RUGBY DEFEAT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22991, 19 March 1938, Page 9

RUGBY DEFEAT

SURPRISE FOR WALES SCOTLAND'S LAST-MINUTE WIN Wales, still flushed with its victory over England, entered Murrayfield to play Scotland in the second international match of the season, supremely self-confident, says the London correspondent of the Hkkai,o. The critics and 16,000 of their countrymen, who travelled to Edinburgh to watch the match, backed them to beat an untried fifteen, which included eight new caps. Cliff Jones, the captain, was presented with a leek when ho came out alone before the game to inspect the turf and gauge the wind. It, was thrust into his hands by an enthusiast, who had scampered across tho ground. But neither the moral aid of the national emblem, nor the encouragement of the tremendous rattle of saucepans immediately before the kick-off. could stav a Scottish victory —the first over Wales since 10.S0. Scotland won by eight points to six after a thrilling game, and gained this slender lead only two minutes before the final whistle. The ball was on the Welsh line, the battle swayed grimly in a desperate finish amid the roars of 60.000 watchers, when a Welsh hand played the ball in the sc-rummage. Instantly came the referee's avenging finger. W. H. Crawford, a Scottish forward, playing in his first international match, wlio had earlier converted his own try with a glorious kick, took the penalty. With the coolness of a veteran be scored tho decisive three points cleanly at short range and only a mild angle. Wales, with a six points lead at halftime, was nevertheless unfortunate to lose. It was handicapped after the first quarter of an hour when E. Morgan, ono of tho best forwards, cracked a rib. He was off the field for 10 minutes. TTe. returned for a while, limping in obvious pain, and was finally ordered to tho dressing room bv a sympathetic captain. A gain, >n the closing stnpes, W. Wooller, a threeqnarter back, began to limp, and A. McCnrley was taken out of the pack, leaving only six in the Welsh scrum.