BRILLIANT VICTORY

Taranaki Daily News, 15 December 1924, Page 8

BRILLIANT VICTORY

ALL BLACKS BEAT SERVICES TWENTY-FIVE TO THREE ALL ROUND SUPERIORITY In one of the finest displays of the tour, the All Blacks beat United Services at Twickenham on Saturday by 25 points to three. The New Zealanders were vastly superior in every department, and by brilliant passing and unerring tackling entirely dissipated any suggestion of staleness. Lucas scored three tries, Steel two, and Richardson and Masters one eaeh. White and Nepia each converted one. The opposition’s only score was a penalty goal. Every member of ths team added to his reputation by the wonderful display, given.

WONDERFUL DISPLAY. BACKS in splendid form. DEBACLE IN SECOND SPELL. TEAM PRESENTED TO KING, >y T«le*raph—Pr«M kun.—Copyright. Received Dec. 14. 5.5 p.m. London. Dec. 13. comparative ease the All Blacks ■defeated United Services to-day by 25 pointe to 3. The King, who was present at the match, received a wonderful welcome from his 20,000 subjects at Twickenham. Both teams, together with the members of the New Zealand official party, were presented to His Majesty on the ground. The attendance was below expectations, as was also the resistance of tne United Services team. Bitterly cold weather no doubt affected the attendance.

The New Zealand team wan as follows: — Ful 1 -back—Nepia. Three-quarters —Steele, Lucas, Svenson. Five-eighths—Cooke, McGregor. Half—Mill. W i ng-f orwa rd. —Port er. Forwards—lrvine, Donald, Masters, Richardson, M. Brownlie, Wwt and White. United Services kicked off against a bleak wind. Good work by their forwards gave them an early footing in the All Blacks’ twenty-five, but they were driven back by lengthy line-kicks. From a scrum in midfield the New Zealand backs initiated a splendidly engineered passing movement, and within five minutes Steele had crossed unopposed to •core under the posts. White converted.

All Blacks 5 United Services 0 The New Zealanders pressed hard and continuously, and United Services were compelled to force six times wiuiin twenty minutes. • A clever move by McGregor and Cooke provided a clear opening for Lucas, who scored w 11 out. White’s kick struck the cross-bar and bounded infield. All Blacks 8 United Services 0 The game had barely been resumed when the New Zealanders were penalised just inside the centre-line, and Forrest kicked a magnificent goal, registering United Services’ only score. All Blacks 8 United Services .... 3

Encouraged by this success, United .Services took up the attack, in which they demonstrated for the first time .some measure of combined effort. The All Blades’ defence, however, was always sound, and their opponents seldom looked like penetrating it. At half-time the score was - All Blacks 8 United Services 3 •In the second half United Services resumed play one man short, LoristonClarke (Navy) having had to retire just before the interval owing to an injury. The spell opened sensationally. Brownlie fielded the kick-off in his stride, and passed to Richardson, who sent out a long pass to McGregor. The ball went to Cooke, who carried on the movement till he transferred in a good position to Lucas, who scored near the corner. The whole of this magnificent movement had •been completed before the majority of the United Services team had hau time .to collect their thoughts. White failed 4o convert. All Blacks . 11 United Services 3 During the next ten minutes play waa /tightly in the Servicemen’s favour, but »fter that the All Blacks’ all-round superiority asserted itself. The. score began to mount rapidly. First Masters fielded a weak kick near the United Services’ line and hurled himself across in the corner. Nepia missed with the kick. All Blacks 14 United Services 3

Then Richardson sent out a splendid long pass to McGregor, and the ball went through the hand? of Lucas to Steele, ■who scored a try in the corner. Nepia kicked a magnificent goal. All Blacks 10 United Services 3 Tlxe New Zealanders became more bril.iant as the game progressed, and the crowd spontaneously acknowledged the wonderful exposition. Mill ixxt «*et his fast-moving, sure-handling backs in motion, and the ball reached Svenson, who cleverly passed in to Lucas, who scored. Nepia failed with the kick. All Blacks 22 United Servins » 3 .Soon afterwards Svenson made • •parkling y run through the opposition awl passed to Lucas. The ball then •reached Richardson, who dived over in

f the corner. Nepia failed with the kick, and the game ended: All Blacks 25 United Services 3 Except that the Servicemen gained possession of the ball from 60 per cent, of the scrummages, the visitors were vastly superior in every department. Their display was one of the finest of the tour, quite dissipating any suggestion of staleness. The passing reached a high standard. The excellent and unerring tackling and the backing uj>, of the All Blacks were other nxte.vuithy features. Richardson was the finest forward on the ground and was ably supported by Masters, Brownlie and White. Nepia played with 1 is usual brilliancy and consistency. Cooke’s übiquity and opportunism found full scope, and all the others added to their reputations. Seventeen penalties were given against the All Blacks, many of winch were difficult to follow. The four penalties given against the Servicemen were greeted with ironical applause by little groups of Dominion supporters scattered in the crowd.

HOPES NOT REALISED. PREDICTION BEFORE MATCH. SERVICEMEN’S STRONG TEAM. Received Dec. 14, 5.5 p.m. London, Dec. 12. To-morrow’s match between the All Blacks and -the United Services is expected to provide a serious obstacle to the visitors’ unbeaten run. No effort has been spared to secure the best possible team, and it is on-s that has played together in four matches. It ,'s splendidly fit and includes four internationals. Practically every member of the team has played already against the All Blacks in different games. Lord Ranfurly visited the New Zealanders to-day and expressed pleasure at the team’s success. Their game against Hampshire will go a long way towards preparing them for the remaining London fixtures.