SOLDIER FOOTBALLERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25964, 3 October 1945, Page 3

SOLDIER FOOTBALLERS

THE TOUR OF BRITAIN TRIAL MATCHES PLAYED (N.Z.E.F. Official War Correspondent) VIENNA, Sept. 30. For the last three weeks 60 players have been taking part in strenuous trials at Klagenfurt so that an extra 23 could be selected to join the 3B already in England and take piart in the final trials for the selection ot the N.Z.E.F. touring side. The final trials for the selection of Austrian candidates were two matches played in Vienna this week-end when one team beat a French side by 41 to 5, and another beat a British side (strengthened by the inclusion of Kiwis) by 8 to 7. The games indicated that the selectors will have a wealth of material on which to work in England. The French team, which was representing only a small force recruited largely from the Maquis, could not hold the fast and keen New Zealand team, which gave an excellent exhibition of back play on a heavy ground The Thames half-back, Morry Dovell, made the most of his many opportunities, and sent his backs away repeatedly on text-book expositions of passing movements, the best of which was one in which the ball travelled along the whole line of backs to the wing and ihen infield along the chain of forwards. Nine members of the team shared in the scoring. Tries were scored by Sherratt (4), Dovell, Sutherland, Mclnarney, Nelson, Dobson, and Sapsford. R. W. H. Scott converted two and kicked a penalty, and Dobson and Simpson converted one each. Light rain fell during the first match, and the second was marred by a very heavy shower of rain and hail, and the ball was very difficult to hold. in spite of the conditions the handling

was good and the game interesting throughout, with the New Zealanders having to work hard to maintain a territorial advantage against the heavy Briiish pack and solid tackling. A feature of the game was the faultless performance of Scott, playing this time against New Zealand. Fielding and kicking perfectly, the Auckland League star showed he is in the top flight as a wet-weather full-back. From the start the New Zealand backs swung quickly into action with some good passing movements, but the tackling was equal to the orthodox attack. The first score came from a scrum near the corner, when the wing three-quar-ter, R. F. Buckingham, went infield to take a short pass from the half-back, and crashed over in a tackle. J. C. Kearney converted. Scott kicked an excellent penalty for the British. Then came the highlight of the match— Major Schofield, the British outer centre, received the ball flat-footed 35 yards out, and nonchalantly kicked a great field goal. Shortly before halftime Porter obtained the ball In loose play and forced his way over. The kick missed. There was no score in the second half, in which the New Zealanders held a territorial advantage, but play was very even. The final trials will begin in England about the end of this week.