BRILLIANT ALL BLACKS OVERWHELM PRETORIA

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6672, 27 July 1928, Page 8

BRILLIANT ALL BLACKS OVERWHELM PRETORIA

BEST DISPLAY OF TOUR Score Should Have Been Much Larger ,! ' ■ .. . / ’ ' . Special to Press Association. ■ PRETORIA, July 25. Overwhelmed in the first spell by the New Zealand hacks and forwards, the Pretoria Districts, showed a complete reversal of form in the second spell of the match played at Pretoria to-day. The display of the All Blacks in the first spell, when they dominated the scrums, was brilliant. The New Zealanders gave their best exhibition of the tour. In the second spell the New Zealand forwards slackened up, and the game-deteriorated. The New Zealanders won by 13 points to 6, but .■* the margin should have been greater. The match was played on a parched turf ground. • Among those present was Sir William Solomon, Senior Puisne Judge of the Transvaal, who was introduced to the New Zealand team. Prior to the start of the match the All Blacks’ delighted the crowd with their famous haka.

Early Scores. Shortly'after the opening, the-- Pretoria backs engaged in a passing rush from a line-out, but the movement broke down in the three-quarter line. The New Zealand forwards, led by C. Brownlie, then breaking .through, Palley whipped the ball away from the ruck to the blind side, wjicro .Grenside received and with a fine, swerving run scored far out. Lindsay’s kick just missed. New, Zlealand ............ 3 Pretoria 0 Prom a line-out following the kickoff, Chapman sent the Pretoria backs away. Kotze short-punted beautifully, and the ball was kicked over the-line. In a race to secure it Kotze beat Lindpay and scored. The kick missed. New Zealand 3 Pretoria ............... 3 All Blacks Attractive. The New Zealanders were on their ' toes, throwing the bull about in a telling way. The game was fast and open, with the All Blacks’ backs combining in pretty, movements. Swain . next started a.dribbling rush from a lino-out, and McWilliams carried on, - picking up the leather to go across for t a try, which. Lindsay/convertcd. f. - New Zealand ............ 8 Pretoria 3 . A succession of runs by the New Zealand backs had Pretoria puzzled. Pretoria’s tackling was spund, and they managed to keep the attackers f In attempting to clear, Gush ihiskieked into the hands of Grenside, who passed to Swain. The forward •cored an easy try under the posts, Lindsay eonverting. , • ' New Zealand I 3 Pretoria 3i Kotze and Liebenberg had the crowd I on its toes with a beautiful in-and-out passing movement down tbo line. Liebenberg kicked past ■ Lindsay, and the position looked dangerous, but Carleton came hard across and saved. Away . went the New Zealand forwards: again in a "fast attack, with McWilliams, ■ Hero and Swain in the. lead. They ' combined in several interesting movementh before half-time, and were almost over on two occasions. Pretoria Retaliates. The Pretoria forwards, led by Kruger, van Druten and Nykamp, worked play downileld from the kick-off in the second spell. Then tho backs got going in a passing - rush, • but Dobio stumbled and Lindsay cleared with, a great kick to the other side of halfway. Play- was: more even than in the first spell. Tho Pretoria forwards, holding their awn, set about the big'task of recovery with a vengeance, but the AH Blacks’ defence, as usual, was sound. Tho New Zealand forwards got moving again. McWilliams and Swain went racing down the line in a brilliant in-and-ont passing rush from a line-

out, but a forward pass at the critical moment, spoilt a moral try. Hammering Hard. The Pretoria backs gained a lot of ground with a clever passing movement from a scrum at half-way. The forwards made a determined effort to get over, and were hammering away at the New Zealand line for a few minutes. Ward broke away from a line-out with the ball at his feet, and wont away in a beautiful solo effort. The Pretoria forwards then started a fine attack, and the backs joined in,-. It was a beautiful .movement, and ended in Geyser, scoring near the corner. ' Gush failed, to convert. *]si) New Zealand .....13 Pretoria -0 The Final Stages. * Pretoria were getting the ball from the scrums at this stage, and the backs were throwing the ball about in movements which were consistently smashed by the New Zealand backs. There was a spell of scrappy play until the New Zealand forwards started a hot attack which 'went from half-way to the corner., An infringement spoilt a royal chance. • , Pretoria cleared and shooting the ball- away from a scrum Chapman sent the Pretoria backs away. Dobie shortpunted but Carlcton and Lindsay pullthelr side out of a dangerous position. The last few minutes of the game still saw Pretoria making desperate efforts to win, but the final'whistle came with the New Zealand backs still Smashing the Pretoria attack. New Zealand ............ IS Pretoria 6 Notes and Comments. / Winning the ball from 19 out ,of 27 scrums-in the first spell, the New' Zealanders -were all over Pretoria,; the backs showing excellent form. ' The only thing which saved a bigger score was the fine defence- of The game was,' nothing ; liko the same iff the second spoil. • The New Zealand forwards slackened up, and Pretoria got the same, percentage of the ball-from the scrums as the All Blacks did ill the ixrsi/ spell. The Pretoria backs was continuously on attack in the second session. Dobie, Kotze and Chapman showed Tip. All the attacks were effectively and consistently smashed. All the New Zealand backs played a fine game. Nickolls, Oarleton, and Dailey were at times brilliant. Grenside got more of the ball than Lucas, but the Aucklander made the most of every chance. Lindsay’s kicking, on defence was brilliant.

: McWilliams, Swain, and Ward were easily the-best forwards on the New Zealand side, and Kruger, van Drulen, Nykamp, and Geero were the outstanding Pretoria forwards. It was a fine triumph for tho New Zehlanders, for the match was regarded as one of the hardest of the tour. It was looked upon as a minor Test.