RUGBY FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20979, 16 September 1931, Page 14

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

SATURDAYS TEST MATCH. DIFFERENT TYPES OF PLAY. FINAL REPRESENTATIVE CAME. I The only test match between the Wallabies and the All Blacks has boon decided, and it has provided material for much argument as to which was the better side. On the general run of the play the All Blacks had tho advantage, ospecially in the second spell, when only line defence prevented, trios. A nippy live-eighths combination would also have made all the difference to the New Zealand back division. It may bo said tho All Blacks were fortunate in gaining their victory by means of penalty goals. On the con- ' trary,. every credit is due to Iv. O. Bush for his magnificent place-kicking. Apart from tho four penalty goals and the conversion of a try, two or three other shots missed by narrow margins. One particularly fine kick which failed was taken from wide out against the wind, and the ball fell but a yard or so short. Saturday's / match proved once again that the New Zealand public has never seen an All Black team at its best. Any team must acquire combination before it can work as an effective unit, and such combination can only be gained by constant practice and play together. Hence the reason why New Zealand teams have such fine records in overseas tours. Team For Australia. Tho latest example of assembling an 'All Black team was anything but fair to tho players. They had one run together, on Friday, and then Page arrived to fill the centre position as late as Saturday morning/ This was most unfortunate for all concerned, as it was brought about by the sudden incapacitation of Oliver. Strang and Lilburne can both play a lot /better football than they showed in this match. So, also, can Corner, while Page must be a better back than his exhibition suggested. Looking ahead, one searches for players to travel to Australia next season capable of retaining tho ashes. Bush, Hart and Ball would be certainties if they reproduced iheir form of the present season. Hart's fine display on Saturday places him in the first flight of New Zealand wingt hreequarters. There is some good for- . ward material, which should be capable ' of more than holding the eight forwards " .which will be met with in Australia. The pack last week did not contain a forward of the stamp of M. Brownlie, J. Richardson or L Finlayson.

The policy with Australian teams, more , especially New South Wales, seems to ' be to develop threequarters. When watching the! 7 Australians practice at Eden Park on Thursday afternoon Mr. T. C. Dayis said he -could not understand why New Zealand always concentrated 011 its pack. In New South "Wales the concentration centred; upon the, k backs from whom the tries were expected. New Zealanders, however, take a different yiew, quite rightly agreeing that the forwards must hold the upper hand before the backs can become effective. Jerseys Wrongly Numbered. It has often been proved in New Zealand football that a good forward team with moderate backs will almost always prevail over a good back team with moderate forwards. The types of play in the two countries vary a lot, and perhaps it is just as well that it does, because it is the variation that makes the games so attractive to watch. The sympathy of every Rugby follower in New Zealand, is extended to Mr. Davis ' upon his being recalled to Sydney owing to the serious illness of his son. It was a big break for him to leave tho team before the tour came to an end. Mr. Davis was a highly popular manager and the members of the Australian team parted with him with much regret. The Wallabies will play Hawke's Bay nt Napier this afternoon, and will meet

Taranaki at New Plymouth on Saturday. The tour will be concluded with a match against Waikato at Hamilton to-day week. None of the three matches will be easy for the visitors. Match/Against Wellington.. Much dissatisfaction was expressed by patrons of Eden Park on Saturday on account of the /act that the jerseys worn by some of the forwards were wrongly numbered in the programmes. This led to a lot of coi/fusion and argument as to which forwards were playing the best games. It is only fair to Mr. W. J. Wallace, manager of the All Blacks', to mention that the fault did not lie with him. Auckland's representative programme will be brought to a conclusion on Saturday next, when tho first fifteen will meet [Wellington at Eden Park and the B team will go to Thames to play tho local side. The displays given by the Auckland first fifteen this season would suggest that it ;will be defeated by Wellington. There is not the slightest doubt that the Auckland side badly requires reconstruction. Canterbury's victory over Otago in the final Ilanfurly Shield match of the season by such a substantial margin came as a surprise to those people who witnessed tiie Otago team in action against Auckland. The Canterbury side is comprised of young players, and the policy of the selectors has certainly borne fruit this season. The absence of Hart. Oliver and Coltrell apparently made the other jnembers oi the team all the more keen. Mr. Davis, Tnanager of the Wallabies, paid a fine tribute to Canterbury (Rugby Union/when he stated in Auckland last week that 'the programme issued in Christcburch for the match between Australia and Canterbury was tho finest, he had ever seen. He took several of these souvenirs back to the officials of the New South Wales Rugby Union.