SECOND DRAW OF TOUR

Evening Star, Issue 25679, 31 December 1945, Page 2

SECOND DRAW OF TOUR

NEWPORT HOLDS KIWIS. NEW ZEALANDERS UNLUCKY CHURNED-UP GROUND (N.Z.K.F. Official Correspondent.) NEWPORT, December 29. The Kiwi side to-day played its second drawn game when it met Newport in the thirteenth match of the tour, and though it was lucky when it drew against Leinster* this time the Kiwis were somewhat unlucky not to get a win. The Kiwis scored a penalty goal and Newport an unconverted try. The home side made a fine effort in holding the visitors to a draw in view of the fact that Newport lost one forward halfway through the first spell. The chief factor in the Kiwis’ inability to score, however, was the ground, which was so soft from recent rains that often the ball, when kicked, simply stopped where it fell. This, and the greasy ball, put a sufficient brake on the speedy New Zealand backs to enable Newport to succeed with a spoiling" game in which obstruction and off-side- play were often effective. Maintaining its recently-shown improvement in the scrums and in line-out play, the Kiwi pack had to work very hard to hold the seven Welshmen, who played with desperate determination. Twenty thousand spectators filled the ground, to capacity. The weather was fine, with sunshine until shortly before the match, but the ground wag

so heavily soaked with rains that it looked likely to churn up quickly. One bad patch along one flank near halfway was covered with sawdust. The teams were:— ,

Kiwi.—Cook,.' Sherratt, Smith, Boggs, Dobson, King, Proctor, Simpson, Haig,' Bell, Nelson, Johnston, Woolley, Finlay (captain), and Young. Newport.—D. iR. Morgan, B. R. J. Simpson, A. H. (Rowlands, R. (R. Johnson, W. E. Williams, A. R._ Panting, J. E. Hawkins (captain), F. 'Morris, J. Bale, A. T. Tamplin, G. Rogers, W. G. Jones,' R. Taylor, P. Davies, and W. Talbot. • W. Travers was replaced by W. Talbot. Travers’s father, W. Travers, sen,, who hooked for Wales against the 1905 All 'Blacks, died on Wednesday. , The son has been selected to play for Wales against the Kiwis next Saturday. LEVEL IN TEN MINUTES. The KiwLs kicked off, the forwards smashing into an immediate attack; and from an infringement Cook scored in the first minute with a good penalty goal. Kiwis 3, Newport 0. Woolley broke away in a slashing dribbling rush, but Morgan cleared. A penalty helped Newport to change the venue of play. B. R. J. Simpson was almost across as a result of a pass-

ing rush, but was thrown out at the corner, and Talbot almost dived over from the line-out. A scrum syds out was ordered, and Hawkins squeezed his way alongside of the'scrum and scored, Morgan’s kick failing. Kiwis 3, Newport 3. The equalising score came within 10 minutes

Proctor, who was getting the ball away excellently, sent the hacks on a spectacular move in which Dobson arid Sberratt made runs, Morgan stopping Sherratt. Boggs just missed an attempted field goal, the ball shaving the outside of the upright. Hawkins lifted the pressure with a good line kick. From a passing rush. Smith went through a gap and sent to Boggs, whoso pass infield went astray after he had made a good run. King flashed into action with a lightning.cut-in, arid his pass to Nelson was knocked on. ATTRACTIVE DESPITE CONDITIONS. The Kiwis continued to attack, the backs throwing the_ ball .around in great style, and at this period Hawkins did fine work in defence with clearing kicks. Bale retired with an injured rib, and from that stage the Newport pack put up a great performance in holding the big Kiwi forwards. Knoekons spoiled three more Kiwi passing movements.

The ground was now thoroughly churned up. and some parts were so bad that the players wisely did not attempt to pick up the ball, but simply speculated and chased it. Two fiery Newport forward rushes took play to the Kiwi half, and then Smith broke away with a fine solo run, but for once held on too long. Half-time came with the score, 3-3. SECOND SPELL. Early in the second half Newport tried a passing rush, but the ball was dropped, and King and Smith dribbled through, Williams kicking the ball away from them and then speculating to the line. Vigorous forward play followed, with Finlay and Young pro-

mineut. Procter started a good passing rush, the ball going along the line of backs to Sherratt, who was brought down.

King made a good blind side run from a scrum, and then from scrambling play Smith dribbled through and caught the full-back .in possession, but Hawkins, whose defensive covering

throughout was excellent, was there to take a pass and to find the line. The Newport forwards hustled play to •Kiwi territory with a fine loose rush, and Hawkins was wide with an attempt to pot a goal. Newport thrust deeply _ with a passing rush on the blind side, but Cook gathered the punt ahead and sent play back to halfway with a long kick to touch. DESPERATE WELSHMEN. Showing desperate determination, the Newport forwards rushed play to the Kiwi line, and from a scrum syds out Hawkins passed to Panting, but lie dropped the ball as he tried to cut in, and play was pushed back. From a scrum the Kiwi backs.weiit galloping. The movement broke down with a dropped pass, but Smith set it going again. Dobson’s pass to Boggs went astray, however, when the defence looked beaten. ’’Smith, who was trying everything at this stage, was the spearhead of the next movement, and Finlay chased a short punt by Dobson, Morgan clearing well under pressure. For a while the Newport forwards kept play tight by going down on the ball and holding it in the scrimmages. When the ball next came out Smith went round the blind side, Johnson fielding his kick and trying for the line. (Boggs fielded the ball, but his pass infield went astray. From loose play Smith made a poor attempt at a field goal, and the ball was kicked back to Sherratt, who placed a high centring kick right on the Newport goal line, and Newport just managed to force. Johnson and Williams were prominent in a good Newport passing rush, and when it broke’ down Finlay tore away with the ball at his toe and kicked hard, Simpson just failing to catch the full-back in possession after a very fast sprint. NEARLY OVER. Proctor ran on the blind side after receiving the ball from a scrum, and found touch well into Newport territory. From the line-out the .Kiwis swept into a dangerous passing rush, Cook racing up to take part, and Boggs just failed to get over in the corner. Tile game ended a minute later with teh score: Kiwis ... ... 3 Newport ... ... 3 L. A. Grant, who replaced J. MacLean when the latter was injured, damaged a cartilage in his knee while training, and can take no further part in the tour.