SPORT IN BRITAIN

Evening Star, Issue 19773, 25 January 1928, Page 4

SPORT IN BRITAIN

[From Oor English Correspondent.]

LONDON, December 14 RUGBY.

It has fallen to the credit of Poutypooi to iniiict the second reverse on the New South Wales Rugby tourists. A penalty kick gave the Welsh side the lead, but after the dominion players had equalised, early in the second half, a great struggle was seen, and a draw looked probable when only two minutes remained for play. One tot the Australians then misfielded from a kick across the held, and two Welshmen clashed up to dribble the ball over the line for a try. It was a bit fortunate, but it gave Pontypool the victory by 6 points to 3. The New South Wales men showed to much better advantage when meeting the combined strength of Lancashire and Cheshire at Birkenhead. J. Ford, who is considered one of the very best forwards who ever visited England, gave a great display, three tries being scored by him. Ultimately New South Wales proved successful by 29 points to 11.

—The intervarsity Match. — Each year sees increased interest in the Rugger match between Oxford and Cambridge Universities. A win for the Light Blues was generally expected on recent form, and the inability of Landale to captain the Oxford team was a further blow. There were nearly 50,000 spectators at Twickenham when the game opened, and the Oxford supporters soon had reason to cheer, A. L. Novis making a 60yds run to score a try. The Cantabs soon responded, Scott, a forward, getting over for a try, and, as this was converted, the Light Blues took the lead, which they never again lost. They went further ahead through a penalty kick, after which Oxford drew nearer again when A. P. Heppenstall ran over for a try. Once again Cambridge added to the score through a penalty kick, and the 6 points gained through penalties against Oxford had a lot to do with the success of the Cantabs. Another try enabled Cambridge to lead by 14 points to 6, but when E. A. Sweatman scored for Oxford, and the try was converted, the gap was reduced to 3 points, and the game became more exciting than ever. It was now that the Cambridge three-quarters were seen to big advantage, and C. D. Aarvold and Rowe Harding both crossed tho line, the second try being converted. This practically settled matters, though in the last few minutes of the game V. G. Hume scored a try for Oxford. It will he gathered that Oxford crossed the Cantab’s line four times, and that the Light Bines also ran over the Oxford line for four tries. Cambridge secured the extra points through superior placekicking and penalty kicks. This is the third year in succession Cambridge, has won, hut on this occasion it was no easy victory.

The composition of both teams makes curious study. Oxford called on ten Englishmen, two Scots, a Welshman, and two South Africans, whilst the Cambridge side was composed of six Englishmen, five Welshmen, two Scots, and two South Africans. It is noteworthy that for the first time in connection with the match the Oxford, side was led by a South African, _T. W. Grubb, from Graharnstown, being the honored player. SOCCER. Everlou gave another line display when visiting Aston Villa, ami by virtue of a <i goals to 2 success has urawn further away in the race lur League honors. The win was all the more timely through the defeat oi Newcastle when visiting .irseim., the Loudon club prevailing by 4 goals to 1. The advance of Cardiff City continues, the Welsh dub gaining a line [success at Sunderland, scoring twice, j whilst keeping their own goal intact. | 11 mulei-iiclil also secured both points : wiici i away, the match against Burn by i ended in ‘favor of the Yorkshire club ; by the only goal of the game. | ‘ It was rather an astonishing performi ance un ilie part of Derby to score six [goals against their Blackburn visitors, who failed to get a goal. This success .enabled Derby to rise from the- very bottom of the table and claim one point over Portsmouth, now in last place. Perhaps the biggest surprise in League football on Saturday was the big reverse suffered by Chelsea when visiting Leeds. The leaders of the second division had an off day, and failed to score, whilst Leeds put on five goals. In the previous seventeen games Chelsea had only conceded ten goals, so the lapse looks surprising. Manchester City beat West Bromwich Albion by 3 goals to 1, and so gained on the leaders. Still, as Chelsea still holds an advantage of four points, the London chib may he said to be going strong. No change is the order in the Scottish League, Glasgow Rangers, Motherwell, and Celtic all winning. The Rangers registered five goals against the one by their Dundee visitors. _ Celtic also scored five times when visiting St. Johnstone, the latter club gaining three goals. As Motherwell put on four goals when at home to St. Mirren, it will be gathered that the snoring was on the high side. GOLF.

