RUGBY LEAGUE

Evening Star, Issue 19474, 4 February 1927, Page 11

RUGBY LEAGUE

HEW ZEALAND TEAM'S TOUR GAKE AGAINST WIGAN [From Ouk Correspondent.] HARROGATE. December 12. Since arrival in England the All Blacks had heard much of the prowess of the famous Wigan Rugby League team, and when the day of the match arrived the New Zealamlers realised that they were up against the finest team in England; hencothey were keen to win the game and disprove some of the unfair criticisms that have been hurled on them over here. The day dawned fine,' and the threatened rain held off. though the sky was overcast during the game. The opening incident of the game was in the nature of a sensation. From the kick-off Davidson received, and in mid-field sent on_ to Brown, who raced to the Wigan line, where he transferred cleverly to Herring, who bnllocked his way over in the corner for a fine trv. Gardiner failed to convert from a difficult angle, nnd exactly half a minute from the kick-off the All Blacks had a lead of 3 points. They took the lead again in the first couple of minutes of the second half after Wigan had gained a lead of 2 points when the whistle went for half-time. Had a grand kick at goal from the touch lino by Singe been a shade higher, then the All Blacks would have been on level terms at the interval. Frequently the _ load changed hands, and tries came in quick succession. The All Blacks wore undoubtedly having the better of the game, though Wigau was leading by 2 points, when the All Blacks suffered a severe set-

hack in losing Gregory. He had been injured in a tackle in the first five minutes of the game, and twice after , that before he received the injury that necessitated his being carried off. Kirwan droppcd_ back to the full-back position, and Singe left the pack and went into the three-quarter line. This mishap to Gregory took place just seventeen minutes after the opening of the second half, and thus for the twentythroe minutes til! full time the All Blacks were without their custodian. Then in tackling Sullivan on the line ns ho got over for a try Kirwan one minute later was injured, He received a nasty cut over his right eye, bleeding profusely. A doctor was called, and three stitches wore put in, and Kirwan had to leave the field. Misfortune had indeed visited the All Blacks, who had thus lost two men at a time when they had the measure of (ho redoubtable Wigan team, and I looked like running out the winners, i Singe then left the three-quarter lino I and went to full-hack, and Avery left the pack, which thus consisted of four ' men, and went into the back line. The game became a procession of tries for ; Wigan, who in the remaining twenty j minutes added 16 points. The most the i All Blacks could do was desperately to i endeavor to keep down tho < score, and I right well they stuck to their gruelling I task. The game had from the start j been played at a terrific pace, with both ! teams playing the open game so characteristic of the League code. With the All Blacks fielding only eleven men, Wigan obviously could overrun them, and make use of the speed of their hacks to advantage. In a fair criticism of the game, and, taking into account the severe loss sustained by the team in having two members off the field, the last twenty minutes should not count. I shall possibly be taken to account for eulogising the play of the All Blacks, beaten ns they were to the tune ot 36 points to 15. But on the play of the first half and the opening seventeen minutes of the second half the All Blacks deserve all praise. Having seen all their games in England, I can truthfully state that they have seldom played better than they did in this game. They were especially brilliant on attack, and astonished all by the strength and speed they showed and their ability (o snap up chances. No doubt both teams erred somewhat in the tackling .department, but this was made up well by the spectacular and open football served up to the large crowd. Tho All Blacks might have scored two more tries had more use been made of the speedy winger, Brown. Though the game yielded two injuries to the All Blacks, it was played throughout in tho best of spirit, and was a delightfully clean game. The game was full of sensations, and no fewer than fifteen tries were scored. Hero it is interesting to observe that it was on two occasions only that tries were converted —namely, the fourteenth and fifteenth tries. Sullivan generally had to make the attempt from a wide angle, whereas Singe_ and Gardiner narrowly missed from in front almost. There was another very interesting point about tho game. _ Two tries were scored by the famous Jim Sullivan, tho Wigan and England full-back. Undoubtedly Sullivan, who _ bolds the world’s goal-kicking record, is the greatest full-back I have ever seen. His touch-finding was beautifully accurate and a treat to watch. Some of tho tries scored were the result of brilliant efforts, Brown, Herring, Webb, Davidson, and Avery scored for the All Blacks, and Sullivan (3). Price (2), Ring (2), Parker (3), and Abrams and Owen scored tor Wigan, Sullivan concerting two tries and kicking a penalty goal. One try in particular pleased. Almost on the call of half-time Gardiner gathered in his .own twenty-five qnd put in a grand run down the touch-line. When 25yds oif tho line he transferred to the speedy white-haired Davidson, who eluded three men and raced over, near the posts with Sullivan around his nock. Davidson certainly enhanced his already fine reputation, as did Kirwan, who was playing a fine game until he had to retire. Brown surprised the crowd with his pace. Some years ago ho played for Wigan, who must now be regretting that such a fast winger has been lost to their club. Webb, at half, went well, playing a plucky game, despite the terrific tackles oi Van llooyen, the dashing forward from South Africa, who, it will be remembered, visited New Zealand ns a member of the South African Rugby Union team of 1921. Van Heerden, who was | also a member of that team, plays for Wigan, but could not play that da, . owing to an injury to his shoulder. , Gregory, up till tho time ho had to leave the field, was playing a great , game at full-back, his tackling and i fielding of the ball being nil that could j be desired. His loss was a distinct dis- ; aster to tho team. . 1

