A GREAT WIN.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 29 September 1924, Page 4

A GREAT WIN.

ALL BLACKS 39; SWANSEA 3

BACKS’ FINE. DISPLAY

STEEL IN GREAT FORM

RESULTS TO DATE

THIS WEEK’S FIXTURES. Oct. 2—Newport. Oct. 4—Leicester. ■!V rUKI.B- I'KKSS iTTONf -COPYRTOHT LONDON, Sept. 27. The All Blacks defeated Swansea today by 39 points to 3. In face of predictions by English critics as to what would happen when the All Blacks met the Welsh clubs, they not only won handsomely at Swansea, but they put together the highest score of their tour so far. Fine weather had returned, and with a bright day and warm sunshine the New Zealanders were at their best on a dry ground. There was a very large attendance, estimated at- thirty thousand, and the spectators gave the visitors a tumultuous and enthusiastic reception. The New. Zealand team was: Full-back—Nepia.. Three-quarters—Steel, Brown, Lucas. Five-eighth s—Nicholl s, Cooke. Half—Dailey. Wing-forward—Porter. . Forwards—lrvine. Donald, Harvey, Brownlie (2). White, West. The All. Blacks attacked from the jump, and in twenty minutes had the opposition well beaten. Nicholls failed to obtain a goal from a mark, and then Nepia, with one of his spectacular dashes from full-back, nearly ran through the Welshmen. Then a, nromising attack was opened up, hut it was spoiled at The last moment by men getting off-sido. In the same way later on Steel lost what seemed a certain try. By this time, however, it was apparent that the Swansea side was no match for the All Blacks, and a score was only a matter of moments. It came when Nicholls, taking a reverse pass from Brown, side-steeped his men and dropped a beautiful goal.—All Blacks 4, Swansea 0. The New Zealand backs kept hammering at the goal-line, and from a movement initiated by Porter the ball nassed to Brown, and then to Lucas, and the latter got across. Nepia failed with the kick at goal.—All Blacks 7, Swansea 0. Again the visiting backs got going, but in endeavouring to take the last pass, which would have landed him over the line, Brown knocked on and a chance was lost. Then Irvine scrambled over at , the corner and was allowed a. try, the referee’s' decision being badly received by the crpwd, who shouted derision. Nepia’s kick was a poor attempt.—All Blacks 10, Swansea The New Zealanders nearly always gained possession of the ball from the line-outs, and their combination, both forward and back, was much too superior for the Swansea, backs. The latter showed poor defensive qualities and were evidently nervous. Their play was quite bad, especially in tackling, as they went for their men.too high. There was no further score in this spell, which ended: All Blacks '...'IQ Swansea In the second half the game became more of a debacle. The superior speed and weight of the New Zealand backs pulverised the local defence, which was worse than in the first period and became almost contemptible. ' Dailey shone at half and consistently fed the men behind him, who indulged in an almost continuous succession of passing rushes which ended in repeated scores. Steel made his presence felt in the team by putting three tries to his name: Brown, who was playing a brilliant game, got two tries, and M. Brownlie and Cooke one each. th p se Nicholls - kicked four goals, lne only compensation the Welshmen got was the satisfaction of registering the first score against the All Blacks. This was from a penalty incurred by Nepia holding on to the ball too long, when Parke*' - succeeded in landing t.he ball over the bar, and there was great appltUlSC. Til© flYlfl-l SCOT© W3S • All Blacks 39 Swansea to In this match the New Zealanders carried most of the scrums and secured possession of the ball, the “loose head” troubles noticed in previous games having disappeared. The Swansea, backs, when they did obtain#the ball, ran blindly and passed erratically. One of the weak points of the New Zealand play was the placekicking, which again failed signally. The most conspicuous players on their side were Cooke, Brown, Dailey and Nicholls among the backs and M. Brownlie, Donald and White among the forwards. Despite their big total, the New Zealanders lost at least a dozen tries by faulty handling and injudicious kicking, and with cleaner work they might have largely added to their total. The result of the game created a tremendous sensation. Swansea’s weakness in every department demonstrates the terrible depreciation in Welsh form. The local critics are confounded at the result, as the Swansea men had been training together every day for a week. Welsh Union officials are surprised and concerned at this sudden and unexpected display of the All Blacks’ true form.

