How They Shaped

NZ Truth, Issue 998, 10 January 1925, Page 8

How They Shaped

SIDELIGHTS ON THE PLAYERS.

(By E. E. Booth.— Special "N.Z.T.") SWANSEA, November 29.

Wales gained one great asset as a result of the match. It brought into the limelight a very promising fullback m T. Johnson who, although outshone m the position by Nepia, must rank as the best of the home backs. Delahy was good at half, but too prone to get offside. Williams the other outside half is likely to come into prominence later. Harding was the beSjt of the 1 three-quarter line. Wetter 'although some fuss is made of his small injury was simply "left" most of the time. His efforts to catch Copke were funny. Even when Wales hung close on the New Zealand line m the second spell, they had riot a vestige of a chance of scoring, Wetter and his supports standing close up and shallow. The forwards almost got over m one or two scrambles. Morris, Parker and Jones were the best forwards who wasted an uncommon lot of energy, trying to throw and cross buttock Messrs, Brownlie Bros., Cupples and Richardson. It was a comedy of errors.

Nepia gave his best display. He was given plenty of time usually and made the most of ' everything. . Cpoke showed most prominence, making sbme ,good opening's, twice by sheer pace. Nicholls played a clever, useful, heady game, covering up the work of Mill and the pack most effectively. He sustained a knee injury which will keep him off the field for some time. He pluckily played on. Mill and Nicholls both adopted right tactics m their positions. Amongst the forwards all played their best and seemed to realise the general "hurry-up" tactics m their department. The line-out work was much too good for Wales and Wetter called for scrums instead. Latterly Wales got most: of the ball, although they had only six men down. The New Zealanders found that they could make more off the Welsh backs' mistakes, than by actually getting the ball. ' ■■■■;.

Irvine, who has shown most marked improvement of late, was most conspicuous apart from his two fine tries. The Brownlies, Cupple3 and Richardson made a fine quartette to cannon against. Masters and Donald were well buried m the hard, swarming, swaying Black and Red "mix up."

Eight penalties were against Wiles, four ,against New Zealand. From fiftyfour' scrums Wales got sixty per cent, iof the ball. The heeling of^ both sides was laboriously slow. Neither side wheeled effectively; it was seemingly played much under the "push ball" rules.