In the forwards Petersen, was again prominent. His tackling aided the pack a great deal, and ho was ever leading dashes to the Wigan territory. After Van Rooyen, he was perhaps the best forward on the ground. Avery was going well in the forwards, and later played a useful game in the backs when the team was disorganised owing to the loss of Kirwan nnd Gregory. Singe, too, played well, and though moved to full-back later, did bis best in the unfamiliar position to stem the tide of the Wigan attacks. Carroll, Henry, and Herring, in the front row, were more than a match for the Wigan front rankers, and Carroll secured a goodly share of the ball for Webb. With two men out of the pack later on, naturally they could not do much except hold the Wigamers. According to critics, for about 60min of the game the spectators witnessed a brilliant display, the like of which had not been seen in Wigan for many years. In comparison with the game against the Australian team of 1921, the critics were unanimous that the game was of

a vastly superior quality, and immensely delighted the crowd. The official gate return was 10,000, arid the receipts over £6OO. Yet there were many who could not afford to pay the minimum charge of Is 6d, and a largo crowd of unemployed was admitted during the second half free. THE YORKSHIRE MATCH HARROWGATE, December 17. Though the All Blacks have not done ns well as some would wish as regards the winning of matches on this tour, all who saw the game against Yorkshire County at tho Fartown ground, Huddersfield, will admit that once again, as in many previous matches, Damo Fortune deserted tho side. A notable example of how the team has been dogged by ill-luck was provided in this game, when the All Blacks were decidedly unlucky to lose by the_ narrow margin of one point. When in an apparently hopeless position at the cal! ut half-time, the All Blacks in tho second half not only reduced their arrears to a single point, but also prevented Yorkshire from adding to tho score, except for tho addition of a penalty goal. In addition, the All Blacks had two finely worked movements which ended in tries disallowed for some trivial infringements. Apart from the weakness in obtaining the ball, which in the first half of this game, as in other games of the tour, was very apparent, the All Blacks proved themselves in all respects superior to their opponents, who gave a very orthodox and uncxhilarating display. Yorkshire, to my mind, won only because they possessed the ability to snap up scoring chances, rarely, if ever, scoring ns the result of a constructive move on their own part. They “underdid” the passing game, and “ overdid ” the kicking game. All the spectacular movements of tho game came from tho All Blacks, hi the first half of the game from the scrummages Yorkshire obtained possession with regularity, and tho result of this was reflected in tho fact that at half-time the All Blacks were down 12 points, despite having had the boiler of matters territorially.

In tho second half the methods of Parkcs, in the position of “ improved to such a degree that the backs, who, in the opening half had been starved for the ball, now received an adequate and regular supply. Tho result was a marked revival in the play of the team. From desperate and demoralising defensive work tho All Blacks changed to attack. flight on tho call of time, with the score All Blacks 12, Yorkshire 13, the all Blacks were awarded a penalty kick at tho twenty-live mark. Had Avery instructed Mason, who is good at such kicks, or Diifty to attempt to kick a goal, the All Blacks might have won the match. Avery, however, elected to order Dufty to put in an “up and under ” kick that went into touch, the whistle being blown for full time immediately after, and tho team was lobbed of what might have been a ,notable victory. Nothing could have been finer to watch than the concerted attacks of the All Blacks in the second half. Backs and forwards worked together in almost perfect unison, hut invariably, at tho critical moment, someone would slip on tho frozen-sur-faced ground, or would make a faulty pass. As it was, tho All Blacks succeeded in crossing the Yorkshire line j three times in the second half, all three, i trios being the result of superb and brainy combination and of speedy back play. In the opening half the All Blacks had but 3 points to their credit, tho outcome of a try by Mason, as the result of some scrambling play at the Yorkshire lino. In the second half Yorkshire had amassed a total of 17 points before the All Blacks commenced to overtake tho big lead. After that Yorkshire failed to score at all. The three All Blacks’ tries were beauties. The first came after the Yorkshire fullback, Osborne, had concluded the scoring of the Yorkshire men by kicking a penalty goal. Brisbane initiated a passing rush, and after a tricky run lie sent on to Brown, who throughout the game did not see much of the hail, and the speedy winger from Auckland left his opponents standing to score brilliantly in the corner, Dufty failing to improve from a difficult angle. Tho next- try camo from Davidson. Maintaining their superiority, tho AH Blacks, with Brisbane conspicuous as usual, invaded the Yorkshire twentyfivo, to seo Davidson bluff the opposition and go over for a try in a post tion that mado Dnfty’s kick at goal easy, and he made no mistake. A few minutes after, and _ just thirty-six minutes after the opening of the second half, I witnessed the best try of the game. This was the result of brilliant work amongst Brisbane, Davidson, and Avery, the captain touching down under tho posts, for Dufty to convert, and thus the All Blacks were but 1 point behind the Yorkshiremen. The Yorkshire tries, all scored in the first half, lacked the spectacular movements leading to the All Blacks’ tries. Crowther was the first to go over, taking at tho third attempt a high, lobbed pass from Todd. He had a stroke of luck in just clutching the pass in time. Then Gallagher barged his way over for a gift try from a scrum on the All Blacks’ line, using his great weight in the effort.

The next incident was a piece of desperately bad luck for the All Blacks. Cutting through in splendid style from a scrum, Delgrosso, with only the fullback in front of him, and with three of his colleagues at his side, endeavored to beat the full-back, and slipped, and lost a certain try. This was turned to advantage by Parkin. the Yorkshire and English skipper, who made a great opening for Horton to score an easy try. Osborne adding the points. The surface of the ground was, to put it mildly, treacherous. In fact, so bad was i't, as tho result of a hard frost, that Parkin, before taking_ the field, expressed the opinion that it was not fit to play on.