ALTERCATIONS MAR GOOD PLAY

Evening Star, Issue 19949, 20 August 1928, Page 4

ALTERCATIONS MAR GOOD PLAY

ENGLISHMEN FINISH STRONGLY In silence the cream of and New Zealand Rugby League football filed off the Caledonian C round when the final whistle marked, to the huge relief of the 10,000 spectators, the finish or the second League test. Considering ihe nature of the game the aforementioned silence is quite accountable. There were many movements of brilliance, but tlieso acre so completely overshadowed by unspeakable exhibitions ot temper, breezy altercations, and rough play that the spectators began wondering what they had come to see. Dog fights could not he worse,. Dogs can’t talk.

Dirty play can never be excused, but there are occasions when clever football is so conspicuous that some of the distasteful features can bo forgotten. But very little good can bo recollected of to-day’s game. The first spell was a medley of loose scrambling play, still further marred by fumbled passes and penalties. Thjfl| second session was better and worsc-*a little better for its football and much worse for its illegal play. Every moment tiic spectators expected a general brawl to develop, and people were sorry for the referee. So widespread ami instantaneous were the breezes that sprang up that it is hard to say which side was to blame.

England had ail the best of the last stages of flic game and conceived some pretty manoeuvres. On the day it deserved to win. The ground was in good order and overhead conditions were ideal. The takings were £602 Its.

The play in the opening stages was, except for several break-away rushes by New Zealand, rather desultory until Dulty kicked a splendid goal from well down the, field. The Englishmen eon Id not make the most of their opportunities in passing rushes, and the backs tailed to connect, repeatedly. Milling play on both sides brought strong disapproval from .the .spectators. The Englishmen equalised after fifteen minutes 1 play with a good penalty by Sullivan. Thereafter the visitors opened up tho game in tine style. Wetherill amused the crowd with rahbit-ILko tactics in dodging the big English forwards. Tho tackling on both sides was lamentably weak, ami clean, low tackling was conspicuous by its absence. Prentice and liowen received a severe caution from the referee for rough play, and Delgrosso had to bo carried off the field on a stretcher. As the result or some very hard exchanges, tho English tackling, improved, but tho visiting hacks could not withstand tho rush that, culminated in Scott scoring, and gave New Zealand the lead. The play then swung tip and down field in a stylo that fairly electrified tho spectators” and just on half-time Bees put in a sensational dash .to score, and put the visitors in the lead.

Most decidedly tho first, spell had been disappointing, tumbled passes (chiefly by the .Englishmen). ovovralining the ball, and execrable high tackling being in evidence. As regards tackling, Dufty and Prentice shone cut as living monuments of efficiency amongst a collection of tombstones, in the second session tiro game livened up wonderfully. New Zealand packed better iu the scrums, and the backs handled the ball with more precision. The Kiwis for a time showed marked allround superiority, England stiTl showing an inclination to fumble. Wciberili, always a bunch of tricks, was cheekier than ever, ami on one occasion Upmboozled the defence beautifully. but finished up with a futile hurdle. The New Zealand wing threequarters were still not tackling well, although both were quick to seize- an ■attacking o[tening. Goodall, Hutt, and tho pair of O’Briens kept the Englishmen busy, and against a pack like that which the latter fielded this is saying much. Kifiles played a good name, and tho three “ IPs”—Burgess, Bowen, and Bcntham—battled strongly. A display of temper left an unsavoury ta.-to in tho senses, and it looked like the touchlino for somebody when Wetherill and Horton, like David and Goliath, had a hot debate, which the referee just stopped in time. Then _ followed von minutes of stretcher-bearing and firstaid movements. If there hadn’t been an element of tragedy in it all it « m’d have been farcical. Halfway through the spell Emmi'id at last switched on fireworks of real brilliance, Ellaby's try being the result of a pretty piece of play, during winch a long pass camo out to Brough. It seemed impossible, however, lur the game to go on long without an exhibition of temper, and fibers were inany shout# of “ Put him nlf,” intermingled with “loos’' directed at anybody. When tho players became calm, however, better football was witnessed, and England frequently produced a thrill or two. Eilaby was always height, and tho movement in which Bowman .'-cored was the result of a particularly well engineered mancnuvro, the Engli-h forwards completely fooling the defence yith a sudden change of direction.