RUGBY IN ITS SPLENDOUR

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1931, Page 11

RUGBY IN ITS SPLENDOUR

STRUGGLES OF THE BLUES OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE DRAW. STRATEGY SAVES WEAKER SIDE. (Special to London, December 11.

For the first-time for 22 years the Varsity rugger match, which at both universities is now regarded as the sporting event of the year and fai transcending even the more popular boat race, resulted in a draw. But for various reasons it was one of the most dramatic and thrilling of all these strenuous rugger contests, and _ those who were lucky enough to watch it will remember it for many a year to come. Early in the morning it looked -.as though it might be impossible to' play the match at all. London and its farflung suburbs were thickly veiled in a dense Novemberish fog that seemed to have straved into December. But it cleared before noon, and actually, though the ground was on the soft side and slight rain fell just towards the end, the game was played under fair conditions, with little wind, and some occasional bursts of wintery sunshine. Needless to say, there was a, wonderful crowd, and one typical of the occasion. Old blues, past and present graduates, country rectors, Army and Navy officers, comfortable matrons, and delightful flappers swarmed round the Twickenham ground in rival colours, and filled all the huge stands. When the teams presently appeared, punctually on the tick of time, they met with a rousing partizan cheer in each case. First appeared Cambridge, the challengers by right of their last year's defeat. Then came Oxford close on their heels, and the uproar from the excited crowd died down as the battle started with Oxford's-kick off.- Now-at-the beginning of the match the odds offered, and refused by most sportsmen, were six to four on Cambridge; Never has a Varsity rugger side,, since the famous Cambridge team skippered, by the redoubtable W. W. Wakefield in his second year, been so strongly “fancied.” The most that devout Oxonians could do, in the face of Cambridge's marked attacking superiority behind the scrum, with their own one big asset, Hart, the Scottish international centre three-quarter, crocked and the untried V. G. L. Jenkins playing in his place, was to pray for a miracle, and hope the score against ' their side might not be too overwhelming. HOFMEYR THE PEERLESS. But from the first onset, though the Light Blues were' palpably • on • their toes with confidence, Oxford forced the pace. Hofmeyr, their magnificent front row forward and captain of the side, had obviously fettled the plan of campaign well aheaffi The Oxford’forwards' put every ounce they knew into their scrummaging, and, admirably seconded by their backs, worried the faster and trickier Cambridge. three-quarter line remorselessly. The first scrum, took place well in ’ Cambridge s' 25, amidst a roar of delight and surprise' from all those who ■ sported dark blue favours, and the Oxford forwards never ceased for one moment '. to dominate the play. They got most of the ball from the scrums, and were definitely masters in the loose, but what marked their play most, and indeed'that of every man on the Oxford side, was the, deadly .way they tackled. Time and again, when Cambridge did get' the ball and’ their brilliant back division , got in. motion, they were mowed down hy fast-follow-ing Oxonians who were on them like a pack of wolves. ,It,was, really, thrilling, ■: All the time one fejt that Cambridge must eventually break down the defence, arid start scoring, tries galore, but all the time their best efforts were countered, by. an impregnable .defence. The game was played at breakneck speed all through. There was never a relaxation of the furious pace. The only “breathers” came when someone became a temporary casualty, and that happened only two or three times in the afternoon. Though centre man of the first row of Oxford’s scrum, Hofmeyr was first out of the pack when the ball got away. His fair head arid sturdy figure were übiquitous, always in the picture, and always shepherding his flock like a seasoned veteran. Only once did Oxford’s vigilant defence .weaken for .an instant. And that was fatal. Which shows what real merit belonged to their fearless tackling and going down to the ball.

HOW THE GAME WENT, On thia occasion, after play. had stormed from end to end in flashes, but with Oxford' mainly in Cambridge territory during the first half, Tallent, the Cambridge''right centre three-quarter, got a pass from his stand-off half just on Oxford’s 25 line. He. feinted towards the right, checked his pace, side-stepped a man twice, and in a jiffy was sailing over the Oxford line to score a beautiful try near the goal posts. The place kick looked a sitter, and everybody thought Cambridge, about to become 5 points up,, were now going to pulverise their fomen. But- there-■was-a misunderstanding over the place* kick. The' Oxford forwards charged, hesitated, and charged again, and, while the Cambridge pair with the ball were still dithering, the kick was smothered. It seemed no more than an unusual-episode tben r but. that easy chance thrown away was to cost Cambridge the victory. Never again in that first half, or the second either, did they really look like scoring:Twice the Oxford pack worked well into their enemy’s 25 in the first half, and Roberts was given a quick paps when near enough'to'have made a score more than probable had he gathered the ball. He was unlucky both times in dropping it. But no player on the field was more successful at cutting through, and twice he broke right away to pend his wing man, Minns, a fine pass. Minns raced away, putting in all he knew, but he lacked just the vital extra yard of speed that would have crowned the effort. Once a pursuing Cambridge back pulled him down, and once Askew, though lamed early in the game,, gallantly tackled him just on the goalline corner. Hofmeyr's genius and strength gave one Oxford forward a desperate chance in. the second half, when the captain passed .out .to. him from one of many furious melees on the Cambridge line, but, though he dived valiantly for a touch-down, top many Cambridge hands thrust him back. Then Smeddle ' was -penalised, ■just on his own 25, for not playing the ball when tackled. SPLITTING THE WELKIN. It was a long diagonal kick,, with a wet ball, and anyone would have laid 10 to one against it. You could hear your watch ticking whilst the slim tall Henley deliberately prepared to take the kick. But I have never heard a mightier roar than when he sent the ball sailing high over the bar and right between the uprights. It was a peach of a goal, and it sufficed, with Hofmeyr shepherding the van, to save the match as a glorious draw against long odds for ©xford. The teams were:—i

Oxford: H. Bees (Grahamstown and University College), full-back; P. C. Minns (New Zealand and Balliol), P. C. Alexander (Grahamatown and Trinity), V. G. L. Jenkins (Llandovery and Jesus), xC. F. Cardale (Durham and St. Edmund Hall), three-quarters; W. Roberts (Cardiff and Brasenose), K. N. Lamport (Sydney University and Balliol), halfbacks; xS. J. Hofmeyr, captain (Capetown University and University College), xW. A. H. Druitt (Edinburgh and Oriel), G. V. Shillito (Taunton and Wadham), E. R. Mac Gibbon (Eettesand Corpus), xW. E. Henley (Otago and New), D. H. Swayne (Bromegrove and Worcester), D. P. Howard (Mill Hill and Wadham), xA. G. Cridlan (Uppingham and Worcester), forwards. Cambridge: +xJ. G. Askew (Durham

and Emmanuel), full-back; +xR. W. Sineddle (Durham and St. Catherines), L. H. Collison (Mill Hill and -St. John’s), xJ. A. Tallent (Sherborne and Clare), +C. C. Tanner (Cheltenham and Pembroke), three-quarters; J. H. L. Phillips (Weymouth and Trinity), F. W. Simpson (Merchant Taylors, Crosby and Trinity), half-backs; xJ. J. A. Embleton, captain (St. Paul's and Cains), fxP. W. P. Brook (Whitgift and Emmanuel), xD. M. Marr (Fettes and Cains), xA. W. Walker (Oundle and Clare), xJ. M. Greenwood (Rugby and Christ’s), J. E. Valentine (Bishop’s Stortford and St. Catherine’s), C. H. Williams (Bedford Modern and Jesus), and H. R. Ramsay (Harrow and Trinity Hall), forwards. + Internationals. x Old Blues.