RUGBY LEAGUE TOURISTS

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 28 July 1932, Page 5

RUGBY LEAGUE TOURISTS

FIRST MATCH IN NEW ZEALAND. WON BY FIFTY POINTS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WHAN GAR EI, July 27. The opening match of tlie English Rugby League team’s tour of New Zealand was played at Kensington Park this afternoon before 2500 .spectators. It resulted in an overwhelming win for the visitors by 56 points to 5.

For twenty minutes the much lighter Northerners held their own, but they could not stand up to the wearing away tactics of the tourists, who in the second spell revelled in spectacular open passing. The home side was quite outclassed, and it was not uncommon to see a blue man ha-ve to come to this team mate’s assistance before a hefty Englishman was lowered. The Englishmen’s backing up was (perfection. Time after time the ball passed right along the back chain, and the wingers, Hudson and Woods, made the most of their opportunities. Hudson cracked a. rib and England finished a man short. Sullivan, the full-back, whose tremendous line-kick-ing was a feature, made himself a unit in the attack, and several scoring movements had their genesis in the English twenty-five. Once the fullback rail from behind his own goal line and the ball was handled thirteen times before Hudson touched down between the posts at the opposite end of the field. Atkinson, right centre, initiated many of the most brilliant essays, but the great back of all was Davies, the fly half, who was. superb. It was his thrjists which straightened out most of the English attacks.

The. forwards had two istone advantage in the pack, and when fending off tactics were exploited left the tacklers lamenting. Hodgson was the leader of the pack. Others to show up were Silver and Fender. The scorers of, tries were Hudson. (3), Woods (3), Fender (2), Davies, Pollard, Atkinson and Wright. Sullivan kicked a penalty and converted nine tries, several from the side-line. The Northerners did surprisingly well in the scrums, thanks to the hooking Of Wells, but found the white-jerse'yed backs like a stone wall in defence. Penny ran ..fearlessly and White was the" best forward. The tackling on both sides was magnificent. Twenty minutes after the game 'started Keith scored for North Auckland, O. Hamilton converting.