INTERNATIONAL RUGBY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20704, 30 April 1929, Page 9

INTERNATIONAL RUGBY.

SCOTLAND WINS THE CHAMPION-

SHIP. ENGLAND BEATEN BY TWELVE TO SIX. (From Oub Own Correspondent.) LONDON, March 19, , Scotland beat England by four tries to two (12 points to 6), and so won tiie international championship outright for the first time since 1925, when the famous Oxford three-quarter line was supreme, In, a desperately close game, which thrilled 80,000 people—a record crowd —Scotland did not take the lead till the second half had only 12 minutes left to run, but they, deserved their suecess because they were the better together, lasted the better, and clearly beat England in the loose. England’s slight superiority in serummagmg was thus more than discounted, and with the Scottish outsides throwing the ball about it was revealed in the second ha!f that Novis and Smeddle had not the pace to hold Smith and 0 Brown, their rivals on the wings. England’s luck was out in one way A last-minute change had-to be made in the three-quarter line. Wilson was unfit, so A. R. Aslett' was brought in at right centre, and Novis moved to left Thus England’s experimental back division became still more experimental, and, well as the halves, Richards and Meikle, played in flashes, there was no real cohesion anywhere. “ The match was a personal’ triumph for Greem oß3 » says the correspondent of the Observer “and Smith, ‘ the flying Scotsman, had recaptured his former prowess and was in splendid form. Macpherson nursed Smith well and did much good individual work.. Another who stood out above his fellows was Bannerman, who led his men like a hero and never tired. Aitchison, the full-back, has improved a lot since the beginning of the season, and had none the worse of his duel with Brown. Nelson did all that was asked of him at the base of the scrummage, and also worked the blind side with good effect. 0. H. C. Brown scored a fine-try, but most of the play Erotri / ot % wi u ng ‘ Simraera was g ° ot the equi “

, I,d mv f the losers. It must be admitted that they fought eallantlv hadSSf Ifa,st 1 f a , st . 20 minutes, bi!t tlen they nad lost their power of recovery and could not last the course. The forwards by spasms all turou .fi, but they became ragged toth + - , C !° 8e and lost their °f.the tight, scrummages. ■ at aR n^V P ’ ™ gland were outclassed at all points. They were not well to-Ihan-es^nfV 16 eXpe - iment of wholesale ciian o es on the occasion of the Calcutta Cup was not justifled/ T£e las^ a “ of the game were rather distressing, for so dearly beaten, and Scotrght weU have won even more tnSnr 1^™8 “obody to pull the side together, and they had not sufficient knowledge of each other, or confidence, tp do it for themselvecs.'’ ■ * the plat. Scotland had a shock when, seven minutes after the start. Sladcn sent Novis away on the left, and the wing mau ran right through from halfway, beating both Smith and Aitchison. The angle was too wide for Harris to convert, but a three points lead was encouraging to a theoretically disorganised English side. The English forwards had the better of the early scrummaging, but Scotland s pack was beating the white jerseys in the loose, and in turn Richards, Aslett, and Sladcn had to go down to clear rushes. England held their lead to the interval, and thus far it was anyone’s game, in which promising attacks on both sides were wrecked persistently by keen marking. Ten minutes of pressure by England opened the second half, Smeddle being brought down on the line. A dash by Smith set Scotland going, and 14 minutes after the cross over Nelson slipped over the line from a scrum close iu. Allan failed to convert, and four minutes later England went ahead again, Aslett running along the right wing and cross-kick-ing for Meikle to score a try. Novi<s missed the goal kick. AN EXCITING FINISH. Excitement was now frenzied, and amid a deafening uproar the ball was passed beautifully the line by the Scottish backs from right to left, for Brown to slip Smeddle and run over in the corner. So with Allan failing to convert they ■were level again, with 21 minutes gone. Excitement grew as Scotland became more insistent and incisive. They still trusted to lan Smith, and ho did not fail. Bad English marking at a line out gave the Scottish backs their ehituce, and across the field the ball was passed to Smith, whose pace boat Novis, and took him through at the corner, with Brown clutching at him, Bannerman missed the kick, but Scotland ted at last, and only 12 minutes were left for play. Scotland kept it up. The initiative was so clearly with them that they had all the play, and close on “ no-side “ Simmers put Smith' in for another try in the corner.