N.Z.U. FIFTEEN BEATS AUSTRALIA BY 11 POINTS TO 8

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 May 1949, Page 8

N.Z.U. FIFTEEN BEATS AUSTRALIA BY 11 POINTS TO 8

second test between the touring Aus tralian Universities team and wew Zealand University at Carisbrook on Saturday: New Zeala^ d tr J°and two nnints (a goal from a try ana two penalty goals) to 8 points (a goal from a Apart 1 froilman occasional burst both teams little of the s tvoe of play expected f rom tional university fifteens. Concerted back movements were few, while the forwards on the whole were dull ana lifeless. The match was played under an overcast sky and was watched by a crowd of 15,000, which was not alow m telling the players what they thought ° f G hp j m T Cl Moore, full-back for New Zealand, and D. Brockhoff, a fast Australian side-row forward, were two men who, in giving outstanding exhibitions in their respective spheres, improved their own reputations. J. M. Tanner, next to Moore, was perhaps the best New Zealand back. D. T. Grace, wing three-quarter, was solid, without any suggestion of brilliance, and R. Church, a substitute for J. T. Fitzgerald who retired injured at halftime, played quite well in spite of the fact that he.had just come from a club match on an adjacent ground. The New Zealand forwards were disappointing. E. A. Martin, W. A. Hargreaves, and K. J. O’Connor impressed as the keenest of the eight. The captain of the Australians, N. Emery combined well with R. Tooth in the five-eighths, and gave the backs the initial thrust so seriously missing in the New Zealand attack.

In the Australian pack, Brockhoff was well supported in the loose by P. Carter and C. Erickson, while D. Engel toiled in the tight. The Scoring The scoring opened when Moore kicked a goal from a penalty after 16 minutes. Four minutes later he scored another from 40 yards out. Then the Australians retaliated with a movement begun by Wileman near his own twenty-five and finished by Brockhoff beneath the posts. New Zealand went further into the lead soon after the interval, when Tanner raced through a gap to pass to Church, who scored. Moore converted. Australia’s second try came from a forward passing rush in which Carter and Brockhoff were prominent, the latter scoring near the corner. The teams were:—

New Zealand. —Full-back, G. J. T. Moore (Otago) ; three-quarters, B. A. Sweet (Auckland), J. M. Tanner (Auckland), D. T. Grace (Auckland); five-eighths, J. T. Fitzgerald (Otago) and J. B. Hutton (Massey); half-back, T. J. Evans (Canterbury); front row, E. A. Martin (Lincoln), C. A. Shannon (Victoria), R. C. Stuart (Canterbury)-, captain; middle row, D. B. Rope (Auckland), J. Smith (Victoria), A. D. McKenzie (Canterbury), W. A. Hargreaves (Canterbury); back row, K. J. O’Connor (Otago). Australia. —Full-back, W. Wileman (Sydney); three-quarters, R. Garner (Sydney), Solomon (Sydney), E. Ahern (Queensland); five-eighths. R. Tooth (Sydney), N. Emery (Sydney), captain; half-back, K. Walsh (Sydney);, front row, E. Masters (Sydney), N. Gow (Queensland), S. Erickson (Queensland).; middle row, P. Carter (Sydney), D. Engel (Sydney), H. Dunn (Queensland), D. Brockhoff (Sydney); back row, R. Taylor (Sydney).

N.Z. Team For Third Test

The following is the New Zealand University team for the third test against the Australian Universities at Auckland next Saturday:— Full-back, G. J. T. Moore (Otago); three-quarters, D. T. Grace (Auckland) , vice-captain, J. M. Tanner (Auckland), B. A. Sweet (Auckland); five-eighths, J. T. Fitzgerald (Otago), M. J. Tanner (Auckland); half-back, H. G. Barter (Auckland); front row, R. D. Fraser (Otago), C. A. Shannon (Victoria) ,J. D. Stewart (Lincoln); middle row, R. C. Stuart (Canterbury), captain, J. Smith (Victoria), H. Young (Massey), D. B. Rope (Auckland); back row, G. S. R. McDonald (Auckland). Emergencies: backs, C. M. Roberts (Massey), R. Church (Otago); forwards, R. Shannon (Victoria), M. Foreman (Auckland). K. J. O’Connor (Otago) is not available. Maori Team Wins First Match Of Australian Tour

MELBOURNE, May 22—The touring Maori team beat the Australian Southern States by 35 to 8. A crowd of 10,000 watched the game, the first of the tour, which was played on the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The physique of the Maori forwards astonished the southerners. They outweighed the Australians almost two stone a man. In spite of the weight disadvantage the Southern hooker, N. Frecklington, was little inferior, and Elake and Reid were held in the lineouts. The superiority of the Maori forwards was established in rucking. They set the backs moving and orthodox tries followed. Kenny made an extra man on many occasions and Couch penetrated the weak tackling of his opposite, W. Moreland. Beasley was successful on the wing scoring three copybook tries. Cherrington thrilled with his speed, frequently pushing off K. Palmer. Revelled In Conditions The ground was holding and the Maoris revelled in the conditions, featuring sure-footedness and neatness in handling, but their task.was easiest as their opponents were not notable for their skill, though they were game tacklers. Often the Maoris intercepted wild passes and converted defence into attack, with the forwards backing up. The Maoris will have to pay attention to their tackling, which was unsatisfactory. They will play Canberra on Wednesday. The scores were:—Maoris 35 (Beasley three tries, Couch two tries, Cherrington two tries, Taylor and Smith one each, Kenny four goals), Southern States 8 (R. Keating one try, R. Noble a goal, and W. Moreland a field goal).’ Critics Impressed

Sydney Sunday papers give prominence to the Maori Rugby Union team’s win in the first match at Melbourne. In the Sydney Sun, E. W. Kann comments :

“Barry Beasley, selected for the tour as a five-eighths, made good as a winger. He scored three of the Maoris’ nine tries and missed a fourth when he knocked on in jumping for the ball over the goal-line, after following a kick through by the centre, Taylor. The tourists fulfilled Tom French’s declaration that the Maoris were out to play open football. Several players handled in every try-getting movement, and at times tries came after a chain of passes among the backs. “In the first half, the Maoris, with their surfeit of the ball, were not impressive, but their second half burst caused a revision of opinion. They raced over the sodden area in fine style and handled with great sureness until they tired in the closing stages when they lost two tries through mishandling. Cherrington was prominent, and when moved to the five-eighths position, after Couch dislocated his shoulder, showed a trickiness of foot that enabled him to beat the defenders.”

In the Sunday Telegraph, Phil Tressidder: “On a ground made heavy by overnight rain, the Maoris played a spectacular type of football that will make them crowd-pleasers in Sydney and Brisbane. Most of the Maori forwards are lacking in condition, but should reach form for the first test. Considering the conditions, it was notable that all the visitors’ tries were scored by the backs.”