THE ALL BLACKS

Southland Times, Issue 19396, 10 November 1924, Page 6

THE ALL BLACKS

ANOTHER VICTORY NORTHUMBERLAND DEFEATED GOOD SECOND SPELL. GAME ENDS UP BRILLIANTLY. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, November 8. (Received November 9. 5.5 pan.) The All Blacks defeated Northumberland by 27 points to 4. The county team included three Internationals, Catcheside, Wallace, and Whiteley. There were 16,000 people present. Rain prior to the match made the ground heavy. THE ALL BLACK TEAM. The New Zealand team was composed of the following:— Nepia. Hart. Brown. Steele. Cooke, McGregor. Mill. McCleary, Donald. Masters, C. Brownlie, Richardson Cuppies, West. Parker (wing). HARD TUSSLE TO SCORE. The New Zealanders took the offensive from the jump, and Northumberland were compelled to force down three minutes after the start. The northerners retaliated in fine spirit, but brilliant tackling by the All Blacks held them in check. The New Zealand back machinery, however, was not working up to its usual standard, several showing a disinclination to go down against the ugly forward rushes, while McGregor was hanging on to the ball too much. The New Zealanders’ handling of the ball improved as the game progressed, but the northerners' tackling was grim and effective. Steel twice put in strong runs, but Catcheside brought him down in brilliant fashion. The Northumberland forwards were playing dashingly in the loose, but the rushes were not well controlled. Both sides were indulging in spoiling tactics. The northerners’ defence survived a prolonged period of severe pressure, until 37 minutes after the start, when Hart crossed their line as the climax to a brilliant passing movement, m which West, Cooke and Parker participated. Nepia’s kick at goal missed. The first spell then ended:— New Zealand 3 Northumberland 0 THE SECOND SPELL, On resuming, the New Zealanders soon began to dominate the game, tries being scored in quick succession. They had been below par in the first spell, but now improved considerably. From a scrum near the Northumberland line, Parker kicked over and Cooke flashed across and scored. Mill converted. New Zealand 8 Northumberland 0 Excitement grew as fluctuating play followed. in which Catcheside was always prominent. In one effort he ran through half the New Zealand team, and showed particular brilliance. Immediately afterwards the same player dropped a beautiful goal from the field. This was the county men’s only *core. New Zealand .......... 8 Northumberland 4 The New Zealanders quickly returned to the attack, and Mill dived over under the posts, but failed with the kick. New Zealand 11 Northumberland 4 The New Zealand backs were now playing in excellent form. Brown scored as the result of fine collective passing, but Nepia’s kick failed. New Zealand 14 Northumberland 4 Shortly afterwards Cooke made a splendid run and passed in to Mill, who scored and added a goal. New Zealand 19 Northumberland 4 The All Blacks' superior weight and pace overwhelmed the home side. In the closing stages Richardson scored under the posts. *nd Mill converted. New Zealand 24 Northumberland 4 Then Steel ran round the opposition and obtained a try, but Nepia failed with the kick. New Zealand 27 Northumberland 4 A GOOD FINISH. Tne All Blacks were penalised nine times, but gained possession of the bail from most •f the scrums. The team as a whole and particularly the backs, entirely retrieved themselves after an indifferent begin nine. Parker, Richardson, Masters and Brownlie were the most prominent forwards, while Mill. Cooke and Brown were the best of the backs. THE TEAM’S MOVEMENTS. Yesterday the team were the guests at a luncheon given by the Newcastle Rotary Club, and inspected Parsons’ turbine works. After the match to-day they were entertained at dinner and the theatre as the guests of the Lord Mayor. The team leave on Sunday for London, where they remain ten days. NO SCOTTISH MATCHES. GROWING INDIGNATION. LONDON, November 9. (Received November 9, 11 pjn.) The Daily Express states that Scottish Rugby enthusiasts are indignant at the Union’s refusal to permit an All Black match in Scotland. It is pointed out that half the visitors are of Scottish descent, yet they are shut out from the land of their fathers. COMMENT ON THE GAME. A SECOND SPELL RECOVERY. ANOTHER GREASY BALL. (By ‘‘Onlooker.’’, Northumberland is one of the strongest northern counties, and was only beaten for the northern championship after a playoff with Cumberland. H.XI Catcheside, the