ALL BLACKS' DEFEAT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18762, 16 July 1924, Page 11

ALL BLACKS' DEFEAT.

[THE FIRST EUGBY TEST. BEATEN OH THEIR MERITS. FORM OF THE PLAYERS. PORTER'S GREAT I)ISPLAY. MILL FXUS HIS BACKS. [tbom oua own cobbespondest.] SYDNEY. July 10. The visit of the All Blacks to Sydney V.-.is keenly anticipated, and when, on making their first appearance here, they were motored around the Showground in a fleet of cars they were cheered in such a mariner that nobody could say that the welcome was artificial or merely a matter of courtesy. The team did not come unheralded, and was reputed to be able to give an exhibition of Rugby equal to the New Zealand pre-war standard, and even -to the 1905 standard.

In last Sat\irday's game the All Blacks did not live up to that reputation and were beaten by a team that thoroughly deserved its victory. New South Wales won by sheer merit. There were over 30,000 people at the match, and the around could not have accommodated comfortably a greater crowd. Followers of football in Sydney are so disgusted by the displays Shat have been provided for them this year by the Loaguo that the attendance would probably have been larger had not the limitations of the .ground been generally realised. It seemed »0 anomaly that the adjacent cricket ground, with its provision for 60,000 spectators, should be the scene of an inter-club League game, which attracted only a handful of people. The rivalry between the codes is so great, however, that it is pot surprising that the anomaly should exist. Clean Sporting Game.

As it -was the first test provided one of the greatest advertisements the Rugby code has had in Sydney for many years. The clean sportsmanship displayed on both sides was a revelation to the crowds that had become accustomed to the fisticuffs that have marked big League games, notably one of the tests between Australia !and England. Not once during the whole game were questionable tatetics displayed, and the crowd was clearly delighted when, as happened on more than one occasion, a player assisted an opponent from the ground. This sort of thing seemed quite foreign to Sydney football, hut it indicated the spirit in which the game was played. StilL it must not be imagined that either side gave quarter. The contest was keen from beginning to end, and it was probably the pace set by the New South Wales backs that disconcerted the All Blacks, who had had little opportunity train. The New Zealand forwards Boomed very tired before the first spell came to an end. So Excusejj for Defeat.

The All Blacks offer no excuses for their first defeat, and were the first to acknowledge the all-round superiority of the New South Wales team. It must be said to the credit of the New South Wales players that they regarded very seriously the tests before them and went to no end of trouble to provide the best team. Trial games and a systematic scheme of training did their part, and as a result 1 the All Blacks met the. cream of Rugby football hare with every man in the pink of condition.

The confidence which the New South Wales team displayed in the result was one of the most remarkable features of the game and contrasted with the apprehension of the New Zealanders, who doubted whether they would be able to combine effectively, as they had not had a match together. Subsequent events proved that the doubt was justified. The weakness of the New Zealand team lay in its inability to turn to profit many of the chances that came" its way. It lacked resourcefulness and dash and enterprise, and most of the individual members of the team must share tho blame for this. The Hero of the Match. The outstanding player on the field, however, was an All Black, C. G/Porter (wingforward) who was here, then* and everywhere, always doing more than his share of the work, and doing it exceedingly well. His anticipation of what the next move would be was almost ■uncanny, and whenever tho ball was kicked downfield he was almost invariably waiting for it. He initiated move after move, and was untiring. The referee's interpretation of the offside rule was lenient, but Porter waß not a very flagrant offender, although some anticipate that he will meet with trouble when he is in England. Porter's play received the close attention of the crowd, and it is safe to say that if he played regularly in Sydney he would quickly become the idol "of football followers. Porter was the hero of the match. Mill the Weakest Player.

The weakest player in the New ZeaJand team was J. Mill (halfback), whose display throughout the match was far below New Zealand representative standards. He seemed to lack courage, and often when he did secure the ball he passed it out wildly, and the pass could not be 1 taken. Then the New South Wales I'orward lias would swoop down on the ball, and away it would go at the toe with the New Zealanders following. Time and again Mill failed to be handy When the ball came out of a scrum or a melee. He was far too slow for the dashing pace that was set by the home team, and to a large extent he was responsible {pr the disappointing display given by the back division. Plashes of Brilliancy. Among the backs Hart and Lucas, on the winga, in ths threequarter line, were the pick, though it was some time before the former settled down, and h9 missed several passes at critical stages of the game. In Lucas* play there were flashes pi brilliancv, and if he continues on he is bound to make a name for himself on the English tour. Nepia came with a great reputation, and the crowd eagerly watched him when his firßt opportunity came. He took the ball brilliantly, and he kicked it brilliantly, and ths crowd cheered with delight. After that he continued to kick brilliantly, but no- developed a roving habit, and was often out of his place. His tackling was by no means sound, but this was a department in which other members of the team were also surprisingly deficient. Halta dozen times or more there was the spectacle of an All Black swinging an opponent round and round by the arm. " Tackle low " is a football axiom that should be impressed very thoroughly upon the All Blacks. They were given a taste of the efficacy of low tackling, but did not benefit by the example that was set by New South Wales. Besides Hart and Lucas one other back, A. E. Cooke (fiveeighths), stood out. He figured in much brilliant work, and in several passing rushes he had the assistance of Brown and Lucas, but Brown lacked brilliancy. Except for the occasion when he figured in the tactics which resumed in a try toward the end of the second spell Brown could not gather a pass while the pace was on, and more than once the All Blacks were penalised for his off-side play. The New Zealand captain, C. Badeley, ■ was amor-o- tins backa. wh_o disappointed. He did nothing to attract attention during the witole atlernoou, nor was there any evidence that he had a sound control over the tactics employed by his men. The All Black forwards were slower and played with less dash than their opponents' vanguard. Their scrum formation

