ENGLISHMEN BEATEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18778, 4 August 1924, Page 9

ENGLISHMEN BEATEN.

TEE FIRST LEAGUE TEST.

SIXTEEN POINTS TO EIGHT.

GOOD NEW ZEALAND FORWARDS

FAST FOLLOWING UP TACTICS.

The Srst test match between the English Rugby League representatives find New Zealand was played at Carlaw Park on Saturday. New Zealand won bv 16 points to 8. Following were the teams:— England.—Fullback, Knapman ; threequarters, Bentham, Howley, Eix. Evans; halfbacks, Mooney, Gallagher; forwards, Burgess;, Bennett, Cunliffe, Darwell, Thompson, Price. New Zealand.—Fullback. Dufty; ihreequarters, Stewart, Brisbane, Gilroy ; five-eighths, Fitzgerald, Wetherill; h»lfback, McClymont; forwards. O'Br.c:?, Lowrv. Herring, Mouatt. Te Whata. Avery.

Tho weather was fine, but the ground s very heavy as a result of recent rains. The attendance was estimated at over 20,000. Great interest was manifested in tho game owing to the fact that both the Auckland and the Auckland Provincial teams had shaped fairly well against the visitors, who had emerged victorious from their previous gamM through superior combination and knowledge of the finer points of the code.

The condition of the ground is held by jnany to have been responsible) for the downfall of the visitors on Saturday. There is some foundation for this contention, fts the visitors specialise in throwing the ball about and bewildering their opponents by sure and clover handling of the ball. They attempted to play this style of game at times en Saturday, but mistakes in handling were e~lv iri part responsible for tfieir inability to pierce the defence with spectacular passing bouts. Now Jleaknders Learn Their Lesson.

The New Zealand players had learned their lesson. .Sound tackling, -.vith the forwards supporting the backs, held up many passing bouts that might otherwise resulted in tries being scored, end the ball was often passed to a waiting Englishman, who was tackled as he took it. There was no try-getting-made-easy on Saturday except the last one scored by New Zealand, when crisp, fast handling by the backs outpaced the de fence, and Gilrov was enabled to race roand and score behind the posts. In the main it was a hard, slogging, forward game, interspersed with briirht bouts of open play on both sides. The Englishmen threw the ball about more than the New Zealanders, but tG less purpose. The blacks used the more variety in attack, the short punt and fast following-up being a marked feature of thsiir play. This method often had ths visitors in sore straits, and the first two tries registered for New Zealand came from tfiis style of play. It must be said that the state of the ground favoured these tactics, which were subsequently adopted by the visitors. With the score 6 points to 0 in their favour at the interval and the back machine of the visitors badly hampered by the conditions New Zealand appeared to hold a winning hand provided the forwards could see out the game. They did so in excellent style, aided by sundry infringements by the visitors that gave Dufty the opportunity to gain ground time and time again with grandlyjndged, powerful line kicks. Toward the finish the New Zealand hacks came to light with crisp passing bouts that kept their opponents busy. Final Try a "Gem." The final try was a gem, the effort being roundly applauded by English p.yers and supporters in the stand. The ball was sent out to the backs from the scrum, and in snappy passes reached Gilroy, who was enabled to race round behind the posts. It was a try worthy of a champion team and gave a particularly bright !>parkle to a second spell that was otherwise chiefly a hard, gruelling, forward game. Immediately after the kick off an exchange of kicks between the fuhbacks bbtt the visitors penalised, and Dufty found the line past centre. A rush by England: was spoiled by a knock-on. The visitors ws"e a?ain penalised, and Dufty ssnt play to England's twenty-five A snappy passing bout saw Brisbane tackled; a yard from the line. Plot work followed, and Stewart almost scored at the corner. From a penalty Dufty missed goal. A short passing bout between McClymont and Wetherill resulted in the latter scoring at the corner. Dufty failed to convert. New Zealand . . • . » . 3 England - - • » 0 The black forwards, playing with great dash, were keeping their opponents V'usy, and fine kicking by Dufty kept the visitors; racing b&ck. McClymont set th- backs going, ana Wetherili, Gilroy and Herring reached the English twentyfive. Fitzgerald had a fruitless shot at goal from a fairly easy position. England heeled from the scrum and set the backs going. Good tackling held them up and Herring broke, through with the ' ba ; ! at foot. A kick by Dufty almost reached the visitors' line. After strenuous forward work the English pack broke away with a rush. Hushes &nd Counter-Hushes. Plav centred for a time. In a rush Fitzgerald was iniured and Delgrosso came on in his place. McClymont sent the ball to Stewart on the band side. The latter centred. Knapman was tackled 'with the ball, and the New Zealand forward-; almost scored. A penalty cleared, and a long kick by Dufty found touch-in-goal. More forward work saw the blacks hoi din 2 their own. Gallagher broke sway to the New Zealand twenty-five, hut * Gilroy came away with a good run to centre. A fine dribbling rush by Mouatt and Herrine reached the English line, and Darwell kicked into touch-in-goal to save. sweeping counter-rush was well stopped by Te Whata and Dufty. From the visitors' twenty-five McClymont sent out to Wetherill. who punted short, over the opposing line of backs. Stewart raced up and dribbled over to score at the corner. Dufty failed to convert and the spell ended with the scores, New Zealand &• England u - On resuming the ball was kicked to Dufty but his return was smothered hv Darwell. The latter was obstructed and Thompson had a fruitless shot- at, goal. An English rush reached the corner and Bent ham, receiving a pass, dodged over to score. Thompson failed to convert. New Zealand . . • - 6. England 3. Shortly afterwards the black forwards broke away with a great- rush that reached the visitors' line. Herrji.ng snapped up and dived across for New Zealand's third try. Delgrosso converted. New Zealand . . . . 11. England 3. Visitors' Passing Bushes. From the kick out the visitors broke away with a fine passing run, Benham being sent out at the New Zealand twentyfive. Hard play followed, both sets of forwards battling for all they were worth. The backs on both sides were adopting the short kick and follow up, and the rushes became particularly forceful at times. 3n a mix-up in midfield, Cunliffe was oidered off the field. A. forward rush by the visitors was temporarily checked on the line, but Thompson picked up and forted himself over. The #ame player converted. New Zealand .. .» IE England - 8.

