BRITAIN ROUTED.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 245, 11 September 1930, Page 7

BRITAIN ROUTED.

N.S.W. PROVE SUPERIOR

IN FINAL MATCH OF TOUR

SYDNEY, Sept. 10

The British Rugby touring team was defeated by the New South Wales team by 28 points to 3. The New South Wales score was made up of six tries and five goals, whereas Britain scored only a penalty goal. The match was played on the Sydney Cricket Ground, in the presence of 11,689 spectators. The weather was summery and the ground as hard as a rock. It was expected, as this was the Englishmen’s last match here, that they would play brilliantly, exploiting the international rules to advantage as in the previous two matches. However, with a weak back division, the visitors were quite below form. The forwards were listless and their passing erratic. Probably, the sole exception was Spong, who enhanced his reputation in endeavouring to carry his side in the second half until a succession of tries demoralised the British play. The following were the teams : New South Wales. —Ross, Crossman, Towers, Egan, White, King, Malcolm, Breckenridge, Telford, Palfreyman, Storey, Ford, Cerutti, O’Connor, and Blair.

Britain. —Bonner, Novis, Bowcott, Knowles, Morley, Spong, Poole, Ivor Jones, Beamish. Prentice, Black, Hodgson, O’Neill, Rew, H. C. Jones. The New South Wales forwards held their own in the scrummages, were vastly superior and more enterprising in the line-outs, and speedier in the loose. Malcolm was resourceful, and his varied moves were excellently supported in attack, particularly by the centres, Egan and Towers, while Ross, who graduated in medicine on Tuesday, showed all his old form as fullback. At half-time the score was: New South Wales 10, Britain 3. Cerutti, seizing a chance through tho British centre’s fumbling the bail, dribbled, gathered in, and accepted a return pass from Storey, and scored a brilliant try. Then Morley, anxious to intercept, allowed Towers to cut in and score. Ross converted both tries. Ross also converted three from four attempts in the second spell. Prentice kicked a penalty goal for Britain, after which the Englishmen rarely troubled the New South ales players, except when Spong broke through. Crossman twice scored, outpacing his opponents. Towers, Ford and White scored tries; each had a solo run of fifty yards. Ford initiated a movement when Towers gathered from a long throw in in the British twentyfive. . Tho Englishmen were tired and spiritless long before the whistle blew. Their three-quarter passing was mainly lateral, only Spong’s straight running gaining ground. On the other hand, the New South Wales players introduced clever tactical moves, exploiting their pace to the fullest. Malcolm’s reverse passing to Ford as the scrum was breaking up twice caught the defence napping. The British inferiority in the forwards is exemplified by the fact that Ford rarely packed, generally waiting chances in the loose. At times during the second spell the play was exceptionally ragged. After the whistle the teams joined hands, forming a ring in the middle of the field, and sang “Auld Lang Syne.” The British team will leave for Melbourne to-morrow. Sohey witnessed the match. The operation to his knee is believed to have been successful, but it is doubtful if he will play in England during the coming season.

(Published by Arrangement.)