Splendid form was shown by George Duncan and Jack Smith, professionals, at Wentworth, when playing in the Guildford Alliance tournament at Byfleet. As an Alliance winner, Smith carried a penalty of a stroke, so that Duncan had tho rare experience of receiving a stroke. It was the means of his winning, for both he and Smith returned scores of 70, which tied with the course record. During the day Smith ’ holed out in 1, the ball rebounding off ! the bank of a bunker and trickling into the hole. Smith will soon be meet--1 ing T. H. Cotton, another of England’s young players, in a home and home I match for £SO. Cotton is willing to I play Archie Compson for a modest side stake, hut the latter does not seem inclined to do so, unless the stake is £SOO a side.

Although Abe Mitchell has only been able to take part in four competitions this year, ho has met with remarkable success, and he seems a better player than ever.

Before bis operation he_ beat E. R. Whitcombe in the final of one of the tournaments, and ho again triumphed over the same player in a thirty-six holes match at Brockenhurst last Saturday. Michell had a first round of seventy-one (splendid play in the winter, when there is little run on the ball). Whitcombe was off bis short game, and found himself six holes down at the end of the round. He made a big effort in the afternoon, and reduced his rival’s lead to three holes, bu Mitchell soon went ahead again, and finally triumphed by 6 and 4. He again had a score of 71 for the full round, his form being splendid, and at all sides of the game, his putting in particular, being exceptional. LAWN TENNIS. The news that IV. T. Tilden and F. T. Hunter will be playing at Wimbledon next July has given great satisfaction in English lawn tennis circles._ Big Bill, as he is termed, is a favorite in this country, and so long as thexe appears no likelihood of a native winning the singles championship, a victory for Tilden would give wide pleasure. The efforts of English players and officials to bring down the price of the lawn tennis ball seems to have met with success. Perhap the hint will not be lost on golfers, some of whom realise that a ball just as good as the most expensive can be purchased for a little over half the sum.

The vexed question of prominent players lending their name to articles in the Press has now been tackled seriously. A delegate from Wiltshire

made propositions which have met with official favor, and now the situation is simply this: A genuine journalist will not bo debarred from playing, providing he secures official sanction for writing about the' tournament concerned. It will be another matter for a nonjournalist to secure permission o write, and this method should “clear the air.” BOXING. Once again we have seen that clever boxing, without aggressiveness, is not euougli to bring success. English sportsmen have formed the impression that both Phil Scott and Willi© Smith were the more scientific in their bouts against Risko and Petrone at Cleveland last week, judged by the cabled reports. It lias been plain to every close observer that the English style of boxing for points, so general in this country, will never do for international fray. American and European boxers go out for the knockout, and they devote full attention to the cultivation of a heavy punch and the ability to stand one. This being so, the obvious plan for the British boxer, who desires to reach the top, is to fall in with the situation. Another very necessary thing is to cut out the easy time in town after a contest. Boxing is a hard game, and the man who desires 'to succeed, should make up his mind to harden his frame_ by tough work in a inn or r camp or similar occupation for a year, and keep himself in form by constant matches. Another thing which would help boxers in Britain would be limiting bouts to ten rounds at the most, with the condition that in the event of both men being on their feet at the end, the bout should be called a draw. That would speed up things and make boxers go nut for a knock-out. Len Harvey, of Plymouth, gained the decision over M. Tbil, of I ranee, in their bout at Blackfriars, London, this week. It went the full fifteen rounds, the Frenchman being on the verge of collapse in the final round. BILLIARDS. Joe Davis, receiving 2,000 points in 16,000, held a handicap advantage over Tom Newman when the half-way stage of the match was reached. Newman made breaks of 425 and 550 near the half-way, but Davis responded with 607. Early in the second week Newman made a break of 440 and another of 553, but again Davis came along with a big effort, which totalled 603. The champion was seen to particular advantage yesterday, when he scored over 2,000 points, his best breaks being 408 and 60S, and his excellent _ play enabled him to cut down his rival s lead to 151. ATHLETICS. Some of England’s best runners were competing in the various business championships on Saturday, which arc now quite a feature of British athletics. H. A. Johnston, just about the best three-miler in the country, showed to advantage when winning the insurance race, run over five miles of very heavy country. The team honors went to Cuaco. The banks championship ended in another success for the Westminster Bank team, in spite ol Ajlnutt, the holder, being absent, he being on his way to Rhodesia. Westminster also supplied the first man homo in E W 7. Hobbs, a much-improved runner The London breweries’ race showed A. Clark to advantage, this man who represented Britain at the ; last Olympic Games, winning easily. ■ Two county championships were also ! decided. F.‘ G. Lang winning the Cam• bridgeshire event,_ whilst F. H. i gon was successful in the Norfolk chami pionship.