ALL BLACKS DEFEATED

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 August 1934, Page 7

ALL BLACKS DEFEATED

SECOND HALF REVERSAL SPECTACULAR PLAY [BY CABLE —PRESS ASBN. —COPYBIGHT.] SYDNEY, August 12. Although beaten by 25 points to 11 Iby Australia in the first Rugby Test for the Bledisloe Cup, the New Zealanders gave a fine exhibition of bright football. The attendance approached 40,000. The weather was fine. The hopes of Rugby enthusiasts were raised substantially by the appearance of sunshine in the morning, when the State meteorologist said Sydney was in the centre of a depression, which was causing bad weather in the surrounding districts, but that the city itself might miss any thunderstorms until the evening. A severe storm overnight made the ground exceptionally heavy, but the sun was shining during the match. The teams were: —

All Blacks. —Forwards: A. Lam bourne, W. Hadley, J. Hore, A. Knight. R. McKenzie, J. E. Manchester, D. S, Max, H. F. McLean; half, M. Corner; five-eighths: C. J. -Oliver, J..R.-Page; three-quarters: G. A. Bullock-Doug-las, T. H. C. Caughey, G, F. Hart; full-back, A. Collins. Australia: Full-back, A, Ross (captain); three-quarters, D. McLean, C. H. Towers, E. Hayes, J. D. Kelaher; fly-half, L. Lewis; scrum-half S. J. Malcolm; forwards: W. G. White, W.

A. Mackney, A. J. Hodgson, R. Dunlop, O. L. Bridle, E. A. Jessep, E, Bonis, V. Bermingham. Mr Roy Cooney was referee. Never once during the game did the All Blacks play for safety when there was a reasonable opportunity of keeping the game fast and open. Time and again, particularly during the first spell, risks were taken which resulted in sparkling movements, drawing warm admiration from the crowd. The New Zealand forwards were magnificent in the open, and in loose rucking, but, in carrying out this policy, they, necessarily, packed lightly in the set scrummages, and thereby Hadley’s chances of hooking the ball were seriously prejudiced. Thus, except from the line-outs and loose rushes, the Australian backs were given a monopoly of the ball, and, in the second spell, this proved to be New Zealand’s downfall.

The Australians made splendid use of their opportunities, their inside backs penetrating brilliantly and their three-quarters finishing out their movements with a wonderful burst of speed. Towers and McLean were at the top of their form, and they gave the New Zealand last line of defence no chance, once their inside men had cut out one or more of the opponents marking them. Some fault, in fact, might be found with the efforts of New Zealand’s five-eighths to tackle their men, and Bullock Douglas, also, was not strong in this respect. New Zealand backs rallied strongly halfway through the second spell, but sound tackling on the part of the Australians invariably left the All Black wingers with, at least two men to pass. THE PLAY. The first spell was an education in tactics, -which rose to international standards, New Zealand providing brilliance in their forwards, and Australia the attacking combination among their backs. The whirlwind speed of this spell commenced at the whistle, and after a momentary incursion by the Australians, the New Zealand forwards fanned out in the first irresistible dribbling rushes, which were later to thrill the crowd. Hore gathered up a bouncing ball, and dived over to score an unconverted try within ten minutes of the start. —N.Z. 3; Australia 0.

During the next ten minutes, the play sped up and down the field in startling changes of direction, but several unsatisfactory scrummages in midfield then slowed down the play, until Malcolm fed his blind side. Although there was a suspicion of shepherding several times in this movement, the ball rapidly went across the field to Towers, who beat BullockDouglas and Collins by sheer speed to score a magnificent try in the corner. Ross failed with the kick.—Australia 3; N.Z. 3. With Australia putting more weight into the set scrummages, Bonis was hooking the ball with seemingly monotonous regularity at this stage, and the New Zealand backs were called upon to fend off attack after attack, Caughey standing out by reason of his good handling and tackling, and his ability to turn defence into attack with surprising suddenness. Still playing a roving game, the New Zealand pack swept upfield, and Knight, dribbling into his own hands, strode through the opposition to score a try which Collins converted. —N.Z. 8; Australia 3. Towards the end of the spell, the All Blacks rose to their greatest heights in the game, their play switching from side to side with tactical excellence. The forwards had the crowd on their feet for several minutes, but the Australian strength in defence obviated any scoring, until Here gained possession in a dribbling rush, and, when tearing his way through the opposing forwards, he surprised the latter by slipping a quick pass to Max, who crossed for an unconverted try.— N.Z. 11; Australia 3. After repelling further forward attacks by the visitors, the Australian backs, just before the end of the spell flashed down the field. Every Australian back, including Ross, participated in this movement, which ended in McLean scoring an unconverted try. The half-time scores were: —New Zealand 11; Australia 6.

