TOUR OF ALL BLACKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20303, 10 July 1929, Page 14

TOUR OF ALL BLACKS.

FEATURES OF FIRST GAME

HONOURS WITH VISITORS.

AUCKLAND FORWARDS PRAISED

DALLEY'S KNOWLEDGE OF PLAY

[FROM OL'U own cor respondent.] SYDNEY, July ». Twelve-foot slides in the centre of the field! Incessant rain! Mud bespattered players! A vast crowd of nearly 30,000 cheering almost exclusively for New South Wales, the Blues! Brilliant defence! A band tucked awav in the shelter of a stand playing plaintive fox trots that seemed to bo quite out of place! An All Black team of great promise, but not. quite ready!

These were the outstanding features of the first match which the All Blacks played in Sydney last Saturday Ihe team 'included many players who were unfamiliar to Sydney crowds, and. while it did not succeed in winning, it at least prevented a strong New South Wales side —the strongest side; the State has ever possessed—from scoring, and upheld tho reputation of New Zealand football in the highest degreo. Any other New Zealand team thai has visited Sydney in recent years would have won the match. But that does not necessarily mean the present side is a weak one. Last Saturday it was plain it was not a team in tho full sense of the term.

An Early Prophecy. After watching the match one was forced to tho opinion that the side will win its next match. Of course, it is a little rash to make such a prophecy, particularly as these notes will appear in print after the first test with Australia. However, the Australian team will not be vastly different to that which was met last Saturday, and it seems at the time of writing that tho Nev; Zealanders needed but a little practico together to ensure victory against tho strongest team Australia can produce Last Saturday's game will do much to enhance tho reputation of Rugby in Sydney, Under extremely trying conditions its was played in tho best spirit, and there wiis not one questionable action on either side. Puigby is regarded as the cleanest of games here, and it is certain New Zealitndors will never do anything to besmirch it. The All Blacks are extremely popular in Australia, and this is probably (hie to'the fact that they can always be relied upon to play a clean game, with sportsmanship as the main characteristic. Springbok Test Recalled.

By the time the game finished all the players wero. thoroughly weary, and it was impossible to distinguish the players of one side from those ot the other. The match was reminiscent of that famous last test between the Springboks and New Zealand on Athletic Park, Wellington, for it was just suoh a day. Not once did tho rain stop, and tho playing area was a. sea of mud. Worse than tnat, tho central area of the ground, which is covered with special soil laid down for cricket pitches, was almost unplayable. Both teams slipped and slid all over the place, and accuracy was out of the question. The honours of the game were distinctly ■with the All Blacks, and it was extremely disappointing to New Zealanders that nobody could put the finishing touch to tho many brilliant movements that were initiated by tho front line men from the Dominion. During tho first spell it must bo admitted most of the attaching was done by the New South Wales team, and on more than one occasion Nepia was the onlyman between them and their goal. But how safe Nepia was! His confidpneo in himself was remarkable. Twice ho must have realised that everything depended upon him, as it certainly did, and yet ho strolled across tho field" to do his job, in quite a casual manner. Then ho would go for a low tackle, and in, his tackling he nover mado a mistake. Not Equal to Nepia.

Ross, tho New South Wales fullback, 13 a brilliant man in that position, but lie is not the equal of Nepia, and the crowd recognised the fact. The two penalty kick 3 taken by Ncpia would have gone between the uprights if ho had had another ounce of luck, and he must not be condemned for those failures. Considering the state of the playing ground and of the ball, he would have achieved something remarkable—something that would have gone down in tho history of Rugby fpr ever.

The New Zealanders played orthodox Tvet-weather football throughout, and New South Wales did not, at least until well into the second half of the game. Rarely did New Zealand pass the ball, which was as slippery and elusive as if it had been greased. They kept the ball on the ground and the All Black forwards treated the crowd to some of the finest dribbling rushes ever seen in Sydney. Unfortunately, 1 they could not control the ball as they wanted to do, and, if they succeeded in keeping their feet, they often overran th'e'leathcr. or kicked it too far.

