ALL BLACKS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 78, 29 September 1924, Page 5

ALL BLACKS

DECISIVE VICTORY OVER SWANSEA NEW ZEALANDERS STRIKE FORM . CRITICS RECEIVE A SURPRISE. (0-iITED PIIE9S ASSOCIATION.—COPTRIQHT.) (AESTRALIAN-NEW ZEALAND CABLB ASSOCIATION.) ■ i LONDON, 27th September. Fine weather returned for the New .Zealanders' match against Swansea, and the day was bright and warm, with sun- ■ shine, the AH Blacks showing at their best on a dry ground. There was a . very large attendance of spectators, fully thirty thousand people giving the visitors a tumultuous and enthusiastic reception. Contrary to many predictions by English critics as to what would . happen when the AH Blacks stepped into the Principality, the New Zealanders not only won handsomely against the Welsh team, but put up the highest score of the tour to date—39' points to 3. . The New Zealand team rvas as follows :—

Full-back : G. Nepia. , ; Three-quarters: J. Steel, H. W. Brown, F. W. Lucas. Five-eighths: M. Nicholls, A. E. Cooke. • Half: W. 0. Dalley. Wing-forward: C. G. Porter. f Forwards: W. B. Irvine, Q. Donald, I. H. Harvey, M. Brownlie C. BrownHe, A. White, and A. H. West. The All Blacks attacked right from the kick-off, and in less than twenty minutes Swansea were well beaten. Shortly after play commenced Nicholls missed a goal from a good mark, which was followed by Nepia making one of his spectacular-dashes /rom his position as full-back, during which he almost scored. Attacking strongly again, a promising opening was made, but the chance was spoiled at the last moment by a player getting offside. A few minutes later Steel missed what looked like a certain try by similar tactics, the result of wer-eagerness. By this time it was plainly apparent that the Swansea fifteen were no match for their opponents, and that a score was only a matter of moments. It came almost immediately, when Nicholls took a reverse pass from Brown, side-stepped his opponent, and potted a beautiful goal from the field. , New Zealand 4 Swansea 0 ■ The All Blacks kept hammering at Swansea's goal-line, and from a brilliant, movement initiated by Porter the ball was passed to Brown, who handed ?t on to Lucas, the latter getting across and touching down. Nepia failed to add the major points. New Zealand 7 Swansea 0 Again the back division of the All Blacks got going. When endeavouring to take a pass which was too low, but which would have seen him over the line and scoring, Brown knocked on, and a certain chance was lost. Irvine, however, from the resultant scramble, got over in the corner and was allowed a try, though the referee's decision was badly received by the crowd, who shouted their derision. Nepia made a weak attempt to goal.

New Zealand 10 Swansea, 0 'Half-time came shortly, afterwards without any,-alteration to, the score.. j The second half of the game became a debacle, however. The superior speed and weight of the New Zealand backs simply pulverised Swansea's defence, which became even worse than in the opening stages of the game, and towards the end was almost negligible. Dalley ■was the storm centra at half behind, the All Black scrum, and, consistently feeding the men behind him, ensured on almost continuous succession of passing rushes/which frequently ended in scores. Steel, playing his first game of the, tour, made his presence felt in the team by scoring three tries, while Brown, who played 'brilliantly throughout the game, got two, and Maurice Brownlie and Cooke one each. From these seven tries Mark Nicholls kicked four goals. The only compensation that the Welshmen got was the honour and satisfaction of scoring the first 'points against the All Blacks, which they did from a, penalty inflicted on Nepia for holding- the ball over-long. When Parker, Swansea's goal-kicker, succeeded in landing the ball over the bar there was loud app'lauss from the delighted spectators. The game ended with the score:— • New Zealand 39 • Swansea- 3