WALES BEATS ENGLAND

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 45, 23 February 1938, Page 8

WALES BEATS ENGLAND

FULL-BACKS GREAT KICKING SUPERIORITY IN THE FORWARDS

Let me say at once that the better side, gale or no gale, won the first international of the season at Cardiff Arms Park, and that until England find a goal kicker of the same calibre as Vivian Jenkins, they will always throw away valuable points. So writes a London correspondent in discussing Wales’ defeat of England on January 15 by 14 points to 8. The Welsh full-back, besides kicking two penalty goals at a vital time in the first half, when Wales had the wind with them, also converted the try that gave Wales a sufficiently long lead at the opening of the second half to make England’s task well nigh impossible. It was not Jenkins’ kicking alone that had such a vital influence on the game. His general tactics were so safe and sure that the moral influence on the rest of the side—on a day when the ball was going everywhere but where it was kicked—was of the greatest assistance to Wales in keeping on top of England right from the start.

To say that England disappointed is to put it mildly. They have not played so badly for years. Mysteriously beaten forward—where they were expected to shine—the backs added fuel to the fire of criticism by their stilted play, and Freakes, by comparison with Jenkins, was a novice. I am certain the instructions issued to the front row forwards before the match to abide strictly by the spirit of the law in hooking the ball put them under a handicap, compared with the Welsh forwards. Before the start the forwards were officially instructed in the way they should interpret the scrummage law. The flank forwards were told that they must not hook, and all the forwards must be careful not. to raise or advance their feet until the ball had been pitched into the scrummage. How this affected the men must be left to conjecture, but, instead of holding the advantage in getting the ball from the scrums, they were beaten for it in 29 out of 52.

The foot-up rule in Rugby is still a serious trouble. It is like the foot fault in lawn tennis—hard to avoid owing to the difficulty in timing the pitch of the ball. Always the tendency is to anticipate it too soon. Curiously enough the English forwards twice broke the rule disastrously, once glaringly* and It was on these occasions that Jenkins landed penalty goals. The standard of play on both sides was high, the big disappointment being the English forwards, who lacked the dash of the Welsh eight. Indeed, they looked heavy-footed, and contributed little to the attack in the open. In regard to the backs, their defence was good, but their touchfinding left a lot to be desired. Indeed, England had no one to make ground by judicious kicking as had Wales through C. W. Jones. Scrums Order of the Day. Scrums, generally, were the order of the play, for the Welsh pack leader, A. M. Rees, soon saw that this was England’s weakness—not that the backs promised much. Wales are to be commended on at last having found eight forwards who got more nearly back to the type of play that once made the Principality so feared. Outstanding in this department were the new "caps,” McCarley and Vickery, while Eddie Watkins and Harry Rees did some powerful work in the loose. England will have to make changes here, and the pick of the eight were Huskisson and Bolton, with the Wheatleys not xar behind. But none played up to standard.

Behind the scrum there was a woeful lack of combination among England’s backs, who, apart from Nicholson, have already played together. The last-hour substitution of Sandler for Reynolds should have made this even better, for he partnered Gadney the season before last.

Yet they played like so many units when the ball came out on the England side, and hesitancy times out of number lost them the initiative.

Wales, on the other hand, gained confidence as their superiority became apparent in the scrummaging, and, lying nearly on top of the forwards in close formation, the centres were more often able to bring the wings into action.

Cliff Jones was the life and soul of the party, an d completely controlled the trend of the match. He was astute enough to kick ahead with the wind, shot well-controlled punts, and his defensive work was the best I have ever seen from the little Welsh wizard. It was a well-placed kick by Jones that gave Idwal Rees the chance to nip through and take the ball from under Freakes’ nose and score under the post two minutes after the start of the second half. Though Wales did not score again, that was partly due to the game, for a time, sinking to the ordinary, and the forwards controlling the play, without. being able to do much for the backs on either side. After one o:: these "scraps” the referee had occasion to speak to Longland, and Edd ie Watkins had to leave the field with a leg injury. Clement also went off lor a period, and Nicholson was a casualty for five minutes in the first half. Behind Cliff Jones, Idwal Rees was the greatest source of worry to England. He will surely be remembered as one of the most versatile backs ever to have played for Wales. Claude Davey was perhaps more subdued than usual; there was none of his famous crash-tackling, and his pass-giving was not nearly so good as a. Wooller; bu t he did not let his side down. Even Duelling by Halves. At half-bacl: the duel was pretty even. Tanner was just able to do more for his tacks than Gadney, who was seriously encumbered by slow heeling when England did get a sight of the ball in the tight. Once, the old Leicester man used his famous burst, and Nicholson, taking the pass, sent Unwin dashing in past Bassett and Jenkins, but the Welsh linesman ruled that Unwin had put a foot in touch. McCarley scored the first Welsh try in Real opportunist style. Tanner punted ahead and the Welsh forward gathered and found himself nearly surrounded, but, realising his proximity to the England line, he made a fine dash for it and just grounded the ball as Gadney got him. There followed Jenkins’ two penalty goals from infringements against England forwards, and five minutes from the interval England reduced the leeway with the best try of the game. Nicholson, always ready for a stray chance, intercepted a pass from Davey to Idwal Rees, and was away in a flash. After passing with Unwin, Nicholson got the ball back and streaked for the corner with A. M. Rees in pursuit. Candler had followed up at speed, and was alongside Nicholson for a pass on the line, and he touched down behind the posts. Crammer’s kick hit a post. We very rarely saw Sever, England’s stoutest hope, get a gilt-edged chance. Clement looked after him well. But Sever popped up five minutes from the end when he kicked a loose ball over the Welsh line and, with Jenkins out of position, ran in for a try that Freakes goaled with a kick from the; touch line. Cranmer also missed two reasonably easy penalty goals. The Teams. Wales. —V. G. J Jenkins. (London Welsh); W. H. Clement (Llanelly), J. Idwal Rees (Edinburgh Wanderers and Swansea), E. C. Davey (London Welsh), A. Bassett (Cardiff); Cliff Jones, captain (Cardiff), Haydn Tanner (Swansea); W. Travers (Newport), H. Rees (Cardiff), E. Morgan (Llanelly), W. Vickery (Aberavon), A. M. Rees (London Welsh), A. McCarthy (Neath). England.—H. D. Freakes (Oxford University ancl Harlequins); E. J. Unwin (The Army and Rosslyn Park), P. Cranmer, captain (Moseley), B. E. Nicholson (Harlequins), H. S. Sever (Sale); P. L. Candler (St. Bartholomew’s Hospital), B. C. Gadney (Headingley); R. J. Longland (Northampton), H. B. Toft (Waterloo), H. F. Wheatley (Coventry), A. Wheatley (Coventry), T. F. Huskisson (Old Merchant Taylors), W. H. Weston (Northampton), D. L. K. Milman (Bedford), Ft. Bolton (Harlequins). Referee, Mr. R. A. Beattie (Scotland).