THE ALL BLACKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23100, 27 July 1938, Page 22

THE ALL BLACKS

iWIN IN FIRST TEST AUSTRALIANS OUTCLASSED COACHING OF HOME FIFTEEN GREAT FORWARD STRENGTH The success achieved by the All Blacks in tho first test against Australia in Sydney last Saturday is satisfactory from every point of view. The three penalty goals against New Zealand may be regarded as a blot on the performance by some critics, but in any match played at high tension a certain number of penalties are inevitable. The offences for which the players were penalised were not stated in the cabled report, and so they may have been for scrum breaches and not for offside. There can be little doubt that Australia fielded the strongest fifteen it could obtain for the occasion. This fact is borne out by the remarks below of no less an authority than Syd. -Malcolm, former Australian and New South "Wales halfback. .Malcolm, who is the Herald's special correspondent, wrote as follows on Thursday last from Sydney —two days before the test: — Australia's team has already been chosen. It was assembled, too, in very quick time, players arriving by train and aeroplane from Melbourne and Brisbane to take part in the practices under the guiding hand of the honorary coach, A. C. (''.Johnnie") Wallace. The big win over New South ales occasioned/ all this unusual activity and stirred tlie selectors and officials into record action. All the football features that the All Blacks had shown in their opening game were carefully analysed by Wallace, the selectors and other experts, whose opinions are always sought. Consequently, Wallace had a constructive plan of campaign, and the practices assumed very definite lines. Schemes were prepared to diminish the thrusting potentialities of Berghan, Sullivan and Mitchell, while tho home attack was burnished into almost dazzling brightness.