GAME IN SCOTLAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22260, 7 November 1935, Page 20

GAME IN SCOTLAND

OQME TEAM UNLUCKY TOURING SIDE'S WEAKNESSES POOR DISPLAY BY FORWARDS NOT PLAYING SERIOUSLY BY E. N. GREATOREX Former Australian nnd Now South Wales Representative By Air Mail /, GLASGOW. Oct. 14 In his summing up of tho game at Hawick on Saturday the Rugby correspondent of a Glasgow daily says, quite rightly, that "on tho All Blacks' first showing north of tho Tweed, Scotlanll need have no fear of them." This critic was not the only person who was disappointed with tho All Blacks. 1 ani hot giving away any secrets when I say that tho New Zealauders themselves, players as well as have not pleasant recollections of the display against the South of Scotland. Poor tactics cost South of Scotland tho game by three points—the score ■was 11 to 8 when tho referee blew his whistle for the last time. Bight throughout the South forwards had the measure of the All Black pack, but, instead of being content to keep the game to the forwards in the last quarter of an hour, when the}* had a three points lead, tho South backs indulged in some ■wild and reckless kicking, and New Zealand reaped tho advantage of mistakes.

New Zealanders who know the real calibre and worth of the forwards in this 1935 team have doubtless found ib 'difficult to believe some of the things that have been written and said about them. It would have been an ; experience to enthusiasts in the Dominion to have seen the New Zealand forwards on Saturday. I admit it would have been nasty experience. Nobody who knows the real standard of All Black forward play would believe that a representative pack could play such poor football unless they had been there to see it. Honest Toilers Wanted

Everyone is asking what is wrong with ,the New Zealand forwards as scrummagers. That is what the players themselves are asking. They, too, are puzzled! Something will have to bo done, and done quickly. The New Zealand eight for the internationals will havVtobe honest toilers in the scrums and rucks, and Mr. Meredith will have to discover without any delay •who are the men who are letting their side down when it comes to hard work. ltightly or wrongly, I have the impression that some of the forwards are not taking things seriously enough on the! football field. All of them should have* learned a lesson from {he Swansea but too many of them still have a "why-worry" look about them 1 on the field. Manchester and Hore have been driving the forwards, but they are not getting the best out of them. Continuing in a pessimistic strain, I must say that most of the hacks played just as poorly as the forwards. They did not give the idea that they were overburdened with original ideas, and they playejd very orthodox football. Gilbert's chief claim to distinction was his clever kicking, although, as he has done bpfore, he made some bad mistakes. For instance, at a critical stage, when New Zealahd was fighting for points, ho kicked the ball over the dead-ball line, instead of making sure of gaining at least a few yards or keeping the play going. Experiences of Halfbacks Hart, with few opportunities, played his usual good game, but on the other wing Ball was weak. He was cleanly beaten three or four times. Mitchell, who had a lot of defensive work to do, did Mot fail at critical times, and without him the hack line would have been exceptionally weak. Solpmon again was "in and out." Sometimes he did brilliant things, but his tackling was not up to the mark, -and his handling was bad. Griffiths had an olf day. He did not make one opening right through the game. Corner has had several experiences of playing behind beaten packs, and Sadler had it oi; Saturday. On the score of gameness, nothing can be said against Sadler, and, all things considered;'he played well. Not one of the New Zealand forwards could be compared to Beattie or G. D. Shaw, two of the South stalwarts. Hore ,was not a great success as hooker. Under the circumstances, however, he would have been a real champion to have Avon the ball. Yorrath and' the reliable Kinfj were perhaps the best of the New Zealand eight. As the back man of the scrum Vorratlfshowed a great deal of life and dash, and it was fitting that he should score the winning try.