SPEEDY AUSTRALIANS MERIT RUGBY WIN OVER N.Z. SIDE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23042, 5 September 1949, Page 3

SPEEDY AUSTRALIANS MERIT RUGBY WIN OVER N.Z. SIDE

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 5,

Flashes of individual and opportunist brilliance did not entirely compensate for the lack of cohesive, match-winning efforts by the two sets of potentiallvbrilliaut backs in the Rugby international Australia v. New Zealand at Athletic Park on Saturday. Australia’s 11-6 victory was deserved and was the result of more enterprising and intelligent Rugby.

New Zealand were beaten where it mattered most—in the forwards.

It was in this department that Australia really exhibited play of superior intelligence and frequently the New Zealand eight were forced to dance a lively tune played by the Australians. It must not be assumed, however, that the New Zealand forwards were always the underdogs. They conducted some slashing forays into Australian territory that had the defence bewildered, but these were neither frequent enough, nor

had the finish to bear fruit. In defensive play the New Zealanders were decidedly overshadowed by their opposites. It was far more common to see a green-jersicd figure slipping through would-be defenders than it was to see a black one.

The Australian experiment of playing the half-back, Cawsey, in the custodian's berth was successful. He gave nothing away and on one occasion he brought Australia respite from a hot New Zealand attack with a brilliant break. His positional play, too, was sound —sounder than that of New Zealands’ emergency selection, Orr. Full-Back on Attack It was not a good game for Orr till the last stages of the match when he came up to make an extra back in the effort to pull the game out of the fire. On these occasions he handled well and looked a better footballer than at any other stage of the match.

It probably was never really brought home how unfortunate the New Zealanders were to lose the services of both selected wingers, McLean and Argus, till the Australian three-quarters went into action. Garner, who collected two tries, looked dangerous every time he laid hands on the ball. He was yards faster than Kelly and used his speed to devastating effect. Neither Kelly nor Moors could do much with the infrequent opportunities which came their way. They just did not have enough pace. Allan and Smith

The Australian captain and centre, Allan, had the unenviable task of keeping tag on J. B. Smith. This he accomplished to such a degree that Smith’s wonderful attacking powers were largely negatived. The New Zealand captain did make a couple of mercurial dashes that smacked of class, but the tightness of the defence gave him little leeway. The five eighths were an even lot with probably Couch and Blomley on their game to a greater extent than Dobson and Emery. Both the former pair mads penetrative efforts in the fiveeighths line that did not impress as of international standard. However the task of the inside backs was made more difficult by the attention received from the flankers from both scrums. Blake and Lunn, for New Zealand and Windon and Brochhoff, for the Wallabies, were round like lightning. Probably most impressive in this respect was Brockhoff, who hounded Couch mercilessly. Of the halves Bcvan nvas the more impressive. lie slipped through on his own judiciously and his passes, were for the most part, long and accurate. Burke started badly. His passing was alternatively over Emery’s head and about his ankles. However, as the play warmed up he settled down to give a sound service to his outsides. Windon played a magnificent game for Australia in the forwards. Besides scoring the first try he initiated the second. In the loose, with Brockhoff. Cross and Mossop, he was a tower of strength. Mossop, too, played the game of his life in the tight where he and Shehadie toiled mightily.

Lunn was the outstanding forward for New Zealand, indicating he is a player with the ability to find a berth in the best New Zealand teams on future occasions. The Buller prop, Mumrn, played a dashing game in the loose and supported in these forays by Blake and Stuart.

The Poverty Bay representative, White, made a promising debut to big Rugby and is a distinct prospect. The rake, Hughes, was a toiler, as were Br.yers and Wilson. There was left, however, the impression that greater fitness and finer appreciation of the open style of play is needed. There is no doubt the Australian forwards lasted the pace better. The New Zealand pack as a whole were not of a good All Black standard.

The scrum and line-out statistics rather flattered the New Zealand forwards. The final analysis showed that the two sets broke even in the scrums. The Australian hooking was, however, cleaner. There was, on the other hand, speculation over where the ball had gone before it reached the receptive hands of Bevan. Line-Out Tactics

Australia on paper came out with only a slight advantage in the line-outs, but here again possession was more quickly decided bv them. Often the ball was hurled from the sideline and flicked to Burke with no more than an apparent turn of the wrist. The winners were not relying on a lone specialist for Shehadie had other competent men with him. Height and reach were not used to much advantage by New Zealand in the line-outs. Blake had some success as occasionally did White. White about qualified for the highest .jumping honours, hut the ball had a habit of going between liis upstretched arms. Australia drew first blood when Windon forced his wav across following a line-out. Cawsey missed the kick. Only a few minutes later Windon gathered in the ball after a line-out, drew a defender and handed on to Garner for the winger to outpace everything in sight and go over in the corner. When a weak relieving kick by Cawse.v failed to find touch Garner again flashed info the picture as the ball went through Orr’s arms. The flying winger collected the ball to flash awav again, this time to plant the ball between the nosts. Cawsey converted and Australia led 11—nil.

Kelly. opened the New Zealand account with a good penalty goal early in the second spell and there was no further scoring till the last few minutes. The play deteriorated noticeably as the spell wore on.

Then, with two minutes to go, New Zealand raked from a ruck near the Australian line. The ball sped to Moore’s wing for the Otago captain to dive across with inches to spare. Kelly's at f empt to convert missed. The Australians left the field having broken the Athletic Park record of never having been the venue of a New Zealand Rugby international defeat.