FIVE GOALS TO NEPIA.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 1186, 8 December 1924, Page 7

FIVE GOALS TO NEPIA.

east MIDLANDS' DEFEATED.BIG MARGIN OF POINTS. [By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.] LONDON, Dec. 6. Hie All Blacks met East Midlands at Northampton to-day and won easily by 31 points to seven. <To i , TIJAM. The New W.as, ias lUndet':-! Full-hacK, G. Nepia. ' * * . Three-quarters, F. XV. Lucas, 11. XV. Brown und J. Steel. Five-eighths. N. P. McGregor and A. E. Cooke. Half, J. Mill. Wing forward. C. G. Porter (captain). . Forwards, Q. Donald, W. R. Irvine, J. S. Richardson, R. R. Masters, C. Brownlie, J. H. Parker and L. F. Cupples. This was looked upon as a surprisingly strong side to put in the held, seeing that no serious opposition was expected. The Midlands men were drawn almost exclusively from the Bedford and Northampton Clubs and contained a number of players who have done very well in local matches. The match was played under the verybest conditions, the day being sunny and calm and the turf in. splendid order. Fifteen thousand people were present. New Zealand lost the toss and within a few minutes of Porter’s kick-off, first Steel and then Richardson were all but across the Midlands goal line. HOME TEAM. SCORES FIRST. The visitors continued their aggressive play, but one momentary lapse on their part let their opponents in, to the huge delight of the crowd. It was promptly turned to account, and first blood fell to the home team. A weak cross-kick gave Jones, the Midlands half-back, his opportunity. Dashing in rapidly, he got the ball at his toe, dribbled it across and touched down. Churchill, full-back, took the kick, but failed.

East Midlands 3 All Blacks 0 This roused the home men and some remurkably fast and keen play followed. The All Blacks, though much below form at this stage, mostly held the upper hand, but the Midlanders made no mistakes in their tackling, which was deadly. For a time they gave their opponents some anxious moments and once there was nearly a repetition of Jones’ feat. Townell, at five-eighths, intercepted a rather loose pass and before the All Blacks realised it, he was clear away. He ran almost the length of the field before he was brought down. FINE RUN BY STEEL. For a time the game was confined to New Zealand quarters. The local men attacked so strongly that the All Blacks had to set up a strong defence, but at last Mill set his three-quarters moving and the Now Zealanders romped down the field in a dangerous rush. Steel completed a vigorous offensive movement with one of his characteristic finding runs, bumping all tacklers oil' and scoring in the corner. With a splendid kick, Nepia turned it into a goal. All Blacks 5 East Midlands 3 The New Zealand forwards Had now shaken themselves together, and took charge of the game. Richardson broke smartly away from a scrum and passed to Brownlie, who dived across for a try, but this time Nepia’s kick failed. The All -Blacks continued to gain possession, but their passing was so uncertain and ineffectual that they made no use of their advantage and the first spell ended without further score: All Blacks 8 East Midlands 3 TRAINING TELLS. On resuming, the homo side attacked strongly until tiie effects of their rest wore off and the All Blacks had their defence well tried while this spurt was on. When it was spent, the superior training of«* the visitors came into play and they simply ran all over the Midlands.

Cooke was the first to break away, but he spoiled what looked a certain try by hanging on to the ball too long. Then Cupples put in a brilliant piece of dribbling, being attended by Brownlie, who at the finish, picked up the ball and, grounded it under the posts. Nepia had no difficulty in adding the goal. All Blacks 13 East Midlands 3 The All Black forwards continued to use their feet with great effect in the open and kept the game in their opponents’ twentylive. Here Mill sent a long pass to Brown, who took it at top speed and flashed across at the corner. Once aizaiu from this diL ficult angle Nepia kicked a superb goal.

