RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 27 September 1924, Page 3

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

ANOTHER! SIX TO NIL

ALL BLACKS v. GLOUCESTER.

WET' BALL HAMPERS GAME

BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT LONDON, Sept. 25. The All Blacks played their fourth match at Gloucester to-day, defeating Gloucestershire by six points to nil. In face of considerable disadvantages the New Zealanders were not only successful in winning, but also in once move keeping their own line intact. Theweather was atroc-ious, but notwithstanding this 20,000 people were present. The crowd took a lively interest in the play and were most demonstrative.

The New Zealand team was as follows:—•

Full-back—Nepia. Three-quarters—Hart, Brown, Lucas Five-eighths—McGregor, Nieholls. Half—D'alley. Wing -forward—Porter.

Forwards —■ Brownlie, Richardson, Stewart, Donald, Cupples, Irvine, Harvev.

SCORE COMES QUICKLY

The All Blacks lost the iosS, but Gloucester mulled the kick off, and this enabled the visitors to take the aggressive. At an early stage Dailey reached the line, but knocked down the corner flag. The All Blacks kept up their attack and within ten minutes Donald got over, Nieholls failing with the kick. —All Blacks 3; Gloucester 0. Dailey was again thrown out at the Qorner flag, hut almost immediately he worked into position for a, drop at goal and only missed it by inches. A penalty was then given against the local men for off-side and Nepia landed the ball over the bar, but the score was disallowed, as it had touched an opponent. At this stage the All Black forwards were dominating the game and confined play to Gloucester’s twenty-five, but Hart twice dropped passes that might have led to scores. The New Zealanders’ line kicking Was excellent, but the backs showed the same faults as in previous .matches. They were deficient in the piercing qualities necessary to drive a. score home and the passing was too wide and too much at random.

Bot hsides were now playing a hard, non-seientific game. The Gloucester forwards gained possession of riie ball in most of the scrums, but their backs were not smart enough to take advantage of it and usually resorted to kicking for the line instead of trying to pass. The international players, Corbett and Pickles were conspicuous on the local side both in attack and defence. Towards the end a. beautiful movement on the blind side of the scrum gave Lucas..a good chance for a try. but at the critical moment the wet ball baffled him and he could not hold his pass. The final stages were tremendously hard and both teams . played themselves to a standstill. Just at the close, , however, the New Zealanders’ persistence was rewarded with another try, again scored by Donald, but Porter, who took the kick, failed, to find the goal. The game then ended: All Blacks 6 Gloucestershire 0 FORM NOT CONVINCING.

The form of the All Blacks is still unconvincing and the critics consider they show want of coaching, which is responsible for the mediocre exhibition so far, compared 'with the New Zealand standard. Their defence, however, which was a doubtful quality when they left New Zealand, is now their best feature, but there is still a tendency to tackle too high. In today’s game the kicking of the All Blacks was without judgment, often misplaced and often too hard. This nullified chances of scoring. The form of the team generally is regarded as insufficient to win some of the heavy engagements before them. Dailey was the best back on the field to-day. The referee allowed only one mark in vthe whole game, though the New Zealanders alone claimed four.

RESULTS TO DATE.

Won N.Z. Score by score agst. Julv 5 —N.S.W., 1st test NSW 16 20 July 9—Metropolitan .... NZ 37 5 July 12—N.S.W., 2nd test NZ 21 5 JulylG —N.S.W., 3rd test NZ 38 8 Sept. 13 —Devon NZ 11 0 Sept. 17—-Cornwall NZ 29 0 Sept. 20—Somerset NZ 6 0 Sept. 25 —Gloucester NZ r 6 0