DEMORALISED

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1074, 11 September 1930, Page 9

DEMORALISED

BRITISH RUGBY TEAM HEAVILY DEFEATED MATCH AT SYDNEY SYDNEY, Wednesday. Tlie British Rugby footballers were defeated by New South Wales today at the Sydney cricket ground, in the presence of nearly 12,000 spectators, by 28 points to 3. New South Wales scored six tries, five of which were converted, and Britain one penalty'goal. The weather was warm and the ground as hard as a rock. As this was the visitors’ last match at Sydney it was expected that they would play a brilliant game and exploit the international rules to advantage, as in the two previous matches. However, with a weak back division, they were quite below form. The British forwards were listless and the passing was erratic. Almost the sole exception was Spoug, who enhanced his reputation in endeavouring to carry his side in the second half until a succession of tries scored by New South Wales demoralised the British piayers’ game. SUPERIOR IN SCRUMS The teams were: New South Wales.—Ross. Crossman, Towers, Egan, White, King, Malcolm, Breckenridge, Telford, Palfreyman, Storey, Cerutti, Ford, O’Connor and Blair. Britain. —Bonner, Novis, Bowcott, Bowles, Morley, Spong, Poole, Jones, Beamish, Prentice, Black, Hodgson, O'Neill, Rew and H. C. Jones. The New South Wales forwards held their own in the scrummages, were vastly superior and more enterprising in the liueouts and speedier in loose play. Malcolm was resourceful and his varied moves were well supported In the attack, particularly by the centres, Egan and Towers. Ross, who graduated In medicine on Tuesday, showed all his old form at fullback. At half-time the score was:—New South Wales .... 10 Britain 3 Cerutti, seizing a chance through the British centre’s fumbling of the ball, dribbled, gathered it up, accepted a return pass from Storey, and scored a brilliant try. FORWARDS WEAK Then Morley, anxious to intercept, alloweti Towers to cut in and score. Ross converted both tries, also three from four attempts in the second spell. Prentice kicked the penalty goal for Britain after which the visitors rarely troubled the local side, except when Spong broke through. Crossman twice crossed the line after outpacing his opponents. Knowles, Ford and White each scored tries after solo runs of 50 yards. Ford initiated a movement when Towers gathered up the ball from a long throw-in in the British twenty-five. The visitors were tired and spii’itless long before the final whistle blew. The passing of their threequarters was mainly lateral. Only Spong’s straight running gained ground. On the other hand, the New South Wales meu introduced clever tactical moves, exploiting their pace to the fullest. Malcolm’s reverse passing to Ford as the scrum was breaking up twice caught the defence napping. RAGGED PLAY The inferiority of the British forwards was exemplified by the fact that Ford rarely packed, generally waiting chances in the loose. But he was frequently offside and spoilt his display at times. In the second spell the play was exceptionally ragged. At the conclusion of the game the teams joined hands and formed a ring in the centre of the field and sang “Auld Lang Syne.” The visitors are to leave for Melbourne tomorrow. Sobey witnessed the match after the operation to his knee, which is believed to have been successful, but it is doubtful if lie will play in England in the coming season.