END OF 1905 TOUR . Casting back to 1905, the match against Swansea was the final one in Britain, and was won by the narrow margin of a point—4 to 3. Mr. G. H. Dixon wrote of the match that it was “a very indifferent display of football on both sides. Swansea played with a very strong wind during the first half, and favoured b5 r this advantage they were attacking most of the time. Their passing being indifferent, however, they did not gain any definite advantage beyond a try, gained by Serine after a short bout of passing. This achievement created tremendous enthusiasm, and the crowd b'oke into united song, a habit with all Welsh football crowds when they are worked up. George Davies took the kick at goal and made a good but unsuccessful attempt. In the second half New Zealand were in turn fav-

oured by the high wind, and were almost continually on the offensive, but time and again an apparently certain score was mulled at the critical moment. . Finally, after 30 minutes’ play, and when New Zealand had been for ten minutes in Swansea’s territory, Wallace picked up near the twenty-five line and potted a beautiful left-goal from a difficult angle. “The game does not call for much comment, the play throughout never reaching a high standard. Possibly the high wind had a- good deal to do with the erratic passing, the backs on neither side playing sufficiently close to one another under the circumstances. In this, the last game of the series in Britain, it was more than ever evident that the team had got to the end of its tether as a playing combination. It was a matter of great relief to all concerned ihqt tfce serious business of the tour was at an end. It must be conceded that on the run of play New Zealand were fortunate in notching a win. and yet the Swansea team could not in any sense be reckoned the equal of the other Welsh sides previously met.” The New Zealand team consisted of Wallace (full-back); Thomson, Deans, McGregor; Stead and Mynott; Roberts ; Casey, Gallaher, Glasgow, Cunningham, Corbett, Glenn, Seeling and Gillett. /

COMMENTS ON THE RESULT

Late reports from Home have served to indicate that Welsh football generally has not beep very high class this season, and that the great reputation made by the players of the time of the former All Blacks has not been sustained of late, years.

In regard to. Swansea, several of their best men are away with the British. Rugby team in South Africa, and, ju4ging by the results out there, the teams of to-day are not on a par with those of former years, for the Springboks have dealt pretty severely with, them in the test matches. The absence qf these -players from a team which was reputed not to be tee strong, made one anticipate that our men would win, but after the small scores of' the last two matches few would have expected such a hollow victory.' To Taranaki enthusiasts special interest attaches, because Brown, who has so far been left out on only one occasion, was again chosen for centre, and played a briiiiant game, scoring two tries. The cabled report shows that he was responsible, for a lot of the success of the combined back rushes. Hawera players will also have been pleased to see that West was put in the team. Although he is not specially mentioned, it is pretty certain he would have taken a worthy part in the. work of the forwards.

Steel, of the West Coast, signalised his first game in England by scoring three tries. His play in the trial matches in New Zealand was such, that some surprise was felt that he had been chosen. However, he is a fast and heavy back, and as he must be in good form, will always be dangerous. Although our men scored such a big win, it is somewhat disappointing to read that so many opportunities were apparently missed through faulty play. : The weakness of the defence, too., rather detracts from the satisfaction one might feel in the result. The goalkicking still leaves a lot to be desired. Nepia failed with two attempts; while of seven tries, secured, Nicholls converted just one more than he missed. From, a note in the cabled report it would appear that he had all these kicks.

It is, of course, difficult to say front the somewhat meagre and indefinite report ’ what was the real form shown by our backs. But the decisive win wiiL give the team an encouragement which, in face of the somewhat doubtful feeling in many quarters, will be very valuable. It will serve, to increase very much the interest of the public at Home in the various centres.

>> pC H • fcfi ' C N £ zn July o —-N. S. YV., 1st test N.S.W. 16 20 July 9—Metropolitan .... N.Z. 37 5 July 12 —N.S.W., 2nd test N.Z. 21 5 July 1(1 —N.S. W., 3rd test N.Z. 38 8 Sept. 13 —Devon ... . ... N.Z. 11 0 Sept. 17—Cornwall Sept. 20 —Somerset ....... Sept. 25 —Gloucester N.Z. 29 0 N.Z. 6 0 N.Z. 6 0 Sept. 27 —Swansea N.Z. 39 3