MOST THRILLING

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 44, 20 August 1938, Page 23

MOST THRILLING

THE SECOND TEST

"MAGNIFICENT GAME"

Mr. A. McDonald, a former All Black and captain,' who was one of the manager^ of the New Zealand team in Australia this season, regarded the second Test at Brisbane as one of the finest matches he had ever seen. It was hard, but it had its brilliant features, and what helped to make it was that the Australian side played constructive football.

Of what happened in the Brisbane Test, the Australian correspondent of "The Post" forwards details. The Bledisloe Cup goes back across the Tasman as symbol of New Zealand Rugby supremacy over Australia, but with it goes the All Blacks' admiration for the splendid efforts the Australian team made in the second Test, played in Brisbane (the correspondent writes).

The New Zealanders, hailed as invincible, faced defeat in the second half, and only the cool leadership of Mitchell enabled a badly-rattled team to withstand a series of fierce Australian attacks, and finally to clinch the game. It was a magnificent game, described by Brisbane followers as the finest Union match ever played in their city. Certainly it was the finest Test seen in Australia since the great British Test in Sydney in 1930. The game was always hard and sometimes fierce. It was fierce early when a succession of four penalties rattled the New Zealanders and fiercer still for a period in the second half, when the New Zealand forwards became badly rattled and began to play the man instead of the ball. It was in this period that Bowman, New Zealand loose forward, was knocked out by a beautiful right cross by Monti — at least it would have been beautiful in a boxing ring. The happy sequel to that incident in the dressing-room afterwards—with Bowman congratulating a "fellow who can hit like that" -—will fill the Bledisloe Cup with; chuckles for evermore. Sfe^EE MAIN FEATURES. With the bell ringing the game was provided with a fitting climax, when fde got the ball and gave the flying £lax Carpenter a 50 yards dash along Sfre liae to score under the posts, and h« kicked the goal, to make the scores more in keeping with the game. The most satisfactory aspect of the game for Australia was the Test debut of 19----year-old Ramalli at half. His display stamped him as a real international, and a worthy .successor to Sid Malcolm in both skill and courage. He gave a fast, intelligent service, had the confidence to go on his own when the opening offered, and used the dive pass effectively when speed wag essential. The toost satisfactory feature of the match for New Zealand was proof that

■the 1938 All Blacks are as grand in defence as in attack. Australia had its chances and played football during its prolonged siege that would have won against ordinary company. That it failed was a tribute to the defence of the New Zealanders. As the Australians launched their second-half offensives they were met by a gallant line of tacklers who proved conclusively that the New Zealanders were not simply a flashy team of attackers. They had the courage, the physical equipment, and the heart to withstand telling onslaughts on their line. Even after the constant battering to which they were subjected they proved stout and resilient enough to come back and score a try from the only real chance that came their way m nearly half .an hour's play. "I believe that Rugby Union in Australia has a bright future," said Dr. George Adams, co-manager of the All Blacks. "There is no need for Australians to be pessimistic. The performance of the Australian team was excellent. It did a really fine job against what-1 consider is one of the best teams that has ever left New Zealand. I have never seen a finer football Test match. It was played at an extraordinarily fast pace, and there was not a moment that the New Zealanders let up" AN AUSTRALIAN "STAR." Carpenter, hero of the match, was honoured by spectators chairing him off the ground—a novel tribute in Australia. Carpenter thinks fast and his actions follow as quickly in perfect co-ordination. His speed over the ground has won him prominence in athletics. He might also have become a champion in tennis and cricket had he followed those sports as keenly as he has football. Kfc claims a victory over the Davis Cup player Adrian Quist while a junior. At that time Carpenter was representing New South Wales in the Linton Cup junior matches, and Quist was playing for South Australia. He is a product of the Randwick (Sydney) High School, where he had as schoolmates Vie Richards, Australian Rugby Union representative, and Alec Marks, interState cricketer. Carpenter first came into the limelight in football in Western Australia in 1932, when the game was being introduced, with the potential Test star as an ardent missionary. A couple of years later he went to Melbourne, and from there he has won his place in the Test teams as a winger, though he plays for the southern State as a centre. In addition to his speed in attack, Carpenter'also amazes with his goal-kicking. Carpenter is 26 years of age, weighs list 61b, and is sft 9in in height.