THE SECOND TEST

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 1074, 22 July 1924, Page 5

THE SECOND TEST

N.S.W. OUTCLASSED. ASTONISHING REVERSAL OF FORM. WEAKNESS IN DEFENCE. (By “W.M.R.” in the Sydney Sun.) Completely outclassed in attack and _ in defence, in speed and in judgment, New South Wales went, down before the dashing All Blacks at the Showgrounds, Sydney, on July 12, by no less a than 21 to 5. Thai mighty roar, “Blue! Blue! Blue, (hat urged the f-ide on to victory a’ week earlier, was seldom heard this time. 1* or the Light Blues were a different team—a team that never looked like winning, oi even getting within ioo-ee of New Zealand's score. The c.owd was estimated at 22,000, which is much below the attendance at the first test. Few teams have shown such an astonishing reversal of form as New South \\ ales. From the outset New Zealand took command of the position, and never lost it. From the very kick-off, which resulted in a scrum, the All Blacks scored —it: was a magnificent try —and the further the game progressed the surer they were of victory. It was a case of speed, sturdy defence, ami combined effort. That was all. Ami N.ft.W. couldn’t cope with the flashing movements towards its goal-line. Those passing bursts were like so many waves that could not be stemmed. line! it not been for the fact that there was such a vast difference between the scores so early in the game —New Zealand scored five tries in 22 minutes—-the match might have been a real thriller. Ihe classy football was there right enougn. hut it was all on the one side. New' Zealand s display was brilliant, it was true Rugby. POOR DEFENCE. New South * Wales lost because of its lamentably weak defence, its lifeless vanguard. and unenterprising back division. Rut the defence was the .side’s chief weakness. i'lie All Blacks just went through almost when they liked in tlie first half, and if it had not been for Buntine —who went into the side at the eleventh hour as a result of Stanley’s injury preventing him taking his place in the three-quarter line and for Xothling, one can only imagine what the score might have been. As it was, New Z ealand scored five tries in the first 22 minutes, and another a quurtor of an hour later. In addition, a further score was lost hv sheer had luck. The hall was over the line and \\ bite was just anout to put his hand on it when lie tripped and fell.

And yet not one of those six tries was converted. Four penalty kicks also went astray. It was painful to see kick aKei kick failing, even though each failure meant either two or three points fewer in the huge total against: New South W ales. The poor kicking bocume one of the features of the match —though a very had feature, and the only blot on tho splendid exhibition of the All Blacks. The New Zealanders tried several mo?i in attempts to collect penalty goals or to convert tries, hut each usually was very wide ot the mark. . , .

The New South Wales kicking, too, was just a.s had. Only one goal was kicked uli the afternoon, out of 19 attempts, and Thorn, a New South Wales forward, had the honour of it. Xolhhng. Buntine. and Thorn, of New South Wales, and Xepia. Nicholls AI. Brownlie, and Richardson, of New Zealand, all had various shots tor goal from various angles, and only Thorn was successful. The kick was straight: in front of the posts! SELDOM ATTACKING. Now South Wales played lifelessly. Not once hi tin* first 20 minutes did the skid even look like scoring a try ; and it only when, late in the iirst bulf, New Zealand had -cored 15 points to nil and become a little careless of danger that the Light Blue jerseys were seen in the zone about New Zealand s line. In the second half of the match New South Wale? did attack, and at times showed some glimpses of its true form, resulting in a converted try to an unconverted try; but it was too late then. The New Zealanders were content to keep the opposition at buv. Whenever New South Wales did attack it was a spasmodic effort, an individual burst, or a brief forward rush. Stanley’s absence. despite his great worth as an attacker, did not mal;e_ any material difference became \ew South Wales was seldom in an attacking- position. New Zealand simply outclassed our own forwards in the Inie-outs. and rarely allowed Walker to get the ball and set his backs in motion. In the serums, too. New Zealand had an advantage, end the seven All Blacks frequently pushed the eight New South Welshmen right off the hall. And when New South Wales did win the ball from a serum, tin; Now Zealand wing forward. Porter, - invariably caught Walker with the ball. Though Walker did not got sufficient protection from his breakaway forwards, still, he was slow in moving, and many of his passes were “grubbers.’ Porter was a regular terror. EOR WARD ST RUGG I. E.

