Australia Lacked A McBride: View Of Test Match

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 September 1949, Page 4 (Supplement)

Australia Lacked A McBride: View Of Test Match

“The Australians might just as easily have won. While their rearguard was not as polished as the New Zealanders’, their forwards, as a bunch, were more consistent, and supported their backs better. They never eased up, but they lacked a Mcßride to top off their movements,” states the Wellington Sports Post, in reviewing the first Rugby League test between Australia and New Zealand.

Though the tackling was poor, the match provided one of the brightest and most interesting exhibitions of the code seen at Wellington in years, adds the Sports Post. Scrummaging was brief, what there was demanded little effort, but for those who favour bright passing movements the game held tremendous appeal. Superb Combination Credit for New Zealand’s winning display must go to the pacy rearguard. Their combination was superb. There were blemishes, but only on defence. When on the attack, there was almost invariably a New Zealand back to carry a movement a step further. The fingers of one hand would be sufficient to count the dropped passes. The fact that the backs scored five tries speaks for itself.

The stars of this polished combination were Redmond (left wing), Graham (second five-eighths), and Baxter (centre). The performances of these men prompted highly favourable comment. At full-back, Clarke was frankly disappointing. His handling was beautiful, his kicking superb, his tackling deplorably weak. • . i New Zealand fielded a capable set l of forwards, who however, confined their really determined efforts to the periods when their side was trailing. Their sustained bijrst a minute or two from time when Mcßride scored his match-winning try indicated the play of which they were capable. There was a period in the second spell, however, when they appeared to ease up. In the ' first spell they went great guns. It was not until two minutes before the interval that New Zeaand drew level, but it was not for want of effort on the part of Mcßride. Hurndell, and Newton. McBride- has been described by some enthusiastic League men as one of the finest forwards in the world. Alwavs On Ball He certainly had no peers in last ■ week’s game, and throughout the match the big No. 9 on his jersey was seldom far from the ban. His Herculean effort in crashing through a wall of defenders for the winning try was a fitting climax to a grand display. 1 O’Connell, the diminutive half-back, was one of the outstanding Australian players. His passes shot to Froome as if they had been fired from a catapult His speed brought him one try, and paved the way for another. Much of his good, work, however, was . wasted through lack of combination among the other backs.