MATCH v. WEST OF SCOTLAND. Wednesday, November 25th, 1905.

Free Lance, Volume VI, Issue 290, 20 January 1906, Page 15

MATCH v. WEST OF SCOTLAND. Wednesday, November 25th, 1905.

New Zealand team. Full, Wallace; three-quarters, Smath, McGregof; five-eighths, Mynott and Stead; halt- Roberts; forwards, Glasgow, Tyler, Maodonald, Newton, Johnstone, Seeling, Glenn, and Gillett. This match wao played' on the Queen's Club grounid (soccer), at Orlaseow one of the finest grounds fn ' the Kingdom, with accommodation for 100,000 people. We were again unfortunate in the matter ot father, heavy rain falling all the morning, and the attendance did not exceed 8000. The ground! was very heavy, and a stiff breeze blew right •down the ground. New Zealand won the toss, and kioked off against the mind. Play was ratter of a scrambling nature at the start, the home foiwaids playing the typical Scotch game with a fair measure of success, but before many minutes had elapsed the Blacks were attacking, and, after one or two unsuccessful attempts, McGregor got over at the corner. New Zealand failed 1 to make quite the miost of their opportunities in this spell, and at half-time the score read 8 to nil. Against the wind, the Blacks altered their tactics, the forwards keeping the ball dose, and screwing very finely on occasions. As a result the colours only got the ball over New Zealand s twenty-five hue on two or three occasions. On one of these occasions, however, a passing run threatened) danger, but Sloan elected to "pot" instead . of passing,, and a very promising opening was spoilt. New Zealand! scored in the first five minutes of the spell, and altogether added four more tries (.one converted), finally scoring 22 to nil. The scores were got as follows : — 1, from loose forward rush to Harper, to McGregor, try, Wallace failed 3 points: 2, line-out, Seeling, Roberts, Mynott, Smith try, Wallace converted, 5- 3, scrum, Roberts try, Wallace failed, 3; 4, scrum, Roberts, Stead, Smith, McGregor try, Wallace failed, 3- 5 scrum, Roberts, McGregor, Mynott try, Wallace goaled, 5; 6, loose rush following scrum, Seeling try, Wallace failed 1 , 3 : total, 22 pomts. All the New Zealand backs' played well considering the state of the ground, Mynott especially handling and taking the ball well, and being responsible for some fine openings, notably on the occasion of the second try. The forward)* were particularly solid in the second spell against <ie wind, their screwing and heeling being exceptionally fine. The Scotchmen played an extra back, and as was the case in the previous match, lined up throughout forsmothering purposes. Tennant, at iull, played well, and the forwards were a clever lot with their feet, but were beaten for possession m the tight, in respect to footv-work, our forwards might, with profit, pick up a wrinkle from the Scotchmen. We left for Ardrossan the same night, crossed to Belfast by steamer, leaving there by the early morning tram tor Dublin. We got our first real glimpse of sunlight to-day for some weeks.