All Blacks 18 East .Midlands 3 NEATLY DROPPED GOAL. The New Zealanders, in this half, were playing- altogether more scientifically and methodically and only occasionally did the Midlands get anything near the other end, but on one of these fleeting incursions, Jones managed to drop a neat goal to cheer the drooping spirits of his side. In a few minutes, the All Blacks had wiped this score off. . A pass from McGregor let Cooke in and he ran over close to tne posts, Nepia converting. All Blacks 23 East Midlands 7 After further chances of scoring had been nullified by forward passes and fumbling, Brown gave Steel a well-judged pase_ and the latter got over at the corner. Nepia all but scored a goal from the. kick. Almost immediately. Steel repeated the performance and . this time Nepia put another mugnificent goal to his credit. All Blacks 31 East Midlands 7 The Midlands made valiant efforts to reduce the deficit, but the New Zealand defence was ahyays sound and their efforts went for nothing. There was no further score on either side when the bell went. The game, although fast and interesting, was deficient in the finer points of play. The All Blacks’ weight and stamina were great factors in their victory and they wore down all opposition. Richardson stood out as the finest forward on the field and Cupples was always conspicuous, though neither of them actually scored himself. Nepia. who was in wonderful form, kicked five goals from seven tries—two of them from the side line. Brown, Steel and Cooke, were the best of the backs. —A. and N.Z. cable. RECORD TABLE. The results of the present tour to date.

together with the scores of the 1905 All Blacks for comparative purposes, are as follow :

THE HONOURS BOARD. In the 23 matches played on the British section of the tour, the All Blacks, have scored 542 points as against 81. The following were the contributors: — Goals. Tl.

The London Star says that the All Blacks are not- so black as their jerseys. “They suffered more from the wholehearted tackling than the London players.’’ What does the Star mean to insinuate? (asks a Sydney paper). Does it intend to suggest that the All Blacks are more blue than black, or that their souls are less black than those of the home team, which so despitefully used them, on the principle that the devil is not as black as he is painted.” Worse still, is it hinting subtly at a poly chromatic effect, including a yellow streak? If is to be hoped that the next time the New Zealanders get into a serum with the Londoners that that reproach will be removed. MATCHES IN BRITAIN. LONDON, Dec. 6. At the Rugby football international trials North boat South by 13 points to five, at Bradford. Glasgow defeated Edinburgh by 28 points to six at Edinburgh.—A. and X.Z. cable.

1924. 1905. v. Devon, won 11-0 55-4 v. Cornwall, won 29-0 41-0 v. Somerset, won 6-0-23-0 v, Gloucestershire, won 6-0 44-0 v. Swansea, won 39-3 4-3 v. Newport, won 13-10 6-3 v. Leicestershire, won .. 27-0 28-0 v. North Midlands, won 40-3 21-5 v. Cheshire, won 13-5 34-0 v, Durham, won 43-7 16-3 v. Yorkshire,’ won 42-4 40-0 v. Lancashire, won 23-0 — v. Cumberland, won .... 41-0 — v. Ireland, won . 6-0 15-0 v. Ulster, won 28-6 — v. Northumberland, won 27-4 31-0 v. Cambridge Varsity, won 5-0 14-0 v. London Counties, won 31-6 — v. Oxford ’Varsity won 33-15 47-0 v. Cardiff, won . 16-8 10-8 v. Wales, won 19-0 0-3 v. Llanelly, won 8-3 — Y. East Midlands, won... 31-7 — 542-81 429-29

Tries. Con. F.G. Pen. Pts. Nidi oils, j\I. F, 2 29 2 5 87 Nepia, G — 24 — 3 57 Hart, A. H. ... 17 1 — — 53 < . cl o o 15 — — — 45 Parker, J. H. 13 — — — 39 Svenson, K. S. 15 — — — 39 Steel, j 11 — 1 — 37 Mill, J 9 3 — — 33 White, A 3 5 — — 19 Brown, H. \V. 5 2 — — 19 Brownlie, M. J 6 — — — 18 Richardson, J .. 5 — — — 15 Irvine, \V. R. ... 5 — — — 15 Lucas, F. W. ... 3 — — — 12 Donald, Q 3 — — — 9 Porter, G. C. ... 3 — — — 9Brownlie, U. ... 3 — — — 9 Masters, R. R. 2 — — — b McGregor, N. P. 2 — — — 6 Stewart, R. 1'. 2 — — — 6 Guppies, L. Jb 1 . 1 — — — 3 West, A. H. ... 1 — — — 3 Robilliard, A. C. 1 — ~ 3 126 69 3 8 542