AUSTRALIANS TAKE CHARGE When the All Blacks opened strongly after the interval, their chances of victory seemed to be excellent, but the Australian backs then became the dominant factor in the game, they making the pace during the remainder of the spell. Ross was the next to score, goaling from a scrummage penalty after previous unsuccessful attempts.— Australia 9; N.Z. 11.

Ross again goaled when Caughey was caught flagrantly offside on the New Zealand goal line.—Australia 12; N.Z. 11.

Thereafter the ball rarely seemed to go into the scrums correctly, and the Australian breakaways were playing the old style wing-forward game to perfection. Although the visitors continued to play fast, open Rugby, they were held at a territorial disadvantage by their opponents, who played a forceful game. Ross goaled for the third time after another scrummage infringement.—Australia 15; N.Z. 11.

Realising that their only chapce of turning the tables rested in taking risks of all sorts, the All Blacks in the last few minutes threw the hall about recklessly. Their opponents twice took advantage of the situation, Bridle breaking through for a try which Ross converted.—Australia 20; N.Z. 11. — • Then Lewis on the second occasion cut through the All Blacks neatly, to pass to Towers, who scored. Ross again converted, making the final score:—Australia 25; New Zealand 11. TEAM DISAPPOINTED (Reed. August 13, 8 a.m.). SYDNEY, August 12. The All Blacks are having a quiet day. A few are golfing, but the majority are writing letters for tomorrow’s mail. Naturally, the whole team as well as the manager, are bitterly disappointed at the Test reversal, but the players are all the more

determined to make amends in the next Test. Some of yesterday’s players are nursing bruises, but nothing more serious. The whole side entrains to-night for Brisbane. Kilby, who is making good headway, although still abed, is cheerful and expects to go to Brisbane on Tuesday or Wednesday. There was an incident towards the close of the game, while enthusiasm was the highest. Collins, somewhat impetuously threw the ball into touch, the referee ordering him to follow and bring it back, but meantime a ballboy had returned it to • the touchline. Many people, including the broadcasting announcer, owing to the awkward angle wherefrom the incident was view, possibly gained a false impression of what actually occurred.

PRESS ESTIMATES

(Recd. August 13, 10 a.m.). SYDNEY, August 12.

The “Sun” representative, commenting on the Test, says: Blowing the lid off in the closing minutes of a stirring game, Australia inflicted the most severe defeat the All Blacks have suffered here, but self-esteem would be dangerously flattered hy any belief that the margin quite accurately measured Australia’s superiority. We have to thank the New Zealanders' for making such a wonderful game to watch, tremendously hard, fast and exciting, and for showing Australia in the first half that sustained efforts and direct action bring points, and that possession should not be wasted. What we would have done without Ross, Kelaher and McLean, I shudder to contemplate.

Commenting on the Test match, the

“Herald” says: The Australians’ green-jerseyed footballers, brimful of optimism, made light of the five points deficit which faced thefh when they re-entered the field after halftime. Resuming with remarkable dash, they first curbed the brilliant attacking powers of the speedy and persistent All Blacks, then drove them back with offensive after offensive. The New Zealanders temporarily withstood the fierce battering, but the lead slipped from them through penalty goals. Then the defence -wilted somewhat, and Australia was right on top for the balance of the game, it was a splendid recovery for Australia, whose representatives rose to great heights in the second term, when the forwards’ predomination in scrums and line-out work was very marked. The hooker, Bonis, was more than a match for Hadley. Ross rose to his greatest heights. The “Telegraph” says: The defeat may serve as an inspiration to the tourists. The All Blacks fight back, and from the ashes of Saturday’s defeat, moral-shattering as it was, they will create a new power. Australia’s task of winning the Bledisloe Cup is not made easier by the convincinglooking margin of Saturday. It is made more difficult. If, in the early matches, the New Zealanders had shown a tremendous reserve of power, the position was reversed on Saturday. In that all-conquering home side offensive is the story of Saturday’s Test. If ever a team looked to be beaten, Australia did at half-time, but something happened at the interval. The New Zealanders’ dominance disappeared with the lemons. The “Labour Daily” says: The Aus-

tralians, playing inspired football in the second half, hammered holes in the All Blacks’ defence. No one contributed more to the All Black debacle than Ross and Malcolm.