Britain Far Superior

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 191, 2 August 1930, Page 3 (Supplement)

Britain Far Superior

Combined Waikato Team Never in the Hunt

Visitors Score in Quick Succession

Britain 40: Combined 16.

[Per Press Association.] A record crowd, estimated at over 12,000, assembled at Rugby Park, Hamilton, to-day for the Britain v. the Waikato-King Country-Thame s Valley team match. The home side were overwhelmed by 40 points to 16.

Hamilton, Aug. 2. The Combined kicked off, and play returned to the home 25. Then Allen put the oval out in he visitors’ 25. Combined secured from the first scrum, and play centred at half-way. The visiting backs swung into action, and offside play by Combined gave Black an easy essay at goal and he hoisted the first points within 3} minutes. Britain 3 Combined 0 Bonner placed the visitors in a promising position with a heavy kick, and the home side were detendmg again. Weo saved a dangerous situation. From a scrum five yards out Combined cleared. Britain continued to press, but up to this play had developed into a strenuous forward tussle. Spong, Bowcott, Aarvold and Novis handled the ball in a sparkling movement, which, however, gained little ground. Bonner had a pot from half-way, but the ball failed to rise. From'a forward scramble the visiting rearguard swung into line, but vigorous tackling by the Combined back line kept them back. The visitors came again, and Spong, Aarvold and Novis handled the ball, the latter beating Weo to ran over under the posts. Black converted. Britain 8 Combined 0 The visitors continued to press, and Weo saved, only for Britain to resume and find the line in the corner. Aarvold took a field pot, which narrowly failed. A free kick to Britain proved abortive. Bonner marked to save a forward rush, but Carlson returned to put the home side on the attack. OPPOSITION LEFT STANDING. Ivor Jones finished off a sparkling rash to leave the opposition standing. Black missed. Britain 11 Combined 0 From a forward tussle at half-way Reeve shifted play back to the home territory. The visitors were now playing with free abandon, and the Combined defence was being seriously tested. Ivor Jones hoisted the flags from a free kick, putting on further points. Britain 14 Combined 0

Bonner picked the ball up from a forward rush, and in a subsequent serum Murray found the corner. He beat WeOj and Combined were in a bad position. Again Tuck cleared, bringing play back to tjie half-way line. Tuck let the opposition through from a scrum at half-way, and Bowcott was nearly away. Reeve soon beat the opposition when he capped a beautiful back movement. Ivor Jones converted. Britain „ 19 Combined 0

Spong, Bowcott, and Reeve brought the gallery to their toes when the latter went down the line in characteristic style to be grassed a few yards from the line. The Combined attacked, but they lacked the necessary finish to cap the movement. The forwards, and then the backs, strove strenuously to lower the deficit. COMBINED’S FIRST SCORE. Weo saved a difficult situation when he roused enthusiasm with a line kick and put the home side on the attack. Leeson, picking the ball up from the loose, went over to hoist the Combined’s first points. Allen converted a difficult shot. The crowd were delighted. It was the first occasion that the home side had shown their mettle. Britain 19 Combined 5 There was now more spark in the game, and the terraces showed appreciation in no uncertain manner. From a line-out the Combined forwards took the opposition before it, and play centred in the visitors’ twonty-iivo. From a scrum at halfway Novis streaked up the line. He in-passed badly, but Spong was handy to gather in and stroll over under tho posts. Black added the points. Half-time came with tho scores reading:— Britain 24 Combined 5 THE CHANGE OVER. The British backs handled tho ball on resumption, but gained little territory. Mitchell found the lino from a freo-kick, putting Combined on tho attack. Ivor Jones cleared to send out to Spong, who passed to Reeve. The visitors were now on the attack. An infringement gave the home side needed relief. It was the speed of the British rearguard that was dominating the play, and they were throwing the oval around. Storey, with heady play, put the homo side on attack, mid from a forward rush Storey snapped up the ball to go across. Allen hoisted the flags, making the tallies— Britain 24 Combined 10 Britain returned to the offensive, but by hard forward play Combined hold them at bay. From a line-out the visiting backs went away and ’ Novis finished off the movement to outpace the home fullback and score

under the poets. Ivor Jones' shot Mt the posts and bounced in. Britain 29 Combined 10

Offside play gave Mitchell a shot at goal, his essay from half-way being a good though unsuccessful one. Aarvold beat the home backs and passed to Bowcott, who was forced out near the home hue. A scrum at half-way gave the ball to the home rearguard. Donner saved and from the throw in Combined were nearly across when the bouncing ball beat Bonner, The Combined forwards continued the attack, and the backs went away, but a timely mark by the British full-back brought the visitors out of a tight corner. Britain were again strenuously defending, with the Combined forwards struggling like trojans to force an opening in the British defence. COMBINED SHOW MORE DASH. Combined were now infusing more dash into their work, and the plaudits of the crowd urged them on. They continued to press the visitors and the home forwards were holding them down and were again across the dark blues’ line, the ball going behind. Novis turned on the attack, but an infringement relieved the position. Mishandling by the home backs had them in trouble, but Tuck saved in time. Combined returned to the attack, and St. George went through the opposition, but his pass to Tuck was wide. A penalty kick saw Allen narrowly miss the uprights.

Britain were now by no means having matters their own way as in the first spell. Bowcott found the line to relieve the defence. Combined, from a line-out, set the backs in motion, but Carlston mulled in a handy position. Combined kept up the pressure and Mitchell, picking up from the loose, went over amid loud and enthusiastic cheering. The kick hit the posts and bounced outside. Britain -9 Combved 13 Storev was delighting the crowd by his spoiling tactics, snapping many promising back movements by effective smothering of Spong. The British line was away again, but Carlstor intercepted, and following a line-out the Combined rearguard swung into motion and Allen went down the line. He went out at the corner with three men hanging on to him. The home forwards, led by Leeson, were at it again, and from the kick-off the home backs swung away. Tuck sent the ball to Carlston, and Carlston took his pass to go over jjear the corner. Mitchell’s kick failed. Britain 29 Combined 16 A bouncing ball beat Weo, and Combined were defending strongly. The British backs were again away, but Aarvold who finished the movement off, was pushed out in the corner. Britain continued to attack, and from a scrum in the Combined twenty-five Murray’s pass to Spong was wide. A free kick relieved and put Combined on the attack. Reeve turned the tide, however, and went down the line to bo thrown out. SENSATIONAL TRY. The sensational try of the game came the next moment, when Spong went through the opposition, beating four or five men to score under the posts. Black added the eytra points. Britain 34 Combined 16 Almost instantaneously Novis went down the lino to add further to the tally. Britain 87 Combined 16 The visitors continued to attack, and pressed the home side on the line. Aarvold was next over, making the final tally: Britain 40 Combined 16 THE CURTAIN-RAISER. In a curtain-raiser, the Hamilton reps, defeated Matamata by 12 points Jo U,.