The crowd was disappointed that Porter could not tako tho field, for bis popu larity in Sydney is most marked, even although ho does play in the unpopular position on tho wing. Porter, many think, could havo brought about victory, - for ho has always displayed such uncanny powers of anticipation, and even Porter may havo been ablo to anticipato tho freak movements of the ball in tho mud and slush of last Saturday. 11. T. Gundy was a splendid substitute for Porter and ho was not called up for '.being off-sido on more than three' occasions. Of course, the crowd thought ho offended more often. But then tho Sydney crowd does not believe in wing forwards, so it was probably a little biased. Gundy was certainly a very lively customer and was never far away from tho ball.

Impossible Attompted. . When New South Wales attempted passing movemonts among tho backs they attempted the impossible and the All Blacks wero always ready for tho mistake that was bound to como in such circumstances. It was from several of those mis takes that New Zealand should have ticbred, but every time they found tho defence too strong. As already indicated, a moro experienced All Black team would have turned these mistakes into profit and New South Wales, so serenely con fident, would have been bewailing its first defeat As it is, the wailing has yet, to como

Tho Now Zealand strategy comprised tuck work, with tho stab kick, and gained considerable ground on more than one occasion with a high kick. Just as Nopia Kaved the situation for Now Zealand, so 'lid Ross do the same for N'ew South Wales. It was a game that revealed moro than anything else tho attacking powers of tho New Zealand forwards and 'ho sound defence of the backs on both sides. With a strong southerly wind behind it in the second spell New Zealand should have scored at lenst twice In the same period New South Wales should have scored once. So that should have been the result—two trios to N'ew Zealand nnd ono to New South Wales.

Oliver is going to bo a dangerous All Black this tour and much will probably bo heard of him. He has impressed tho critics by his initial display and they sieem to fear him moro than any other player. SUM, it would seem that Dalloy will actually be more dangerous than Oliver, judging by Saturday's display. Ho was lirilliant behind tho scrum and ho is bound to do ever so much hotter when tho conditions enable him to sot the backs moving. He seemed to know moro about the game than any other player /in tho field and proved to bo a capable skipper. Ho was always anxious to attack vigorously end when he had the tall he never

made the mistake which characterised tho play of Nopia, who frequently ran back instead of forward. Why N'epia played this amazing game it is difficult to understand, for it served no useful purpose. However, nono of tho others followed his example. One would not lie far wrong in saying that Daltey was the outstanding hack on tho field. Waterman and Grensido showed great pace and aro certain to do better on a dry ground, when they should bo matchwinners.

It is difficult to select forwards for special mention in a gamo where all the forwards worked so hard and so well, lho forward N line is regarded hero as being true to the type the crowds have been led to expect 111 a New Zealand team. They are all men of great physique and tlio match proved that they were all groat workers They were just about a stone heavier, on the average, than the local pack and they made what use of that extra weight they could in the wretched conditions prevailing. They could scarcely hold their feet when they went down to a scrum, so they were not able to do all they might have intended or planned. Sonntag. Rika and McWilliams were probably the outstanding playvrs. Actually (here was littlo to choose between any of them and, summing up, one can say the selectors, even if they have experimented, have done their work well. The match was the first big Rugby game played on tho Sydney Cricket Ground for many years and the great crowd must have been very encouraging to tho New South Wales Rugby Union, which has had a terrific fight with tho League. The League is still very sore at having lost tho ground and in gaining it the union had a great opportunity to bring tho Rugby gamo back into public favour. Tire match was widely advertised and it is remarkable there should have been such a vast attendance in such weather conditions It certainly justified the forward move of the union, whose officials are in high spirits Moreover, the crowd was not disappointed by the display of either the All Blacks or the local team and is bound to want to see moro of both. Consequently, the attendances at future matches of the tour aro bound to be large, and. as a result, the union will be put on a sound financial footing. Tho New South Wales Union owes a great deal to tho New Zealand Union and is not slow at any time to admit that debt. The warmest friendship exists and may it continue!