False Reputation

Northern Advocate, 26 September 1949, Page 2

False Reputation

He dashed across, charged into the crumbling formation and was soon walking back with his team-mates while Allan applied heel to earth in preparation for the simplest of penalty shotk.

Allan did not treat a simple goal as a triviality. He took every care, raised two flags and dropped New Zealand’s chances a vital three points. Australia’s first try, which was converted. was also a presentation. A scrum went down near the All Blacks’ line. Halfback Bevan secured and raced across the field on the open side. The situation appeared well in hand.

Bevan suddenly appeared to take a violent dislike to the ball and fired it wildly away behind McLean. It rolled towards the goal-line. McLean tried hard to effect temporary repairs, but the ball bounced away from him. Solomon ahd Allan dribbled it over the line and Solomon touched it first for a try.

New Zealand attacked strongly for the first three minutes of the game. For most of the next 37 minutes, it defended strongly. O'Callaghan tried two penalty shots from out near touch on the terrace side. He was kicking into the teeth of the south-westerly, wind and, each time, the ball curled back into the field of play. As if by instinct, the Australian forward Windon anticipated the semiboomerang effect on the second occasion.

He dashed to the 25 line where the ball was driven by the wind and, in a flash, had the ball in his hands and was travelling at high speed downfield.

He kicked over Kelly’s head, bustled the fullback who failed to recover, regained possession and directed a pass towards Allan. The centre did not get hold of it, but Windon quickly did and dived to score.

The scoreboard showed B—nil and the big clock next door 24 minutes. Next major incident was Kelly's accident and. following that, half-time. When play resumed, the scene was

different. It had the Australian goalline as a background. Blomley took a mark nearby. His kick for "touch aroused the interest of three All Blacks.

McLean and Couch dilly-dallied with the ball while Smith and the line umpire watched at close quarters. The ball bounced to Smith's advantage.

He picked it up, looked at the distant goal and drop-kicked. It was a perfect shot, the crowd roared and the figure 3 appeared in the dismissal gap on the scoreboard.

Smith twice had the crowd roaring again within the next few minutes. He weaved and swerved and penetrated the Australian hinterland. He was setting a captain's example. The Australians were not happy. They infringed. Smith called up O’Callaghan to take the shot. The crowd wondered at the captain’s faith. There was no south-westerly frustration this time, however, and the Wellington man's shot held its original bearing and up went the (lags.

It was B—6 with 10 minutes of the spell gone. The two decolourations occurred within the next six minutes. Allan’s goal made 11—6 less hopeful reading. The inevitable Smith stepped into the breach. Firstly he stepped out of a tackle. He then careered through an opening, timed a pass to Roper, and the Taranaki man showed brilliant speed and determination to score in a tackle on> the lip of the corncr-fiag hole-

Roper raised a thrill when ,he almost got on to a Smith short-punt at top speed. Had he got a grip of the ball he* must have scored.

The All Blacks did not have another scoring chance.

The Australian forwards scratched the ball from the scrums and rucks. Burke fired beautiful long straight passes one-handed to Emery and the artistic five-eighths sent the line-um-pire scurrying 20 to 30 yards upfield with flag aloft.

Three such kicks placed the Wallabies a few yards from the New Zealand line.