The forward struggle was hard from the commencement —particularly hard tor Now South Wales, because the All Blacks were dominant throughout. Where were the vim, vigour, and speed of the New South Wales eight of lust Saturday. ’I he New Zealanders were right on top of the Blues the whole time and never let up. Somewhere in the New South Wales vanguard there were loafers, but Thorn. Thompson, Hoskins, and Fox could not he accused, as their solid play was splendidly maintained. 'The Blacks broke through with dribbling rushes and passing bursts that might have been stopped at the outset had the New South Wales forwards lnmg solidly together and fought with collective resolution. Walker, behind this pack, was left with a tremendous amount of rush-stop-ping to do, and valiantly did it. 'The big, fast, rugged forwards of the Dominion displayed their best lorui, and it was quite in keeping with the highest standard of New Zealand football. Fast. a\sav from the scrums, bunching quickly in the loose rucks, heeling to the half back, and, moreover, protecting him well, so that the New Zealand rearguard were served with the hall under favourable circumstances, Richardson. Brownlie. Munro, White and Porter excelled. Hardly ever did Brownlie or Richardson ease up. but with wonderful dash and speed kept on liie ball and ever were on the look-out to make openings for the splendid backs behind them. Porter played a remarkable game. Tireless in all phases of play, lie ran like a back and passed and received the ball with precision and judgment. Greatorcx. who was told olf to watch him. was quite unequal to the task. Still he was useful in the loose play and ran into position well. Davis played a hard game, yet lacked bis usual dash: and Bonner and Blackwood were laggard. Still, perhaps, some excuse can be made for the front row men. Their’s was a hard part to fill. The scrums of Rugby Union are no moan affairs, and when the weight of the opposing pack is so much greater the hard workers become very tired before the end of a match. The New Zealand forwards gave a taste of their veal quality. Thev were in top form. Now it cun he realised that the lioast of New Zealanders is no idle one. ALL BLACKS’ IMPROVEMENTS.

The improvement in the form of the All Blacks was not unexpected. I wrote last week that the side was sure to do better, because the football was there in the first place, though it wasn’t finished off. Still the inclusion of Svenson in place of Hart made a great difference. Svenson is a very fine winger, and has more than ordinary" puce. lie scored two splendid tries, one of them a lone effort that marked him a real opportunist. He is very stockily built, too, and defends splendidly. In Lucas and Svenson New Zealand line a pair of great wingers. Lucas, perhaps, is the more polished, hut Svenson is (he sturdier. Dailey, who took Mill’s place as halfback, was very successful, hut Cooke was ngnin the greatest player on the ground. Built oil the same lines ns Les C'ubitt. though not quite si tall, he is the best footballer New Zealand has sent here for many years. Young and brainy, he has a brilliant future, and his career will bn watched with great interest. LUCAS’S THREE TRIES. The fact that New Zealand's two wing-

ors scored five of the side's seven tries Lucas three and Svenson two —shows that, the inside men realise that the wing men are their scoring agents. The centres are called upon io make the openings and the wingers must finish them off. They did. The hall went in every case lint one from the base of the scrum, or a ruck or a lineout to the winger via tho inside men ; and in another instance —probably the best try of the day—it went right out to Svenson on lhi> wing and in again via the centre to tile five-eighth. Cooke, who scored. That is real football. Several of the All Blacks’ tries were of that type. The try that New South Wales scored was the result of a lone forward following straight through from a luck. Crossinan. on the light wing, threw a long pass to Sheehan, who gave the hail to Wogan. The Western Suburbs player cut in and. seeing Buntine marked, looked round for support on the inside. Greatorcx was tliere. the only one of the forwards, und he went over the line between the posts.