ALL BLACKS LOSE FIRST TEST, 17-0

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6650, 2 July 1928, Page 7

ALL BLACKS LOSE FIRST TEST, 17-0

Springboks Playing 14 Men Carry All Before Them In Second Spell TWO FIELD GOALS, TWO PENALTIES AND ONE TRY Special to Press Association. Received Sunday, 5.5 p.m. DURBAN, June 30. Twenty ■ thousand people watched South Africa overwhelm New Zealand on the liingsmead Ground to-day by two potted goals, two penalty goals, and one try—l 7 points to nil. New Zealand was literally never in the hunt, and only magnificent defence saved a bigger score. Territorially, the Springboks had 80 per cent, of the game. Fourteen of the points were scored by Bennie Osier, the crack fly-half, who is now regarded as a national hero. He potted both goals and kicked two penalties.

Perfect Football Day. It was a perfect football day when the teams toolc the field. There was no wind and the sun was hidden by dark grey clouds. The rivals took the field as follows: SOUTH AFRICA.'"-Full-back: J. C. Tindall. ' , - Three-Quarters; < J. Prihsloo, Duffy, S. Osier, J. Slater. Fly-half: . B. L. Osier. Scrum-half: P. de Viiuefsi Forwards: P. J. Mostert, 'T. L.- Kruger, Dr J. van Druten. Dan cel, S. van Wyk. Pretorious, P. J. Nel, Potgieter NEW ZEALAND. - / Full-back: ! D. Lindsay.. Three Quarters: B. A. Grcnside, S. E. Carleton, A O. Bobilliard. ■ Five-eighths: A: Strang, L. M. Johnston. Half-back; W. C. Dailey. Wing-forward: G. Scrimshaw. r ' Fo'rwards: » J. P. Swain, S. Hadley.

ing and only, rock-like defence saved them. * Another scrum was formed forty yards from the Now Zealand line. From this De > Villiers sent tho ball to Bennie Osier who beat Scrimshaw and manoeuvred for a drop at goal. He let drive and the ball soared high between tho goal posts, a magnificent, kick, which roused the spectators to a frenzy, that only simmered down when the New Zealand forwards set about the task of recovery. Springboks 4, All Blacks 0. The All Black forwards, however, could achieve very little. Only! once close on half time did they look at all like-scoring. From a line out Bobilliard sent the ball to Scrimshaw who gave a reverse pass to Bobilliard again. The latter raced for the corner but was held up on tho line and South Africa cleared with a penalty kick. r Half-time,came with the scores: Springboks 4. All Blacks 0 Springboks Man Short When piay restarted Duffy, one of the South African centres, did not turn out owing to injury. A change was also made in the New Ze’aland team. Scrimshaw went from rover to extra centre.

Hardly two minutes of tho second spell had gone when t--’ ball again came out from the scrum to Bennie Osier and like a flasl of lightning he potted another fipe goal. Springboks 8, All Blacks 0.

M. Brownlie, G. T. Alley, I. Finlayson, B. T. Stewart, W. Hazlctt. A Whirlwind Start.

A fierce forward battle went on near the half-way with South frica getting all the best of it and ending in Brownlie being penalised for off-side. From this Bonnie Osier kicked an easy goal. . ' . Springboks 11,. All Blacks 0.

There was a hush among tiro crojvd while the teams gave haka and war cry. Then Brownlie kicked-off and for the first few minutes it appeared that New Zealand would get across. It was 3, whirlwind start that raised the hopes of. the New'Zealand supporters. . « But Fortune’s wheel turned several points against the New Zealanders in a trice. Strang was collared while attempting to pot under the posts. Mostert cleared and away went the Africa a forwards in a shattering run with tile ball t at their feet. Heeling out from a loose scrum the Sprinbok backs had the New Zealand defence in a tangle. Mostert kickedthrough and smothered Lindsay, but only a force down resulted. All Blacks on Defence. Play was fast and open at this stage with most of the game in the New Zealand twenty-five. The sun broke through the grey clouds and shining in their eyes put the South Africans to some disadvantage. Scrum followed scrum but Bennie Osier would not feed his backs until in the New Zealand twenty-five and always persisted in kicking into touch. Carleton saved in a desperate position a minute later by smashing a Springbok back attack. He kicked through to half-way, but Do Villiers shot the ball away from the serum and Stanley Osier short punted. Lindsay racing up, took the ball in his.stride and cleared brilliantly. Hadley,. Stewart and Swain dashed out from the ruck with the ball at their feet only to be sent back by Tindall, the African full-back’s never failing line kicks. A Penalty Misses. From a penalty at half-way Linddhy made an attempt to score but his kick fell just short. In a blind side run Eobilliard was hprt and became practically useless all through the rest of the game. Away went the South African backs in full cry again. Stanley Osier with a clever short punt gave a chance to Slater who was played in preference to Brand. Tho winger collected the ball going at top speed and bolted hard for the corner. Lindsay came across just as fast, made, one dive at the flying Springbok and brought him down brilliantly. N.Z. Kept Guessing. With run after run tho African backs kept the New Zealanders guess-

