ANOTHER SPIRITED VICTORY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 22 November 1924, Page 9

ANOTHER SPIRITED VICTORY.

All Blacks Defeat Oxford University.

THRILLING DISPLAY OF RUGS? FOOTBALL.

By Cal/le—Prass Association —Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association LONDON, November 20. The All Blacks to-day met Oxford University, which is regarded as on-, of the strongest sides in England, ana contained in its ranks a number ot overseas players. After a spirited game New Zealand emerged victorious, the scores being: All Blacks 33 Oxford University ... ... 15 The New Zealanders thus have put their total score well ahead of the last two Dominion teams which visited England. The Team. The New Zealand team lined out as under: Full-back: G. Nepia. Tlireequarters: A. C. Robilliard A. E. Cooke J. Steel Five-eighths : N. P. McGregor M. Nicholls Half-back: W. C. Dailey. Forwards: L. F. Cupples A. White M. Brownlie R. Alas tens R. F. Stewai-u W. R. Irvine Q. Donald C. G. Porter. The Play. The conditions were excellent, as the weather was fine, though dull, arm there was no wind. The ground was soft. Oxford abandoned their usual dark blue jerseys to avoid confusion, and played in all white. Oxford kicked off, and through Alasters mulling the ball, ’Varsity bored their way into the New Zealand territory, where a passing rush nearly brought them a score. Oxford Leads. Just after Cooke failed to field the ball, which was kicked over the New Zealand line. Jacob, following up fast secured a try, which Berkerley converted. Oxford ... ... 5 All Blaoks ... ... 0 Nicholls promptly retaliated by dropping a goal. The All Blacks soon’pulled themselves together, and put in some effective passing. Brownlie, Nicholls, and White took a hand in one bout, and the last-named went over the line. Nicholls converted. All Blacks ... ... ... ... ... 9 Oxford ... ... ... ... ... ... 5 Oxford then had another look in. Nepia, for once, was caught in twu minds, failed to take the ball, and let AlcPherson in to score an easy try. Berkerley was again successful in converting, and half time ended with the score:— Oxford ... 10 All Blacks ... ... 9 The Second Spell. Upon resuming, Wesche replaced Raymond at full back for Oxford. Raymond went up into the threequarter line. The All Blacks continued their aggressive play, and swept down on ’Varsity’s goal with an irresistible rush that carried them over and enabled Brownlie to score under the posts. Nicholls had no difficulty in converting. All Blacks 14 Oxford ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 The visitors kept up the attack, but: many attacks failed through mistakes in. passing at the right moment. Oxford’s Final Spurt. 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 halfway and then passed to Wordsworth, who ran through all opposition and crossed the line. Berkerley converted. Oxford ... ... ... 15 All Blacks 14 This, however, was ’Varsity’s last success. The All Blacks camo to tlm attack again, and Steel got over. Nicholls converting. All Blacks 19 Oxford ... 15 Soon afterwards Steel dropped a goal. Though the ’Varsity backs were combining well, and their forwards often gained possession, the New Zealanders broke through, and Steel scored under the posts. Nicholls easily added the goal. All Blacks 28 Oxford ... 15 Following a movement in whicn Rorter, Nicholls, AlcGregor, and Robilliard successively handled the ball, the last named scored, and Nicholls once more converted. Hie final scores were: All Blacks ... 33 Oxford 15 Thrilling Finish. The second half was thrilling, ana full of excitement. Raymond, Aitkei. and Wallace stood out among the ’Varsity hacks. Nicholls was: Ike hero of the match, converting every try and dropping a goal. Chippies, Brownlie, White and Alasters were the best forwards.

“THEY ARE NEVER BEATEN.”

SPLENDID TRIBUTE TO NEW NEW ZEALANDERS.

By Cable —Press Association —Copyright,

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association (Received 5.5 p.m., November 21.) LONDON, November 20.

Air Philip Trevor, writing in tho “Daily Telegraph,” says: “Aly opinion of the cleverness and resourcefulness of the New Zealanders 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.”

THE WELSH MATCHES. SELECTION OE REFEREES.: By Cable—Press Association—Cop} right. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, November 20, The Welsh Rugby Union, at a special meeting to-night, decided in order to avoid any rujjture with the New Zealanders to submit three names from which the All Blacks shall select an acceptable referee for the Cardiff match.

