THE ALL BLACKS

Taranaki Daily News, 22 November 1924, Page 7

THE ALL BLACKS

OXFORD DEFEATED. THIRTY-THREE TO FIFTEEN. A BRILLIANT GAME. VISITORS TOO CLEVER. The All Blacks defeated Oxford. University, one of the strongest sides in England, by 33 points to 15. It was a thrilling game marked by many ibrilliaint features. The New Zealanders were too clever and resourceful for their opponents. . By Telegraph—Press Assil.— Copyright. London, Nov. 20. The All Blacks to-day 'met Oxford University, which is regarded as one of the strongest sides in England, and contained in its ranks a number of overseas players. After a spirited game the New Zealanders emerged victorious iby 33 points to 15, and thus have put their total score well ahead of the last two Dominion teams which visited England. The New Zealand team was: •Full-back—Nepia. Three-quarters Robilliard, Cooke, Steel. Five-eighths—McGregor and Nicholls. Half—Dailey. Wing-forward—Porter. Forwards—Donald, Irvine, M Brownlie, Masters, Stewart, Cuppies and White. The conditions were excellent as the weather wae fine though dull and there was iff) wind. The ground was soft. Oxford abandoned the usual dark blue jerseys and played in all wliite. OXFORD OPENS SCORE. Oxford kicked off and. through Masters', mulling the ball, Varsity bored their way into New Zealand territory, where a passing rush nearly brought them a score. Just afterwards Cooke had failed to field the ball, which was kicked over the New Zealand line. Jacob followed up fast and secured a try. which Berkeley converted. Oxford '. 5 New Zealand 0 Nicholls promptly retaliated iby dropping a goal. Oxford 5 New Zealand 4 ALL BLACKS RETALIATE. The All Blacks soon pulled themselves together and put in some effective passing. Nicholls, Brownlie, and White took a hand in one .bout, and the lastnamed went over the line. Nicholls converted. New Zealand 9 Oxford 5 Keeping up their pace and flinging the ball about freely, Cooke ran over as the result of another spell of brilliant passing, and again Nicholls added a goal. New Zealand 14 Oxford . 5 Oxford then had another look in. Nepia for once was caught in two minds, failed to take the ball, and let McPherson in to score an easy try. Berkeley was again successful ip converting, and half time came with the score: New Zealand 14 Oxford 10 Upon resuming Wesehe replaced Raymond at full-back for Oxford, and Raymond went up into the three-quarter line. NEW ZEALAND AGGRESSIVE. The All Blacks continued their aggressive play, and swept down on the ’Varsity goal with an irresistible rush that carried them over and enabled Brownlie to score under 1 the posts. N.’cJiolls had no difficulty in converting. New Zealand 19 Oxford . . 10 The visitors kept U P the attacks, but many failed through mistakes in passing at the right moment. The Oxford three-quarters put up a gallant defence, and amid deafening cheers Wordsworth .and Wallace made a splendid united effort. The latter ran to half-way, and then passed to Wordsworth, who ran through all the opposition and crossed the line, Berkeley converting. This, however, was the ’Varsity’s last success.

THRILLING PLAY. A quarter of an hour from the finish Oxford were only four points behind. Then their defence collapsed and the All Blacks came to the attack again and Steel got over, Nicholls converting. Though the ’Varsity .backs were combining well and their forwards often gained possession, the New Zealanders broke through, and, following a movement in which Porter, Nicholls, McGregor and Ro-billiard successively handled the btill, the last-named stored and Nicholls once more converted. Just ibefore time Steel drop-kicked a goal, making the final score:— New Zealand 33 Oxford 15 The second half was thrilling and full of excitement. Raymond-, Aitken and Walla'ce stood out among the ’Varsity backs. Nicholls was the hero of- the match, converting every try and dropping a goal. Cuppies, Brownlie, White and Masters were the best of the forwdrdd. 1 Colonel Philip Trevor in the Daily Telegraph, says; “My opinion of the New . Zealanders’ cleverness and resource has -been increased by the Oxford match. They are never beaten, always have an alternative plan and adopt it with apparent ease. The .finest side we can find will be up against- it to beat the New Zealanders if they play as they did against Oxford.” Tl(e Welsh Rugby Union, at a special meeting to-night, decided, in order to avoid any rupture with the New Zealanders, to submit three names from which the All Blacks shall select an aceeptalble referoa fo- the Cardiff match.