International mentioned, is a good scoring wing-three-quarter, but at times is inclined to try and “hurdle” his man when hemmed in. He is ably supported in the threequarter line by W. Wallace, who is a young player with plenty of dash and resource. H. Whitley plays behind the pack, and is described as a stripling, capable of sending out the ball with rapidity when given an opportunity. He would have to put in a lot of work throughout the game, as the New Zealand forwards were going well. The Northumberland pack is a solid one. although not brilliant, and the forwards rely on honest work rather than flashes to make openings for the rearguard. It was this side that the All Blacks met and defeated by 27 points to 4, three converted and three unconverted tries to a field goal. The 190-5 AU Biacks’ victory over the same county was by 31 points (two con vested and seven unconverted tries) to nil. The present touring team only scored three of their points in the first spell, while the 1905 team went off at half time with 22 points on the slate. The back team which took the field against Northumberland was as follows: Nepia; Steele. Brown, Harr; Cooke, McGregor; Mill. All are solid defensive players, and it is surprising that they failed to meet the rushes of the opposing forwards in the first spell. There is no excuse for shirking this sort of play, and it is to be hoped that the lapse will not occur in any future matches. It is somewhat of a coincidence that the 1905 team displayed slackness •eamst vbe same county, and an CnHi&h

writer states of that match: “There were many instances of faulty play, bad passing, worse picking up, and general slackness.” Both New Zealand teams had to play the match with a greasy ball. Comparisons are always difficult to make, but if the present team is to be compared with the 1905 side, then the Northumberland match provides the best basis. Both suffered lapses; both played with a greasy ball, and both were playing a change team. The team was evidently concerned too much with spoiling tactics in the first spell to score many points, and it was not until the game was opened up in the second speH that the points came. What caused the tightness of the first spell is difficult to understand, but evidently the AU Blacks were expecting a much stronger side than they met. This would tend to make them play safe until they had gauged the strength' of the opposition. When this had been accomplished the game was opened out, and tries came at frequent intervals. Cambridge University is the next team the All Blacks play, and a keen game is expected. Last year Newport defeated Cambridge by 11 points to 6, while the 'Varsity i defeated Swansea by 12 points to 9. GENERAL NEWS AND NOTES ENGLISH CRITICS AND THE ALL BLACKS. THE MATCHES IN FRONT. One point about the 1924 party is that they appear to have no one to remove many obvious misconceptions on the part of English writers, and also to correct so many mis-statements which circulate far and wide, and being allowed to go unchallenged, do no good to anyone. It might also be drawn to the attention of a number of British critics that if some of their out-of-date referees were to come out to the Dominion with their out-of-date methods, they would simply be laughed at. The point about English football is that there is not the same intensive development of the game as has been the case in this country, players, clubs and Rugby Unions being content to work along the stereotyped lines that existed in the early days of the game, and an essentially conservative country does not exactly fall head over heels in love with more enterprising colonial methods. The playing of the international match against England right at the end of the tour is a very unfortunate feature of the arrangements made by the English Rugby Union, and which that body stated it could not see its way to alter when asked to do so by the N.Z.RF.U. It gives England a gclden opportunity to down the New Zealanders at a time when the strain of a long tour, and the accompanying injuries and staleness are likely to be most in evidence. WALES—NEXT INTERNATIONAL MATCH. “Wales are engaged to play this Dominion side on November 29 at Cardiff, hence the next few weeks are likely to be weeks of great hustle (says Clem Lewis). I have noticed in my football experience that the i Welshmen are at their best as Christmas I approaches, and so perhaps this early Inter- ' national may suit us. “Before Welsh Rugby can approach its j former brilliance two things need serious ' attention. In the first place, we have let • defence, dour, rugged defence, become of i greater importance than attack. We have 1 become content to just stop the other fellow, where we used to go on the field that our opponents’ concern was [ how to stop us. . “The second feature of our game which I needs attention is our conservatism. The other countries have introduced and are using new methods in their play, whilst we , are content to combat them, not with greater subtlety, but with increased vigour. Welshmen generally are too inclined to comj bat brains with force, and it’s all the odds . in the world on the grey matter. “Maybe this New Zealand invasions is • just the tonic we need, and if it can but ! shake us out of that insidious rut into which we have fallen, it will do us the good ! we need so very badly.” ANOTHER VIEW. 1 I saw rhe opening match of the New’ Zea- : landers on Saturday, as I did that of the 1905 team. Comparisons are almost impossible, because of the totally different condiI tions. English Rugby 20 years ago and ■ English Rugby nowadays are almost as far : apart as the two poles. We have profited by the lessons we learnt so bitterly. ■ That tour of D. Gallaher and his men did •an incalculable amount of good to our • game, for it taught, us the absolute neces- ! sity of using our brains. Another point I ihat may be overlooked is that whereas Gal--1 laher’s team opened in brilliant sunshine, ! so much so that Gillett wore a panama hat | at full-back, heavy rain fell for more than | half the game at Devonport. I think every Devonian will agree that the wet weather was a great help to them. THE BIG MATCH. Dr. L. G. Brown, of Queensland, writing from London to the Sydney Referee, of the All Blacks, thought they would do well till the English teams got fully going. "Everything,” he wrote, “points to working . up to a very great culmination if New Zea- ■ land be unbeaten until they meet England. ! The E.R.U. persists in playing thus great ' match at Twickenham. with its limited I space, for less than 50,000. Quite 100,000 j will want to witness the match. Seemingly I only players with their privileged tickets will ; get the only seats available. Tickets will 1 go at a premium, the ordinary- charges be- . ing 10/-, 7/6 and 5/- to stand crow’ded on I the banks. The possibilities of assisting the tour by big advertising w is not entertained Iby the E.R. Union. The sort of modesty j Colonials can hardly understand. Were | this team boosted there are no Rugby Union I grounds big enough to hold the crowds that : would gather.” GENERAL NOTES. One of the stiffest matches of the All Blacks will be that against the Combined ■ Services at Twickenham on December 13 I (says London Evening News). In view of this game I hear that the three services are having a trial match towards the end •of November at Portsmouth. The team • to play the New Zealanders will be selected after this game, and the following week the chosen side will play against Bristol for i practice. This scheme should enable the side to get properly togehter. 'Die pack with the talent available, should extend the All Blacks to the utmost. With either C. A. Kershaw or J. C. Russell available at scrum half and H. W. Stevenson and A. R. Aslett in the three-quarter line, the back division —if only the stand-off half position is filled in a satisfactory manner—should be good enough to give the New Zealand | defence a searching test. Contradicting a statement that the pre- , sent All Blacks receive a daily allowance, a Sydney writer says: “The English R.U. refused to sanction one. In 1905 the M'.L. ! Union took the risks and the profits. This I time the English. Union collars the profits, and it evidently does not intend to have i them diminished any more than it can 1 help. Yet, in 1908, when its last team I visited Maoriland, it was careful to see that its men received the consideration which it refuses to its own guestsifc To lay it down that the English travellers are entitled to pocket-money and “Colonials” are not is sheer impertinence, and many V.aroilanders are of opinion that the All Blacks should not have been sent under the conditions imposed.” RUGBY AT HOME. AITKEN PLAYS FOR OXFORD. LONDON, November 7. Gloucester beat Oxford University by 23 points to 16, and Leicestershire beat East Midlands by 5 points to 0. Aitken scored a try for Oxford against Gloucester. (Aitken is the New Zealand Rhodes scholar who captained the All Blacks against the Springboks in the first Test at Carisbrookj