 September 1924, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND'S BAD LUCK

: '*■ DALLEY HITS CORNER FLAG t' '■ TWICE. '-.(Received 26th. September, 2 p.m.) [ I ; LONDON, 25th September. i. -The New Zealand team was as fol'lows:— ; ' .. ■•• ; ■ Full-back" : G. Nepia. : Three-quarters : A. Hart, F. W. . Lucus, H. W. Brown. ' .Five-eighths: N. P. M'Gregor, M. - ■. -Nicholle. - Half: W. C. Dalley. ;.; Wing forward: C. G. Porter., " '•■'■• Forwards: Brownlie, J. Richardson, ..'■R; F; Stewart, Q. Donald, L. F. Cup(^ples, W. R: Irvine, and I. H. Harvey. * There were 20,000 spectators present, '.'.who were most' demonstrative. The ■ weather -was; atrocious, Taining during *most of the game. .". Gloucestershire mulled the ball when ;■ the All Blacks kicked off, enabling them • <to become, aggressive immediately. Dalley ' nearly scored, "but' was 'unfortunate in f'knocking down the. corner flag.. The however, was continued, and •• Donald scored after about ten minutes' /play.: Nicholls'.failed to convert" the :-'tiy- .:..-. '-'.'". New. Zealand 3 ';.'.: Gloucestershire' ~....'............'.. 0 ■ When play resumed Dalley was again unlucky in hitting the corner flag, but ."■ almost immediately afterwards he work- ; id into position for a pot at goal, which he missed by inches. Shortly after- : .wards Gloucestershire were penalised '. for off-side play, and Nepia put the ball ; over the bar, but the score was not allowed, as the ball touched an opponent ■as it passed on its way. The All ; Black1 forwards were dominating the !, game,; keeping the ball in' Gloucestershire's twenty-five.

; Hart twice dropped the ball, which .-•was slippery with rain and mud, when .it. was passed to him. The All Blacks' .Urae kicking was excellent, but the backs : showed the same faults as in previous matches, lacking piercing qualities the .-•centres' passing being too lateral Owl.mg to the ..rain, which was falling -hard, the game was not scientific. r- Gloucestershire's forwards gained possession of most of the scrums, but the '.backs .usually resorted to line kicking 5P,e tw° internationals, Corbett and •Pickles, were conspicuous for Gloucestershire, both in attack and defence. the end of the game a beauti.iul; movement on the blind side gave ■Lucas a good chance to score a try but ;iie dropped the pass. The final sta K es were tremendously hard, and both sets •of forwards were played, to a standstill. Just on the close of the gamo Donald scored his second try, which Porter ;however,_failed. to cpnvert.. The AHBlacks'were still unconvincing and there is no -doubt that lack of" coaching is responsible for their mediocre' .which!': cannot be compared -with what is looked on as the New Zealand standard.- Their defence was their best feature, despite the frequency of .high tackling. The All Blacks kicked ■jvithout judgment, often misplaced and .much too long, thus nullifying their .chances." Their"' form generally is regarded as not. being sufficient to win ■ieavy future- engagements. : E, aIW was the best bade on the field Xhe referee allowed only one mark vT" I*^ *£? 7 holf o£ the Same, though the All Blacks claimed four. . ■-_ The game ended with th<vj3core: ~. New Zealand 6 ;*; Gloucestershire ..,.........„.'". Jfj]

:, The match during the 1905 tour was against Gloucester City, the All Blacks winning on that occasion by 44 points -.Deans scored three tries in the match. ■Wallaca and Glasgow two each, and rSmith, Hunter, and Seeling one each. - ; Wallace converted six of the ten tries scored and. Gillett converted one. '