RECORD OF THE TOUR. NINETEEN MATCHES WON. GAME AGAINST CARDIFF TO-DAX The All Blacks have now played nineteen matches and have won them all, their score being 468 points, while 63 .points have been scored against them. They now have only nine matches to complete their programme in the United Kingdom. There seems every prospect new of the present AH Blacks excelling even the record of their brilliant predecessors of 1005, a feat that few ever thought possible when the team left these shores. To-day will see the All Blacks in Walesy where they play tli-ree matches, opening with Cardiff. Then follows the match which will .provide the opportunity of avenging the 1905 team’s only defeat, the international against Wales, which takes place next Saturday. With the original All Blacks the Cardiff match was the second to last of the tour, being played on December 26. The New Zealand team comprised Wallace, Thom- * sen, Deans, Booth, Stead, Hunter, Roberts, Casey, Glasgow. O’Sullivan, Newton, Nicholson, Seeling, .McDonald and Gallagher. The All Blacks won by ten points to eight, tries being scored by Thomson and Nicholson. Wallace converting both. For Cardiff, Nicholson and Thomas scored tries, one of which Winfield converted. RESULTS TO DATE. Versus Devon, won 11 to 0. Versus Cornwall, won 29 to 0. Versus Somerset, won 6 to 0. Versus Gloucestershire, won 6 to 0. Versus Swansea, won 39 to 3. Versus Newport, won 13 to 10. Versus Leicester, won 27 to 0. Versus North Midlands, won, 40 to 3. Versus Cheshire, won 18 to 5. Versus Durham, won 43 to 7. Versus Yorkshire, won 42 to 4. Versus Lancashire, won 23 to 0. Versus Cumberland, won 41 to 0. Versus Ireland, won 6 to 0. Versus Ulster, won 28 to fl. Versus Northumberland, won 27 to 4. Versus Cambridge, won 5 to 0. Versus London Counties, won 31 to fl* Versus Oxford University, won 33/to I's. Played 19, won 19; points for 468, against 63. r REMAINING MATCHES. November 22—v. Cardiff. - November 29—v. Wales, at Swansea. December 2 —v. Llanelly. December 6—v. East Midlands, att Northampton. December 11—v. Warwickshire, at Cov. entry. December 13 —v. Combined Services, at Twickenham. December 17—v. Hampshire, at Portsmouth. December 27 —v. London Counties (sec-» ond match). January 3—v. England, at Twickenham. January 11 —v. a representative French team at Paris. January IS—v. France, at Toulouse. INDIVIDUAL SCORES. Following is a summarised record of scores:— Goals From Other Potted Player Tries Tries Goals Goals T 1

The name of the scorer of one try in the Yorkshire match has not yet come to hand. THE EARLIER MATCHES. HAWERA MAN’S IMPRESSION'S. Mr. J. Goodwin, of Hawera, has rereceived some interesting mementos from Mr. B. C. BeUnett, who is a member ot the official party with the All Blacks, in the shape of the official programmes of the first seven matches. The»e programmes are not the elaborate affairs that New Zealanders are accustomed to purchase at big matches, being mostly modest four-page cardboard folders. Some pencilled notes made on the programmes by Air. Bennett are interesting in the light of later events. For instance, after the Gloucester match, which New Zealand won by six points t> nil, he remarks: “You may wonder v. hat’s up with our small scores. It’s all right. The wet, dirty grounds are, of course, against us. Just such another game as with Somerset. Heavy rain before and all through the game With the ground in a horrible state. Such a ground is no use to our side. Hart and Brown played great games. West was resting.” After the Newport match he says: “This was a wretched game. On the run of the play all through it should have been a drawn game. In fact, Newipci’t had hard luck in not beating us. Our boys were right off. JusS one of those games that can’t be explained. It’s all right though; we are good enough to win many games yet» Leicester on Saturday. They are sail to be as good as Newport; but am not afraid as dur men cannot play such * game again as against Newport. We9s and Brown are playing great footiball. Hart only played one game, but fußr justified inclusion.” :

Nicholls, M. 1 25 3 2 70 Hart, A. II. 16 1 __ 50 Nop"a, G. — IS 3 — -45 Cooke, A. E. 14 — — — *12 Parker, II. 12 — — — 36 Mill, .1. n — — 33 Sven son, K. S. 10 — —* —— 30 Steele, J. 8 — — 1 2« Richardson, J. 6 —- — — 18 Brown, H. W. A 2 . — — 16 White, A. — — 10 Brownlie, M. 5 — —• — IS Lucas, W. 3 — — — 9 Donald, J. 3 — — — 9 Porter, C. G. 3 — — — 9 Irvine, W. R. 3 — —-- —. 9 McGregor. N. P 2 — — — 6 Masters, R. R. V — — —— 6 Stewart, R. L. — — — 6 Cr.pplo.s, L. F. 1 — — — 3 •Brownlie, C. J. 1 — — — 3 West. A. H. 1 — — —— 3 Rob i lira rd, A. C. • — — — 3