The Springboks although a man short were now playing better than ever. Their backs developed a series of impressive thrusts. From one run Prinsloo was almost over bat was pushed out at tho corner by Grenside. Three free kicks to New Zealand gave them a chance to work up to half way where Potgieter had an unsuccessful attempt at goal from a penalty. At Sixes and Sevens. Pretorious opened up play well and short punting found the All Black defence at sixes and sevens. But again Lindsay saved magnificently, racing across to take tho ball on the full and to find tho line. The New Zealand forwards got away in a combined movement but the Springbok battlers soon swept back. The balk came from a scrum to Osier who short punted. But after he had got in his kick Johnson bowled him over and a penalty was awarded the Springboks for obstruction which Bonnie Osier turned into a goal. Springboks 14, All Blacks 0. South Africa were winning fore and aft now. Being given plenty of the ball by their forwards the backs started to throw the ball about spectacularly Lindsay Just Misses. Lindsay had a shot at goal from a penalty at half-way and only just missed again. The South African backs got going at top speed and Prinsloo lost the ball when actually over the,line. The next moment the ball came along the line of backs from the scrum to Stanley Osier who threw away a certain try by holding on too long. Only Try of Game. A few minutes before time when tho Springboks had been attacking continuously De Villiers worked the blind side brilliantly. The ball went to Bennie Osier and then to Slater who cut clean through the defence to score a groat try. B. Osier just missed goaling. Springboks 17, All Blacks 0. • New Zcalands run of the whole day came a minute later when Strang cut In after receiving from the scrum. The position looked quite hopeful but

.Scrimshaw dropped n.s pass and the opportunity was lost. The final whistle wont with South Africa still on the attack and the score: Springboks .. 17 All Blacks ; 0 Springboks Better Side. The crowd at once surged on to the Geld cheering and congratulating their men. ' YWhile the Fates were fiendish in committing the New Zealanders to a dreadful chain of errors the latter were certainly the less worthy of the two teams. Everything was tragic for the All Blacks. They could do. nothing right. The game went to the better balanced side and superior set of tacticians. A Line of Crocks. - At the same time it must be stated that for the bigger part of the match Now Zealand played with a threequarter line of crocks. Grenside’s knee was injured in the last match and failed him early. Eobilliard when downed hard by Slater rosq limping badly and could hardly run for the rest of the day. Carloton in the first few minutes had his thigh muscle badly damaged. Even as sore as they were, however, these men played a magnificent defensive game smashing Springbok attacks time and again. African Scrum Supremacy.

With, a pack that was obtaining easily the. larger share of the serums South Africa's dominance radiated to their fast elusive three-quarter line where the two Osiers combined with fine precision cleverly drawing their men or varying play with the short punt or line kick. Do Villiers was a very clever half getting the ball away to his men without hesitation. N.Z. Backs Disappoint, Taken altogether the New Zealand backs except for stubborn defence were disappointing. The forwards were overwhelmed in the scrums but held the upper hand in line outs. * The most brilliant >exhibition of fullback play seen on the tour was given by Lindsay to-day. He had a tremendous amount l of work but never failed being sound in every department. Dailey was wayward and uncertain and failed to got the Hew Zealand back machine on the move. Johnson suffered as a result but at the same time he too was not \ impressive.. Strang was good in patches. The forwards battled hard and hopelessly with Hadley, Stewart; Swain and Brownlie the most prominent workers. The South African forward front row—Mostert, Kruger, and Van Druten —formed a splendid trio who. played a great game . Pretorius was another fine forward who played centre three-quarter when Duffy was injured. Game Was on Merits. There may nave been more brilliant and scintillating exhibitions of the code in international matches but it is doubtful whether there has evef been a match more strenuously fought. There is only one epitaph t 6 record —Hew Zealand was beaten by a better team. Eve of the Test. A cable from Durban on the eve of tuo Test was to the effect: — The newspapers are turning out big headlines regarding the match, and expressing the hope that the game will be hard, clean, and fair. The one topic of discussion is the result of the great Eugby struggle, and huge crowds have flocked from all over the country to see the game. South .Africa is full of confidence, and the New Zealanders recognise that the match will bo a desperate struggle, but are certain that they will manage to win the day. The average •weights arc as follow: Forwards, New Zealand 14st 2ib, Springboks list 11b; backs, New Zealand list 101 b, Springboks list lib. The referee is Mr. V. H. Noser, the ex-Oxford double Blue.