was weak, and for that reason 15h«y did not secure the advantage that should have been theirs because of their weight. Every time the scram crumbled np prematurely, and this released the home forwards who were quick to harass the Black backs, neutralising all efforts on the part of the New Zealand team to get away with the bali. Only very seldom did the New Zealanders hook the ball. On one occasion on the twenty-five line the ball came out cleanly to Mill, but a faulty pass prevented a certain score. On almost all other occasions the backs

were set in motion not from a scrum, but as the result of individual brilliancy. .Dribbling rushes by the Black forwards were pleasing features of the match, bnt even in this department the All Blacks were not the masters. Lack of Combination. Outside Porter, M. Brownlie was the most successful forward. He showed more initiative than the rest, and was particularly good in lino-out work, while his tackling was also fairly effective. Masters, playing lock, failed to impress, and While may be placed in the same category. C. Brownlie was distinctly off colour, but the rest, Irvine, Munro and J. Richardson, played wonderfully welL It is quite clear that a lack of knowledge of one another's play was responsible for the defeat of the All Blacks in their first match, and it is reasonable to suppose that they will do better in the remaining tests. In the first match there was a complete absence of combination. The All Blacks cramped their play and. refused to take risks, while the opposite is true of the New South Wales team. New Zealand wul do better when the ball is flung around and every opportunity seized in open play.

Metropolitan Overwhelmed. The All Blacks .were opposed yesterday to a team considerably weaker than that which they met on Saturday, a team chosen from the Metropolitan area, and on.!i which might reasonably be designated as the New South Wales B representatives. Against this combination the New Zealanders gave an exhibition of B.ugby which ranks as one of the finest shown here. They gave convincing proof that their form on Saturday was false, and they piled up a score in a brilliant fashion, playing a fast, open game. Honours rested with the forwards, with Parker and Cupples, neither of whom played in the first test, shining above the others. The forwards individually and collectively gave a great display, which was not to be compared with their exhibition in the first test. They simply walked through their opponents. In the back division Nepia, at fullback, showed greatly improved form and daih'ehted everybody. Svenson and Mark Nicholls-, who made their first appearance, covered themselves with glory, but by far the most brilliant on the field was Lucas. It looked as though the All Blacks could have won by 60 to 5. Sydney Press Comments.

Commenting on the first test match the Sydney Morning Herald says:— In Brown the All Blacks have a centre with great possibilities. Hart, who corresponds in size to the diminutive Crossman of the home side, has a remarkable turn of speed and the manner in which he scored his try after be accompanied Brown in a brilliant run—they raced together as though in double harnessshows what an opportunist he is. On the other wing, Lucas, though several times hampered by opponents, made a number of splendid dashes. His strong and accurate kicking too, was a valuable asset in defence. Cooke's tricky running and kicking were particularly noticeable. His two-handed passes are, no doubt, safe and tend to accuracy in direction, but it is questionable whether time is not sacrificed in turning to execute fchem. Smart and straight running marked Badeley's actions and Mill was content to feed the five-eighths. The fullback, Nepia, punts well and strongly with either foot. His place-kicking, however, was not satisfactory. Criticism of Porter. "C. Brownlie, who weighs lost, pursued the ball unceasingly. He initiated rushes, joined bi all the hardest ruck work, and was often in line witli the smartest of the backs. Masters and Richardson, both men of fine physique, were also in tho thick of every piece of close I work. Porter attracted a good deal of i notice especially by the referee. He wrr several tunes penalised and his propensity as loose forward to get beyond the baft, was not in tho best interests of his side. It was a clean, hard and fast game with brilliant touches that brought forth well-merited applause. The home team scored five tries to three, but the advantage was gained in the first half. When they settled down the All Blacks attacked insistently and with a little more accuracy in catching the ball they must certainly havfc obtamed more tries In the second half. The crowd would have been disappointed without the war cries. The All Blacks worried imaginary opponents with all sorts of threatening gestures. New South Wales men gave a shorter one with outstretched hands and finished with a combined leap in the air." "£ominated the Game." Regarding the match against the Metropolis the Herald says: — "Seven thousand onlookers, including the GovernorGeneral Lord Forster, and the State Governor. Sir Dudley de Chair and the Chinese soccer" team were present at University Oval when the visiting All Blacks decisively beat a Metropolitan team. The winners dominated the game throughout and gave an excellent display of straight, hard running. Their forwards were in great form and outclassed the local vanguard in all phases. They were all great workers in the rucks and supported one another admirably. Irvine's try was a case in point. Irvine secured the ball 10 yards from the line and his comrades literally pushed him across the line. ■ In the loose, the forwards handled well and passed with excellent judgment. Masters, Copies, and Parker were always prominent. Lucas, Svenson, McGregor and Nepia were the pick of the back division the first-named being particularly fast and tricky. In one movement he short-punted and he again secured the ball while it was in the air. Svenson wa3 nippy. Nepia made several mistakes but his strong kicking was again in evidence,"