FIRST LEAGUE TEST

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19249, 1 August 1932, Page 4

FIRST LEAGUE TEST

NEW ZEALAND OUTPLAYED. ENGLISHMEN RESENT PENALTIES. By Telegraph- r, ~e".* Association AUCKLAND. July 30. The first League test between England and New Zealand was nlayed at Carlaw Park to-day, England winning by 24 tWnts to 9. The weather was beautifully fine, but th Q ground was a little greasy. The attendance was 25.000. The game was fast and spectacular. The Englishmen’s superior weight gave their side a big advantage in the scrums, and they gained possession in twenty to five in the first spell and eighteen to seven in the second spell. The New Zealand backs nullified this advantage to a great extent by playing right on top of their opponents. The visitors were freely penalised in the first spell for obstruction and shepherding. sixteen penalties being given against England in the first half, and five against New Zealand. This penalising had the Englishmen rattled a good deal, and on one occasion Sullivan. the captain, displayed temper and lost his head by kicking the ball deliberately into the Domain behind his own posts. A talk by the English managers at half-time evidently had a good effect, as the penalties decreased in the second spell to four against England and three against New Zealand. Cooke and Brisbane were easily New Zealand’s best backs, and- with anything like a share of the ball Cooke would have been a mere dangerous scorer than any of his opponents. Calder, O'Brien and St. George were the best forwards. Hutt spoiling his display by presenting the Englishmen with two tries. Sullivan’s kicking was of great assistance to England. Ellaby, Atkinson and Smith proved clever threequarters. The forwards were solid and powerful, and handled well, and were much too good in scrummaging for the New' Zealand pack. The teams were:— New Zealand.—Laing, Scott. List, Smith, Cooke. Brisbane. Masters, Calder. St. George, Stephenson, Timms, O’Brien, Hutt. England—Sullivan. Ellaby, Atkinson. Risman, Smith, Brogden, Evans, Thompson. Lowe, Silcock, Hodgson, Fildes, Feetham. New Zealand won the toss and played with the sun. They set up an early attack. Cooke cut in nicely, and play settled near England's line. From a penalty fairly well out. Laing goaled. Then from play just inside the New Zealand half Sullivan just missed from a penalty, and also missed an easier shot right in front at the 25. The visitors W'ere getting the ball from practically every scrum by superior weight, but the New' Zealand tackling w'as sound. Eventually Hodgson picked up in the loose and passed to Ellaby, who side-stepped and Laing scored in the corner. Sullivan missed the shot. England were penalised for shepherding but Cooke missed a shot from ten yards inside half-way. The visitors were penalised for offside following a five yards scrum, and Laing placed New Zealand ahead again with a nice goal. Hodgson then narrowly missed from a penalty near the touch-line. Passing between Evans, Brogden and Atkinson saw the last-named catch the defence on the hop, and he cut in and ran over unopposed near the posts. Hodgson missed from an easy angle. Cooke. Smith and Hutt w r ere associated in a splendid bout of in and out passing which thrilled the crow'd, the ball going out a yard from the corner. Play sw’ung to the other side, where Laing failed with a penalty shot. Calder then missed from a penalty near half-w’av. Sullivan obviously was annoyed by the frequent penalties, and turned and kicked the ball deliberately into the Domain behind his own goal. The crowd hooted him roundly, and the referee gave a scrum five yards out. although once the ball became dead from a free kick this w'as a doubtful decision. After further scrums, the ball was passed out by Masters to Brisbane and Cooke, who dummied Brogden beautifully, and scored near the posts. Laing converted, and halftime arrived with the score— New Zealartd 9 England 6 Shortly after resuming. Hutt foolishly threw the ball towards the front of his own goal. The English backs broke away. Cooke brought Ellaby down well, but after further short passing Atkinson scored in the corner, and Sullivan kicked a great goal, placing England in the lead. Laing missed an opportunity of evening the scores from a penalty kick, but the ball never rose. Cooke and List broke right away with a dribbling run, but Masters spoiled the movement by knocking on in trying to pick up the ball. Scissors passing between Cooke and Smith saw the last-named run over, but he was recalled for a forward pass. Silcock headed the English forwards with a rush w’ell inside the New' Zealand half, where Sullivan increased the visitors’ total with a splendid goal. Evans raced from a scrum, and passed to Atkinson, who was almost over. A weak clearing kick by Scott gave Silcock possession, and he passed to Feetham. who scored wide out. Sullivan kicked another fine goal. New Zealand w'ere in a good attacking position, w'hen Hutt presented the visitors with another try. He passed straight into the hands of the English backs. The ball went out to Ellaby, who side-stepped Laing cleverly, and finished a sixty yards run by grounding the ball in the corner. Sullivan missed the goal. New Zealand then took another turn on attack, Laing passing to Scott. w r ho gained a lot of ground. St. George missed a try from a scrummage on the line, then Cooke was just beaten for the touch dow'n by Brogden. A long kick by Sullivan gained ground, then Smith picked up in the loose, and sidestepped Laing. Cooke appeared to push the Englishman into touch in goal, but a try was aw'arded. Sullivan missed the posts, and the game ended— England 24 New Zealand 9