THE ALL BLACKS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 4, 28 October 1924, Page 8

THE ALL BLACKS.

A SPLENDID WIN. AGAINST CHAMPION COUNTY HART DOES WONDERS. LONDON. Oct. 25. New Zealand met Cumberland, the champion county at Carlisle to-day. This being, presumably, the most formidable side the All Blacks have yet laced, there was keen interest as to the result, which was shown by the large attendance, numbering 10,000 people. 'i he visitors, however, once again emerged triumphant from the contest with the largest not total they have achieved to their credit, while Cumberland could not succeed in even recording a score of any kind. The New Zealand team was:

Full-back. —Nepia. Threequarters.—Hart, Cooke, Parker Five-eighths.—Nicholls, Paewai. Half.—-Mill. Wing-forward. —Porter. Forwards. —Irvine, Donald, M

Brownlie, Masters, Richardson, Stewart, White. From this it will be seen that several important changes have been made in the positions of the men. The ground was not in the best condition, being greasy on the surlace owing to rain in the morning. Play opened briskly and was for a time conrinod to the centre of the ground. Then followed a line rush by the All Blacks which looked like a certain score, but it ended in failure. At the last moment, when thfc defence was beaten, Cooke s pass to Parker went wild and the new wing-threequar-ter missed it. The county picn retaliated with a bold attack, in which the torwards were prominent, but Nepia coolly took a mark and blocked them. Hart put in one of his swift runs and cleared the New Zealand quarters. The All Blacks settled down to concentrated plav and worked their way to the other end, and in ten minutes their first store came. Nicholls started Cooke off, and at the last moment he passed to Parker, who this time made no mistake and crossed the line at the corner. The kick was too far out and Nepia made nothing of it. The Cumberland forwards stood up well to their redoubtable opponents and some very close play was witnessed. The county team was evidently trying to keep the game among the forwards, but though the move succeeded for the moment, the superior height, weight, and pace ,of the cblonials gradually wore the opposition down. ; The All Blacks mostly got possession from the scrums and then set their backs going. The passing of the latter was splendid, but lor a while it was met by fine tackling. Up to this the tactics of the county players were surprisingly different from those of previous teams met by the New Zealanders. They endeavoured to keep play uv motion and were not afraid to attack, which they did whole-heartedly ‘as long as their condition lasted. Unfortunately for them it broke down before the tremendous vim of the All Blacks, who kept hammering at them relentlessly. Finally, having charged down the county back as lie was attempting to kick, Irvine secured the ball and passed to Mill, who scored in a fine position. Nicholls’ kick failed. The opposition then seemed to melt ■ away, and Cooke, Mill and Hart alj secured tries. Once more the placekicking was “off,” and non# of them was converted. At half time the score was;

All Blacks 15 Cumberland 0 When play Was resumed the county team made a last inspiring effort and got so far down the field that the All Blacks were forced down. After this Cumberland simply collapsed, and the game went so completely in New Zealand’s favour as to be reminiscent of the tremendous energy the original All Blacks used to put in the second half of their games. The New Zealanders now took complete charge of the scrums and line-outs and threw the ball about in a brilliant fashion. They seemed to be able to do as they liked, and the English champions looked on da:<ed. It was the finest collective display the visitors have given in this tour, in strong contrast to some of tho earlier games. Rarely Was a pass dropped despite the tremendous pace at which the men wore going. Hart obtained three more tries, and Stewart, Cooke and Nicholls one each. The place-kicking, too, showed a great improvement, as four out of six tries were converted, three by White and one by Nepia. In the end the New Zealanders beat the champions with ridiculous ease, the final score being:— All Blacks 41 Cumberland 0 Hart and Nicholis were the heroes of the match. It was simply impossible to stop tho former owing to the superb openings made by his comrade. ONLY RE PR ESENTAT IV E TEAM. HAS A HOPE AO A INST ALL BLACKS.

LONDON, Oct. 26

Although Cumberland, Which is the champion county, was expected to make a fight of it against the New Zealanders at Carlisle, Rugby critics arc agreed that the visitors’ victorious career is unlikely to be checked by anything short of a representative team. The clear, frosty weather with sunshine has had the good effect of clearing away the almost chronic colds with which the various members of the team were afflicted. The team had motor tours to Windermere and the Lake district and leaves for Ireland to-morrow. Harvey is not travelling with them owing to tonsilitis. Oxford and Cambridge are both concentrating upon getting into form for tho New Zealand matches next month.

Oxford is suffering from an embarrassment of riches, especially in the back division, ■where seven international three-quarters are available, including the Sydney men Wallace and Raymond and the New Zealander Aitken, all of whom are displaying good form. Raymond has been tried as full-back for several matches and the critics, while pointing out that he is better as a three-quarter, acclaim him as a natural successor to Franklin, last year’s blue. They particularly pay a tribute to his resolute tackling and coolness under pressure.

The Queenslander Lawton is no longer at Oxford, but turns out regularly as five-eighth for Blackhcath, where he is the most outstanding player. In the preliminary canvassing of international probables Lawton’s name invariably receives prominence. New Zealanders in London bitterly complain of the seating arrangements at Twickenham for the international match against England on January 3. Only 300 out of 13,000 tickets have •been allotted them, though there are already at least 400 bona fide New Zealand applications. There arc no front row seats, a few in the fifth and the rest still further back.