POLO COM PETITION

Feilding Star, Volume 3, Issue 576, 30 May 1925, Page 6

POLO COM PETITION

' IN TIOJI'ESTI'OUS lain. NEW SOUTH WALES IJEATS • ■-* - -NEW ZEALAND. ’l'he first match of the Australasian Polo. Cup Carnival was played in Sydney with rain pelting down m almost blinding jury. The New Sou 111 Wales team beat New Zealand by Id you Is to d, and at the litiisli all the players were soaking "et and spattered in mud from head to toot. They looked as if they had .just come ouL of a fast and furious football match, rather than a gaum ol polo. Jwo men fell, and one s 1 stained concussion, and had to leave the field.

beir the first time in coinin' live polo in Australia, New Zc.i'a i I had sent a team across to try its luck. Ihe team was of an unknown quantity here, and speculation was rite as to how the players—-who wore reputed to bo cracks were a hue coordination —-would measure up beside the Australian teams. Ihe edrls were against, the visitors ham the beginning, although they scored the first goal. Whenever they obtained tin advantage from the New South Males team, their ponies did r.ot scorn to 1)0 able to keep up The j ace that, was set.

r lhe stick work of the visiting team wa.s not no to form, and the players missed the ball very badly on many occasions. "W. C. A. Mackenzie (captain) played the best gtime fo r bis side, but none of tbo Now Zealanders bad the brilliance/' and dash of Major J. E. White, who played with Now South Wale?. The match was a, triumph for Major While. He scored eight goals out of 1 5 for New South Whiles, and his thrilling runs upheld. hitting the hall with unerring aim, roused the onlookers to a great pitch of excitement. His stick-work was a delight to watch, and his pony was able to maintain speed in spite of the soaked and ploughed up field.

On more than one occasion .Major White took the hall from under the ponies hoofs, and with beautiful long sliotg took it right through the goalposts. His skill in attack and defence was magniliccnf. Through all the worst part of the storm the players pursued the ball up and down the fold, like shadowy horsemen panting Hirough the mist. The ground became very treacherous early in the play, and the turf was ploughed up till it. became dangerous for players and ponies alike. Towards the end of the first chukka the pony of 0. Nelson (X.Z.) slipped, and tlie‘ ride,- was thrown. After a, few; minutes he resnire:d play, but the accident had .shaken him 'more, than he realised, and at the close of the second oliiikka he lost his seat, and left the field suffering from concussion. It is place in the team was taken by N. Campbell. The captain of the New Zealand team, \\. C. A. ..Mackenzie, also bad a fall, but was not hurt. The New Zetalanders were Seen to much hotter advantage in their match against the New South Wales second team yesterday than on their opening match on Saturday when the unaccustomed conditions upset their system. J. Lyons was always in the picture, and with N. A. Mackenzie, was responsible for some brilliant polo. The oilier members of tbo team ably supported them.

Jt was not until the second cliukka that tlie ice was broken by either side, when A. Davies, who had been playing with great dasli, got possession of the ball, and clearing out, forwarded to Maple Drown, who du!v centred.

Xcw Zealand, with a line hit o) combined play, 'worked the ball goalwards, and X. CarnpGell dashed in and goaled. Dudley Gibson then took control, and a brilliant run ended in J. Davies goaling. X.S.W. 2. X.Z. 1.

Strenuous even play in the third failed to add to the score. .But .New Zealand dominated in the fourth. J. Lyons goaled cleverly from a mix no in front.

For the remainder of the match the, New Zealanders kept hammering away. They missed several opportunities of scoring in the ensuing chukkas. hut failed Io find the mark again, until the sixth, when a brilliant' run down the side .line hy X. Campbell, enabled J. Lyons to goal from a fine angle shot.

JusL after the final ebukka commenced C. Mackenzie goaled, and later figured prominently in a concerted rush, which culminated in M ■ A. Mackenzie goaling. The rest ot the ebukka, played in semi-darkness, was unveiled.