Soon afterwards the English backs got going and some great passing was witnessed, the movement being held up at the Auckland twenty-five. An English rush was well stopped by Delgrosso and the N»w Zealand forwards broke awa- to their opponents' twenty-five. Frequent penalties against the visitors sent play to the visitors territory. New Zealand were per.alised and WetheriU, fielding the kick, made an opening and sent on to Duftv. The latter ran straight and was tackled near the line. From a scrum the ball went out in a chain to the New Zealand backs. Gjlroy took the final pass and raced behind the posts. Delgrosso converted.

New Zealand . . . 16. England 8. McClymont was injured at this stage and retired, Avery coming out from the forwards. Hard forward work characterised the remainder of the game, which was confined chiefly to midfield. Only on one occasion did the visitors again threaten the New Zealand line. The backs got the ball and Gallagher kicked high to Dufty. The latter fielded well and took a mark, stemming a swarming attack, and his relieving kickwas well placed. The game ended with the scores, New Zealand ~ . . 16. England 8. PRELIMINARY GAMES. TWO MATCHES PLAYED. Two curtain-raisers to the test match were played. In the first, Ponsonbv 6A, 5 points: defeated EJlerslie 6A, 2. In the second, Devonport second, 11 points defeated Kingsland, 0.

THE SECOND TEST MATCH.

NEW ZEALAND PLAYERS.

The team to represent New Zealand in the second test match at Wellington on Wednesday will be selected from the following : — Dafty, Delgrosso, Brisbane, Poison, McDonald, Te Whata, Avery, Herring, Lowry, O'Brien (Auckland), Mouatt (West Coast), Stewart, Gilroy, Fitzgerald, Ellis, Devine, Peterson and Mullins (Canterbury). Wetherill was not available for the southern games and McClymont received an injury on Saturday that will prevent him playing for some time. Tho English team and the New Zealand representatives who took part in the test match on Saturday left for Wellington last evening. Messrs. Ellis, Devine, Peterson and Mullins will proceed to Wellington from Christchurch. Owing to Wetherill and McClymont not being available for the second and third tests, L. Stewart, of the Marist Old Boys' team, was chosen as an additional back, and accompanied the team to Wellington.