"THAT ALLEGED TRY"

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 6, 8 January 1925, Page 4

"THAT ALLEGED TRY"

REMINISCENCES OF THE 1905 BATTLE STATEMENT BY PERCY BUSH. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON-;, 3rd December. Mr. Percy Bush, who was,'a member of the Welsh team which defeated the All Blacks in 1905, contributes to "The South Wales Evening Express " a lengthy article on that match, and gives a " whole truth, nothing but the truth" statement concerning the " alleged try" that Deans was said to have made that day, . "I actually saw it stated in print the other day," says Mr. Bush, ','that Deans had said, on his death bed^' that he did, in fact, score for New Zealand, and that the 'try' was disallowed. I] don't believe it, although'it is possible that through constantly hearing it; said') he had come actually to believe it, and I find it very difficult to think that. for Deans was not' the sort of man to make mistakes of that sort. And, as I feel myself particularly qualified to speak on what happened on that occasion, on which claim is based for this try,- I am going to write exactly what did take place, in the hope that it will scotch .for-all time the ridiculous canard that Wales did not beat the New Zealanders. " WHAT BEALLY HAPPENED. - " Voici. There had been a mad rush by the Fernlanders, which left referee and the major portion of the players well behind, and it culminated in Deans getting the ball and going for the line all out. „ Gabe, Harding, and I came acr°ss the field from the place where the VV elsh rush, which preceded that of the hew Zealanders', had commenced (we had done our whack, and didn't feel called upon to . follow up—wisely, as it turned out). Winky was in front of Deans and, seeing that he' might possibly be unable to stop him completely, he headed him off so as to turn him towards Gabe and Harding, who were by this time quite close up. The maoeuvre succeeded, the eyes of Gabe and ilardmg lit up, and they hurled themselves upon the luckless Deans; Now, when either Gabe or Harding took the trouble to tackle a man, you may be sure that that man was well and truly tackled, and -011 this occasion Deans came down, tackled by both Gabe and Harding, with the ball underneath him, just^two inches outside the line. The referee was coming up at top speed, saw the tackle from about" 2d yards away, and naturally blew His whistle. Gabe and Harding got off Deans, but he, having probably, not heard the whistle, and thinking it the chance of a lifetime, at once placed the tall on the scoring side of tne goalline. And now I came on the scene myself, and I know what then transpired. Bealising that the referee might, quite reasonably, .consider -on arrival that a try had xbeen scored if he found the ball over the line, I' immediately picked it up and replaced it upon the exact spot upon which it had originally, been placed, so that when the referee did arrive it was where it had been made dead, and very nroporly, no try was allowed. So you "see that my pa.rt was only a walking-on one, but highly important all the same. . "What. I have just : written is the truth," the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So now, my dear friends from far away, do please-quit talking about a defeat as not a defeat."