RUGBY FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, 16 November 1927, Page 10

RUGBY FOOTBALL

AUTRALIANS' FIRST MATCH. A GOOD COMBINATION. (From Our Own Correspondent.) London, Sept. 22. The New South Wales Rugby tourists, who are known as the Waratahs, gave themselves a fortnight in which to become acclimatised before taking part in their first match. This was at Devonport against a side representing Devon and Cornwall. The Australians won by three placed goals, two penalty goals and three tries (30 points) to a penaltygoal (3 points) and created a very good impression. Naturally there was a strong temptation to compare them with the New Zealanders who were here a year ago, but this was not easy. On the exigence of this first match it did not seem as if there was the same individual brilliance as was so notable in the case of the All Blacks, but there is no doubt that the Australians are a strong combination and that their tour will be most successful.

In the early stages at Devonport some of the men seemed to bo suffering from a sort of stage fright and during this period there was a good deal of loose play. But having settled down the team took command of the match and won with the utmost ease. Wallace and liia men are a young and enthusiastic set of players who play the game in the best spirit and -they will be very popular. There were one or- two point-s in the laws as we observe them which they did not understand. For instance, they were confused because their back row forwards were not allowed to go round the scrummage and obstruct the opposing scrum half-back. This, however, was pointed out to them and there is no doubt that henceforth they will conform to our methods.

T. Lawton, who is a familiar figure in English Rugby, was perhaps the most conspicuous player on the side at standoff half. F. W. Meagher, the scrum half, was also very successful. All the three quarters ran straight and hard and if A. W. Ross did not quite coma up to expectations it was only because his friends had put him on a pinacle as the greatest full-back the game had known. The scoring in the match should not be taken on its face value because the opposing side were crippled through the injury of two men. But these mishaps did not affect the result. The tourists would have won in any case, but possibly they might not have scored so many times.