HOW THE 1905 N.Z. TEAM .ROUTED OXFORD. A REVELATION IN RUGBY. It was hardly to be expected tha. the 1924 All Blacks would put up the wonderful performance which then predecessors did against the “Darn Blues” on November 7, 1905. “This Li the severest reverse the Dark Blue fifteen have ever experienced in ’ tlie wjiolo course of their history,” wrote All- J. A. Buttery in the “Daily Mail” after the match. “Indeed, never before have they had double figures in trie:, scored against them. The ' efforts of the Dark Blues to stem the resistless All Blacks’ rushes would have been farcical if they had not been so plucky. They were outrun, 'outgeneralled, tricked, and toppled about like so many ninepins, but they stuck to their work with true Oxford resolution. The game was very fast—the New Zealand forwards were making the pace very hob—and the ’Varsity pack were run nearly off their legs. 'They got slower , and slower 4 with the result that a tremendous amount ot work was thrown on the backs. When the whistle blew for half-time, Oxford looked' rather tired, not to say limp. ‘Done like a dinner!’ observed’ rn undergraduate spectator. The score then stood at 22 points to nil—two goals and four tries. - “On the resumption both sides went at it hammer and tongs. The passing of the New Zealanders was dazzling in its brilliancy at times. The • ball when out of the. scrum, seemed'to be always in their hands, travelling like lightning from one tp the other. They made a lot of mistakes, it is tru.e, dropping the ball o'c -passing forward at a critical moment. It was as'well for Oxford that they did, of the score might have been nearer 100 . points than 50. Try succeeded try with disconcerting regularity. In hooking r and heeling out the Oxford: forwards- were beaten almost every ..time." The. score might easily have been much larger had not the AH Blacks tried several place-kicking experiments. Instead :of trusting to Wallace to convert, they rang the changes on several members of the team—some of, whom had never taken a place kick in their lives—with occasional ludicrous results. - The nttempts by Newton, Tyler, and Hunter were , particularly.‘ .diverting spectacles. (The crowd of . 6000, -including a fair sprinkling of ladies, -trooped off the field in excited admiration cf ‘this revelation of Rugby football,’ as one white-haired old - gentleman described it. , ' ........ ,i- ---“ The New ! Zealanders’ score of 47. points to nil was made up of five tries bv Hunter, two each by Booth and Wallace, and tries by Tyler, McGrpgor. Roberts and Glasgow. Wallace, converted three of the tries, and'Hiijiter one. . .: '. : The New Zealand team comprised; Gillett; AfcGregor. Wallace, Booth: Hunter, Afvnott; Roberts ; Gallagher: Cnsev. Tyler. Johnson, -Newton, Nicholson,* Corbett, Glasgow.

THE 1924 TOUR. ITINERARY OF THE ALL BLACKS. Matches Played: Following are the results of matches played, with comparative scores, 1924 and 1905.

Matches to Play. November 22nd—v. Cardiff. November 29th—v. Wales, at Swansea. December 2nd—v.' Llanelly. December 6th—v. East Midland, at Northampton. December 10th—v. Warwickshire, at Co vent it- . , , . ' December lltli—v. Warwickshire, ai Coventry (second match). December 13th—v. Combined Services, at Twickenham. December 17th—v. Hampshire, at Portsmouth. December 27th—v. London Counties (second match). . January 3—v. England, at Twickenham. , January v. French International team, at Toulouse. . January v. Paris team, at Pans

v. Devon .... vr 1924 , 11—0 1905 w 55—4 v. Cornwall . . . w 29—0 w-4l—0 v. Somerset • . vr 6—0 w 23—0 v. Gloucester . . vr 6—0 w 44—0 v. Swansea . . vr 39—3 w 4—3 v. Newport . . . vr 13-10 w 6—3 v. Leicester . . w 27—0 w 28—0 v. North Midlands vr 40—3 w 21—5 v. Cheshire . . 18—5 w 34—41 v. Durham .... vr 43—7 w 16—3 v. Yorkshire . . . vr 42—4 w 40—0 v. Lancashire • . vr 23—0 — v. Cumberland . vr 41—0 w 15—0 v. Ireland .... vr 6—0 v. Ulster .... vr 28—6 w 32—0 v. Northumberland vr 27—4 v. Cambridge ■ . w 5—0 w 14—0 v. London Counties w 31—6 . v. Oxford . - . vr 33-15 w 47—0 468—63 419—18