UNBEATEN YET

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 6 October 1924, Page 5

UNBEATEN YET

THE ALL BLACKS. DEFEAT LEICESTER 27—0. SPECTACULAR RUGBY. by Cable—press association—curYitaiu i LONDON, Oct. 4. Conditions were perfect for the All Blacks’ match against Leicester, which the visitors won by 27 points to nil. The weather was faultless, and the ground was in excellent order, while there was an attendance of 30,000. The New Zealand team was at its best, and gave the finest all-round display yet provided on the tour. Their passing was superb and the backing up unfailing.. With their weight, speed and stamina they were overwhelmingly superior. Leicester adopted the New Zealand scrum formation, but in this they failed,, mainly on account of insufficient weight in. the inside and back rows to give the hookers an opportunity to beat the New Zealand pair for the ball. After the interval they occasionally had three men in the front row. Leicester’s passing movements were weak, the exchanges being of the slow, single-handed, lobbed style, vastly different from the fast, low style characterising the play of their opponents. From the actual kick-off Dailey secured the ball, and set the New Zealanders’ attacking machine in motion. Leicester strove hard to keep their line intact, but the All Black forwards supported the attack with fast dribbling rushes, which enabled Cupples to score the first try of the day from the ruck. Nicholls failed to convert. The try was scored 12 minutes after the start—All Blacks, 3; Leicester, 0. The All Black forwards and hacks continued to combine well in attack, first a dribbling rush and then a speedy passing movement threatening to add to their score at any minute. Nor was there long to wait, for three minutes after the first score Richardson dived over near the posts to score his first try in England. Nicholls converted, giving the All Blacks an eight-point lead. Leicester for a while looked like evening matters to some extent,- pressing the visitors back into their own territory, from where a home player was almost successful in an attempt to drop a goal. But they could not for long suppress the sparkling play of. the New Zealanders, who retaliated with a beautiful passing movement, which was commenced by Lucas, oii the left wing. The dashing Aucklander raced into an attacking position in the centre of the field, from which he initiated a passing movement in which all the backs participated. The ball was eventually transferred to Steel’s wing, and at once the powerful West Coaster was away on one of liis most formidable efforts. His pace and weight saw him through, and bumping past the opposing wing and full-back he scored in a convenient position, from which Nicholls easily converted—All Blacks, 13; Leicester, 0. The AH Blacks were not to be satisfied with the success already gained, but continued to hammer relentlessly at the home team’s door. They swnug into the attack magnificently and passed flawlessly. Leicester fought back for a while, but soon the All Blacks were over again, after the. hall had traversed from Dailey through the hands' of all the backs to Lucas, who sped down the line, outpacing the opposition a#d scoring in the corner. A difficult task confronted Nicholls, who just failed in putting the ball over. In face of a 16-point lead for New Zealand Leicester fought a dogged battle in the closing stages of the first spell. Twice they menaced the New Zealand line, but Nepia was sound, and repulsed the opposing forwards with well-judged line kicking, and half-time was called with the score: All Blacks 16 Leicester 0 A remarkable improvement in the home team’s form was the surprise of the second spell. The battle was now much more even, and Leicester’s recovery was truly wonderful, though due mainly to the forwards, who asserted themselves and at times carried all before them, swooping down on the New Zealand line. They twice compelled the visitors to resort to a force down, and provided some anxious moments for their defence. However, the All Blacks on the day showed weakness in no department of the game, and their variety of method in getting out of tight corners pleased the spectators. Now the forwards sped away with the ball, and then, when Leicester had returned perseveringly to the proximity of the New Zealand line, the backs broke away like a flash, passing and reverse passing delightfully, Lucas and Dailey especially rousing the crowd’s enthusiasm. A troublesome period for the visitors terminated when Porter got out into the open with the ball, and after a fine run he transferred to Richardson. The All Black forwards charged on irresistibly, with the two Southlanders, Richardson and White, at the fore, the latter getting across. Nicholls converted, increasing the score to 21. With the game drawing to a close Ih® All Blacks did not let up in the slightest, but the opposition was still effective. The finest passing bout of the day was now seen, but Steel frustrated’ it through knocking on, and almoS’t • immediately after Nicholls made a similar error. Continuing to get plenty of the ball the All Black hacks were sent away time and again, and at last Svenson raced across the line. His success was not shared bv Nicholls, who failed with the kick—All Blacks, 24; Leicester, 0. An injury to his leg compelled Munro to retire. The game continued brightly to the last, but the only other score came when an infringement by the home team resulted in Nicholls ticking a penalty goal, making the final score : All Blacks 27 Leicester q RESULTS TO DATE.

Played seven, won seven; points for 131, against 13. COMMENTS ON THE MATCH. While all who follow the game closeljT felt confident, especially after the great victories in Wales, that our team would beat Leicester, few of us expected that they would notch prac-

tically the same score .as . did their famous predecessors. . The result will serve to further increase confidence in the team, because the'report indicates an all-round excellence "which, did not appear so marked in previous .matches. Their attacking powers are indicated by the score, and a paragraph or two suggests a capacity to get out of tight corners by turning defence into- attack which is strongly reminiscent : of the 1905 team. Although the match, does not appear to have been as strenuous a contest as the last in Wales,- the team is evidently playing itself into that form which will be required When they are tried out against the international teams. The score sheet ds of interest because the six tries secured were divided equally between forwards and backs. The forwards show that the}' are able to .finish-off a. ;loose rush, while the combined play of the . backs was apparently very‘marked and. provided many brilliant movements, of which three resulted in scores. It is good to read that the passing did not end with one wing,. but came back infield and across to the other wing. This is the true style of the confident attacking teams. Considering the positions in which the tries were scored, Nicholls’ work fit place kicking was quite satisfactory, and maintains'' his reputation as the most . reliable goal kicker in the team. The,, forwards showed, too, that iii a test with- opponents on the similar scrum formation they can beat them. in. hooking. It appears as though Leicester made a mistake in departing from the usual English method. Altogether the report makes very reassuring reading.- ■ It is to be regretted that the New Zealand team was not cabled because, from the brilliant play of the backs, it would be valuable -to- know the fiveseighths combination which did -so well. The report shows that the threequarter line was' Lucas, Svenson £nd Steel, while Nicholls was one fiveeighth and Dailey half. No mention is made of the other inside back.

Won by F. A. July 5—N.S.W., 1st test N.S.W. 10 20 July 9—Metropolitan .... N.Z. 37 5 July 12—N.S.W.. 2nd test N.Z. 21 5 July 1(3 —N.S.W., 3rd test N.Z. 33 8 Sept. 13—Devon N.Z. 11 0 Sept. ,17 —Cornwall N.Z. 29 0 Sept. 20—Somerset N.Z. 0 0 Sept. 25 —Gloucester N.Z. 0 0 Sept. 27 —Swansea N.Z. 39 3 Oct. 2—Newport N.Z. 13 10 Oct. 4—Leicester N.Z. 27 0