COCKROFT AGAIN.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 116, 22 June 1914, Page 2

COCKROFT AGAIN.

BEST BACK ON THE GROUND. FUTILE PASSING METHODS WITH WET BALL. (Sun Special.) WELLINGTON, June 20. The iriter-island match played in the mud at Athletic Park this afternoon did not add materially to any reputation save that of Cockroft.; The South Canterbury man outshone his company and his opponents just as he did in the interisland (B division') - , match on' Wednesday. He was thrown into direct comparison with one of the bgst centre-three-quarters seen here for some time, the All-Black R. Roberts, of Taranaki; and on the day Cockroft played the better game. Each of them has the knack of being übiquitous —the Jimmy Duncan trick of being always where the ball is; but this afternoon Cockroft was in all respects just a bit ahead of the North Islander. After Wednesday's game I suggested that the seliectors of the Australian team would find it very hard to pass over Cockroft.' After to-day's match many thousands of Wellington people will be surprised if Cockroft is not selected. ; ' BETTER TEAM WON. Each island had its of attacking with the aid of the southerly, wind, but South made the best use of its chances, and the better team (oh the-day) won. What chance North had was spoiled by the persistence with'which the futile passing game was attempted. As the afternoon wore on, the north end — which, because of the southerly wind, carried nearly all the play—developed into a porridge patch. More than ever it became obvious' that the effective policy in tiie f ci,rcffmstaMces was to kick .hard and follow up; yet the after reaching scoring positions, by open rushes, continually spoiled the advantage by trying to handle the greasy ball instead of continuing' the toe'game. Though almost continuously on the attack in the last quarter,, with- a, deficit of eight points to Wipe off, the northerners failed to learn their lesson, and deserved their defeat. An elementary principle of Rugby was quite overlooked until the lalst few lriinutes, when it was too late i;

TAYLOR OUTSHINES ROBERTS. ; Several f oreedij ust in the nick of time. Cockroft himself not only led theyaUqpfy btjt probably did mjore forcinjplftasr-anybody else; His trick of getting, over the ground to every point of danger commanded general admiration. H. AL Taylor.also played a fine half-back and outshone E. Roberts, the North half. Taylor's try was the result of splendid following, up. Pyle also followed well, and scored a good try after the only bit of success-: ful passing, initiated by Murray. Scptjt, .at fullback, wibs not; happjr in ,the ; mu,cL which wfts more congenial to the Wclt. lington full-baek Ryan. Crawshaw was the better of the two feouth five-eiighths. Murray and Grahaih stood out among the South Island forwards, who were superior to North in the scrum. Of the North backs, R. Roberts was the best. He made one good corkscrew run, and he and .Weston (the outer .five-eighths) gave glimpses of form that would have made tilings lively on a dry ground. Weston's fellowAucklander M'Gi''egtjr was an absentee, and was by'Stewart, also from the northern,Gity. On Wednesday Stewart s^x^^i' 'centre-tliree-quar-ter—spoiliigiloi'eridge,—and to-day he proved a man. Stohr, of Taranaki, the jothei- wing-three-quarter, was passable. ' ' M'Kenzie, the inside five-eighths, , did . not play well, and E. Roberts \wasi'ojily;/fiair'at half. H. V. MURRAY BEATS R. TAYLOR. Taylor (Tar&naki), at wing-forward, did not prove"himself equal to Murray. Sydney eriticS>iftave been asserting that New Zealand"; possesses no Pauling and no Seeling. - Sonie people have suspected Ddwwwg l of being ;a Seeling,ibut'he'tlid-not prove it to-day. He shone vfitfully.w ■ An inter-islankl match played prior to a! tour is ;often an unconvincing affair, i Cracks who are certain of being selected are liable to take things easy, especially on a greasy day, dreading a disabling accident more than the eye of the selector. Playing in "porridge'"' the old-time cry used to be for "feet!- feet!" (which is more polite than "boot! boot! "),' and that is just what to-day's conditions demanded; but some people were careful of their ankles. This afternoon's play was, indeed, no standard. Pjrobably none of the Australian games will be played in stick-fast, but, if they are, kick-and-follow tactics will need much move careful attention than was given to-day.