Last-Minute Blunder Gives New Zealand A Win

NZ Truth, Issue 1078, 22 July 1926, Page 11

Last-Minute Blunder Gives New Zealand A Win

How Svenson Seized Opportunity and Scored Winning Try

Maurice Brownlie Gets Aimdyed and Makes Things Live

(By Cable from "Truth's" Special Sydney Representative.) The All Blacks are happier but not yet satisfied. Saturday's victory of eleven points to six is not conclusive enough, nor does it indicate a marked superiority. They believe they can do better.

11l .reviewing Saturday's game one is first inclined to think that* it was remarkable how the bluos protected their goal line so well m the face of numerous attackers; yet, on further reflection, the reason is obvious. •

TfIHOSE who closely observed thel 1 orthodox methods on the part- of the i 'Black backs, who launched assault after assault, backed up by any amount of speed, but which were all across-field efforts, know the reason. As expected, y these attacks usually petered out on the boundary line. The cut-in, as a means of penetfa^ tion, remained unemployed. ■-. ■'■•■'■ This, with men like Cooke and / Ni-holls m the team is hard to •.understand. 1 -.,..: v Orthodox three-quarter work will seldom defeat good tackling and for this reason the play, of the New .Zealand backs, though brilliant .as a spectacle, failed as a match -winning' f sictoi* • ■ ■ '""■■• : The match/ was , won, certainly,, but it was mainly through Dame Fortune assisting at a crucial moment. 1 The game was good to watch even though the blues disappointed with their handling of the ball. .-/. Defence was turned into attack m a twinkling of an eye, and spirited foiward battles made lovers of the game hold their breath. Wheeling tactics Successful The All Black: heavyweights tried their hardest to overwhelftl the blue terriers. . -■■■.■ ; , ' As a ru)e they were met with . bursts tKat made, them gasp. There was no let up m the forwards throughout the game and no tribute could be too High to those sixteen or rather fifteen, riieh who battled for supremacy. . It was essential for the AH Blacks to prevertt the blue;?, getting the ball from scrums. and they did. ■■' Their wheeling tactics tyere a revo latioii.: One feit sorry" for Meagher at the blacks came through on top of him. He held the fort well^ and; deliver -M passes splendidly m the 'circumstances. It was\ unfortunate -for New South Wales -that two men answered every call the previous Saturday* They were Sheeha'n and King. • '•Truth" said before the game that King is erratic m his play and Saturday proved, it. -..;' ;.■;•.;> niniiiiiinniimiiUMtniiiiiiiiiaintMlitw>dtintiiiiuniiiH«itinliiii»itiakH«niiiiiiiiiniininiiiiiiitn . wiiiuiliiiiiiiiiiimiiiiniuiimimiiiminmmrnniiiiimmiHiiimiicmmiißUiHmiiiHiiNiiiiimiiiiml

I ■••.... ■ • ' '■• t • . • Though his defence was Jmpregiflable; m attack' he did not rise above mediocrity. . • The sapie may be said of. Billy SheoThere is no excuse -for" reputable footballers dropping passes—international men. should be able to Shan up even bad passes, provided they are possible. , ■ •■'■.•■ The ball, will not always be handed over like a Christmas present. \ Not only do a, couple of dropped passes affect the.; 'individual, but the> may have a bearing on the morale of the whole team, ■ especially if it has been tuned lip to high tension such as the bluds. were on Saturday. One of .'the most striking features of the play was that Porter was not caught offside. He evidently learnt a' lesson. - - lIf must be said that his play suffered no ill effects thereby. fife was mostly a spare back, and' was always ready to htfp into any move the for-wards-made, "y. • .Porter's compatriots, however, wef'd dver-iealoua and they quite made up for what their captain lacked m offside' work., v What a forward Maurice Brownlie

is! Always where the work is hottest and battling away like a real man. How 1 angry was he when Wai Ivs accidentally jabbed him m the eye with a finger? . Well, ask any of the blue forwards what the first ruck was like after that incident! "Bunny" Finlayson too, figuratively speaking:, hunts with the hounds an.l runs with the. hares. The fact that a penalty goal by Nicholls Was the only score m the ■first half of the game is a tribute to the defence of both sides. But what a roar went, up when Morrissey snapped up a field goal just prior to the interval, and what a disappointment when Referee Irving did not f^low it. .■'■"■ Players m a position to see said that the ball was a good; three feet inside the post. Spectators m the big pavilion said the same, but as the referee was not m a position to observe he could not rule otherwise. It was bad luck for Charlie Morissey, who, through Sid King missing passes and shortkicking when he'received' them, was starved. ; He was the man who was expected to make holes m the. defence. However it's all m football/ , In view of the stern first half it was felt that something was bound to give way after the spell, but there was no landslide. Woods, by a determined effort, after Ford passed him the ball,, brought the iiiiiiifiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiM

y In the Serums !

blues level, with the score three all. Then Elvy's try and a penalty by Ross were the only scores up to the last minute. ' . The battle was sustained and .fiery, with both sides fighting for the lead. Then, Bluey Judd, tackled m hts own twenty-five, tried to throw, tlio ball to Ross, but it went astray. . Svcnson snapped it up and made no mistake. ' ' ,It. was a coincidence that Judd did precisely the same thing earlier m the game and it was by the -greatest of good luck that the blacks failed to score then. % One can only describe Ross's play m superlatives. No flash m the pan was the game of the . previous Satur-' day.' He caught and kicked with the greatest judgment. His trickines# hi starting his backs going gained the admiration of the crowd. Sensational Runs Grossman made some sensational runs along the touchline and on ono occasion a bad in-pass to Morrissey lost a good opportunity. ' •Svenson, Crossman'sj opposing winger, verged on' the sensational. "Snowy" is an opportunist and scents an opening quickly. • He has a reputation of being the beit winger m the Dominion and after Saturday's game this is hot hard to believe. •...'.. He hasn't such a side-step as Elvey but. his speed, which seemed to equal Grossman's* is more effective m a long bolt for the line. Elvey has an extraordinary gait. His heels touch the ground, first when he runs and consequently he> shows a .lack of pace. Wonderful Footwork His try was a masterpiece of: footwork when hemmed m. He should have scored again had Cooke not been anxious to do it himself. It was rather a smart bit of work on the part of Foote to bustle' both of them out m the corner. Ted Thorn, the New South Wales captain, appears to be quite rejuvenated. .He led -some fine dribbling bursts by the blues and was generally an 1 inspiration to the men. ,\ Youthful Wai Ives played a dashing breakaway game. He shows a tendency to play the man, which would not be Well to cultivate. Otherwise he Shows promise of equalling, iC . not surpassing, / his brother's feats. ' .