"A FAMOUS VICTORY."

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11671, 11 April 1916, Page 1

"A FAMOUS VICTORY."

NEW ZEALAND SOLDIERS' BRILUANTWIN. ' 12 POINTS IN 20 MINUTES. [Fbom Ovr Coerespondext.] LONDON, February 24. ! ' Memories of the All Blacks' victory I over the Scottish Fifteen at Invorloitu ' ten vears ago must have flitted across > the minds of Rugby enthusiasts who ; were present at Richmond last-Satur-day and sow the Now Zealand soldier, [team beat a particularly "hefty" Public School fifteen by 32 points to 6. it was a really wonderful performance on the part of the Maorilandeis, for 'with less than twenty minutes to go they looked a beaten side, for they wcro two tries down and had lost their fulljack owing lo a damaged shoulder. But amid the t urging enthusiasm of .he.spectators the New Zealanders .Htlled themselves together for a final •fforb to whip .tbo game out of the fire. On came their forwards in relentless rushes; <he pace was wonderful. The schools were rattled; they could not resist their extra pace at this stage. • Four times the Now Zealanders'went through,! and, with no answering score from the schools, New Zealand won the match by four tries to two tries. Extra fitness was the sec--1 ret of this . success. This was very obvious. While they could fight on equal conditions for ; three parts '.tho schools plaved tho better football*. But staving power told in the end, as it wilt tell in hard Rugby. The fierce rushing and the splendid opportunism of the New Zealanders had the schools 1 beaten in that last quarter of an hour. ! It was a great match from beginning | to end, and a large company (mostly lin khaki) came to see it. n ■ „ ~ I "We are a sida," said i'ouft of the New Zealanders after the match, meaning that the team invari-; : ably did better after half-time than before. Certainly they had a full share of the play in tho first half, but their backs were none too certain in giving ! and taking passes, in" addition to which they were confronted by a strong and } speedy defence. In actual pace out-. [ side the scrunr the schools had the advantage for there''was.' no one so fast as th© South African, 1 W. j: Mills, and R. H. M. Jones, the Birkenhead boy, both of whom with limited opportunities they were keenly marked—gained a try. Where, however, the New Zealanders excelled was in the great amount of work done by their forwards, who scrummaged' excellently, broke up swiftly, tackled relentlessly, and were tireless in their following up. Their quickness, dash, and ability to. stay contributed more than anything else to victory. Among their forwards Fraser, Evans and ■ Park wore particularly noticeable. Baddeley, tho half, did not give his' passes particularly well, but Burns, Jeffs and Hulton played, finely in the last twenty minutes, and the de-/ fence of the wholo side was very sure. POINTS IN THE PLAY. "; ■. The teams lined up as follows:—New Zealand—Private Sanders, Corporal Hosketh, Sapper Burns And Private Tavlor, Sergeant Hulton and Corporal Jeffs (five-eighths), Corporal Baddeley, Scream) Muir (wing lei ward), Troopers Ovens, Fraser and Park, Serjeants Sheridan and Garth and Co:ponls Harding and Flicker. Public Schools (Past and Present)-Secoud-Lieutenant' H. Lloyd, SecondLieutenant B. H. M. Jones, J. V. "F'laviell, Lieutenant 0. J. Philcox ana W. J. Hills (South African College), Lieutenant D. O'n. Hodson and Second Lieutenant W. T. Storey. Captain J. ui. Greenwood (captain), Lieutenant T. H. E. Baillie, (1. E. Passmore, Lieutenant S. J. Price and H. Mills. At the last minute Captain J. 'B. Rosher (a I7st ' : infant") could not turn out for the Schools, and it was decided to play seven forwards and eight hacks, H. Mills (South \ African College) acting as a species of extra half-back. Chiefly by short rushes the New Zealanders pressed at once, but after Lloyd had driven them to the. centre by a capital punt Price gained ground with a second punt, and from a penalty Greenwood had a shot at goal, which dropped short. Hereabouts tho Schools heeled out, and Flaviell fed Jones, who was tackled. A more dangerous ■ movement developed on the other wing, which gave W. J. Mills (an "even time" path performer) a chance to exhibit his sprint. He ran strongly from his own twenty-five for one hundred-yards before beiug pulled down. Fraser and Evans'then headed a rush to the centre. Here some nico Schools' passing enabled Jones to get going, and a beautiful, run with clever side stepping got him in at the corner, Greenwood failing to convert. Soon, afterwfirds the Schools pack gained a i good footing, but the passing broke j down. The All Blacks forced their j way to the other end. where there was ; a deal ■of scrumming,\bub the backs* could not beat the stout defence Twice Jones and W. J. Mills broke away, but Sanders stopped the firstnamed and a watchful eye was krpt on Mills. Philcox once swept through from a punt, but could not circumvent Sanders, who just before h'alf-timo retired with a damaged shoulder. In the second half Sanders reappeared, and the New Zealanders again sot up pressure, chiefly by their forwards. Jones did well in defence, and after eight minutes' fine passing started W. J. Mills near the centre, and his speed j and swerve enabled h'im to get in near the corner flag, a grand try, which ! Grcemvood could not improve. With I Sanders going off. Taylor became full- | back. About' twenty minutes remained, i and in that time the New Zealanders i played harder than ever, their forwards j being very prominent. First came a • splendid rush, in which Fraser, Evans i and Park were tho leaders, which took i the ball from one end to the other, ; and ended in a clever score by Fraser, Rv2.sket.fi missing goal. With the All j Blacks asserting superiority in ihe tight j and loose, their backs had a chance, j and Burns slipped in on the right. He I soon followed this with another try, j just squeezing in at the corner, while j a Miiart breakaway when the scrum was about twenty yards from the Schools' line let in Fraser. Hesketh had two place-kicks without effect, and Park failed with the last one. The New Zealanders dominated the game to ihe end, and finally won an intensely interesting and exciting game by four \ tries to two. I ] Both sides, it- is said, exploited a j [ ring forward for all lie was worth, and ; |in the view of many, if not of most English enthusiasts this is not- -Rugby football. Previously tli'- New Zealanders had won three matches without their line 1 buing crossed.