OSLER BEATS THE ALL BLACKS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 443, 27 August 1928, Page 11

OSLER BEATS THE ALL BLACKS

Deadly Kicking

FINE PROVINCE FORWARDS

N.Z. Loses Carleton

(United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) (Special to Press Association.) CAPETOWN, Saturday. MEW ZEALAND’S fifth defeat came to-day when Western li Province beat the All Blacks by a try, a potted goal and a penalty goal (10 points) to a try (3 points) before a crowd of 20,000, on the famous Newlands ground. Ceaseless rain last night converted the field into a slithery quagmire, hut luckily there was not a drop of rain during the match,-

Again Bennie Osier’s deadly kicking, together with the mobility of the Province forwards, won the day. At the last minute it was decided Alley should play lock in the scrum, Harvey playing in the back row with Hazlett. After the first 20 minutes it seemed Kew Zealand would emerge easy victors. The forwards, with Swain, lett, Alley, Burrows and Stewart shining out, had all the best of things, both in the tight and loose. It was a different story in the second spell, when the Western Province forwards, led by Mostert, T. G. Osier, Daneel and Dutoit, took command and had easily the best of things. • Dailey and Johnson were in form. They attacked when chances came with good understanding, their thrusts being always dangerous.

liilburne played soundly at fullback. Until Carleton was hurt the threequarter line was going in great style. Strang was good in patches, his defence showing a big improvement.

Bennie Osier was the hero of the match. Van der Westhuizen played well, but Van Niekerk, the famous wing, was not outstanding, although he showed flashes that marked him as a dangerous man. Tindall was erratic, but luck was with him. After to-day’s match South Africa confidently expects to win the final test. The teams were: NEW ZEALAND L ilburne Robilliard Carleton Grenside Strang Johnson Dailey Stewart Hazlett Harvey M. Brownlie Alley Finlayson Burrows Swain WESTERN PROVINCE Tindall Niekerk Westhuizen Keet Morkel B. Osier De Villiers T. G. Osier Merwe Beyers Dutoit Melch Daneel .Mostert Louw ALMOST TEST SIDE Western Province is the strongest team in the country, and the match was regarded almost as of test calibre. The New Zealand forwards started from the kick-off with a great combined attack led by Swain and Harvey. Again Swain headed a rattling forward rush, which ended at the twentyfive line, where Strang missed a goal by inches from a penalty. Bailey then dashed round the scrum on the blind side and passed to Robilliard, who beat Van Niekerk and sent infield to Johnson. Then Harvey, coming into this brilliant passing rush, found his way blocked when only a yard from the fine. He sent the ball to Dailey on the outside, the latter diving over at the corner for one of the cleverest tries of the tour. Lilburne missed with the kick. All Blacks 3 Western Province 0 The All Blacks were having the best of things at this stage. They were Setting the ball from the scrums and the backs were opening out in pretty Passing movements. After Grenside had been caught with the ball the Western Province forwards came on w *th a solid rally, but Hazlett sent them back with a fine line kick. They *ept tip the pressure, however, and soon a penalty was awarded them. Osier missed the kick at goal. a brilliant break 'through the Pack Dailey sent Grenside away. The made a great dash down the side and looked as if he would go over, but he swerved otit 10 yards from the fine. There was a brilliant forward JPovement by the All Blacks before half-time, only Osier’s fine kicking keeping them out. The scores were: All Blacks 3 Western Province 0 CARLETON HURT Carlton, who had his knee badly <j lUrt in the first half, came on for the econd bandaged and limping. He a Jed on for 20 minutes, but was al°ft useless, and had to leave the field. « seemed the All Blacks would win e . ®aatch at the start of the second Wp t an amazing recovery extern Province soon held the upper

hand, and was almost continually on the attack, mainly through Bennie Osier’s kicking. Play was mostly among the forwards now, the Province men badly beating the New Zealanders, who appeared to have cracked up. Nine times in succession Western Province heeled the ball from the scrums, the backs occasionally opening out in dangerous movements. For the most part, however, Osier elected to kick for the line, and keep his forwards storming the New Zealand citadel. Every time the All Black forwards broke away Osier sent them back with amazingly long and accurate kicks for the line. From a penalty Osier landed a goal. All Blacks .. 3 Western Province 3 There was willing play in front of the stand for a time. Then De Villiers, Osier and Morkel worked the blind side cleverly, Morkel scoring a good try at the corner. Osier missed the kick. Western Province ...... 6 All Blacks 3 OSLER DROPS GOAL Next minute Osier dropped a goal, but the ball was touched in its flight by Harvey and the goal was disallowed. A few seconds later Van der Westhuizen sent Western Province to the All Blacks’ line again. Then Osier got the ball from a scrum and dropkicked, the leather sailing between the posts. II • Western Province 10 All Blacks 3 From that point onwards the All Blacks did not look like winning, though they made several desperate and praiseworthy efforts to equalise. Stewart was out of the pack playing second five-eighth. It was an almost hopeless task, although on one memorable occasion, after a magnificent forward rush, Finlayson was almost over. The final whistle brought a great game in the mud to an end, with Western Province still attacking. Final: Western Province 10 All Blacks 3 THE CENTRE PROBLEM CARLETON’S INJURY SERIOUS OSLER THE GOAL-GETTER Following on Lindsay’s injury, the loss of Carleton in Saturday’s game, if it entails exclusion from the final test on Saturday, will prove more serious than losing the game against Western Province. If he is still on the injured list on Saturday, the question of centre-threequarter will provide the selection committee with some serious thinking. It is quite true that no man is indispensable, but this is not a question of one man, but of several. When the team was picked, three centres 4 were included —Lindsay, Carleton, and Sheen, although the former had been used mostly as the first fullback. All three are now on the injured list, and also Nicholls and Kilby. It is to be hoped that by next Saturday the position in regard to injured players will be improved. Bennie Osier again proved the stumbling-block, his potted goal and a penalty deciding the issue. As was the case in the first test, he scored the majority of points for his side with his kicking. The last-minute action of the selection committee in playing Alley at lock instead of Harvey—who went into the back row—confirms the opinion that in the final test Alley will again be lock. It depends largely upon Harvey’s performance in Saturday’s game whether he will find a place in thq back row of the scrum. In this capacity he would prove a very useful member, providing of course he has the necessary condition to last the distance.

The absence of Stewart from the rover’s position would seriously affect t: o game, allowing De Villiers and Osier much more freedom, as well as giving them more of the ball from the scrums. This is apparent from the fact that New Zealand got the ball much more frequently in the first half. Saturday next will see the tour brought to a close, and the selection of the test team for that occasion will be awaited with considerable interest. In the tests, New Zealand is one down, and a win will be necessary on Saturday to make the tests an even break.