ALL BLACKS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17382, 10 November 1924, Page 4

ALL BLACKS.

NORTHUMBERLAND DEFEATED.

BRIGHT SECOND SPELL. j Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. J (Received November 9, 0.0 p.m.) LONDON. November 8. Thi' All Blacks defeated Northum- ■ herland by twenty-seven points to ; four. The county team included the inter- | nationals 11. (-. (atcheside, \Y. Wali lai c and H. Whitley, j Sixteen thousand people were pre- | sent. J Rain prior to the match had made . the ground heavy. J The New Zealand team was : Full-back : G. Xepia. Three-quarters : J. Steel. 11. W. Brown. A. Hart. Five eighths: N. P. M’Gregor. A. E. Cooke. Half-back : J. Mill. Forwards: J. H. Parker (wing). B. V. M’Clearv. Q. Donald. O. Brownlie. J. Richardson. It. It Masters. L. Cupples. A. West. The New Zealanders took the offensive from the jump and Northumberland were compelled to force down three minutes after the l start. The northerners retaliated in fine spirit, Inst brilliant tackling by the All Blacks held them in check. The New Zealanders’ back machinery, however, was not working up to its usual standard, several players showing a disinclination to go down against the ugly forward rushes, while M’Gregor was hanging on to the ball over. much. The New Zealanders’ handling of the learner improved as the game progressed. but the northerners’ tackling was grim and effective. Steel twice put in strong runs, but ( atcheside brought him down in brilliant fashion. The- Northumberland forwards were playing dashingly in the loose, but their, rushes were not well control led. Both sides were indulging in spoiling tactics. The northerners' defence survived a prolonged period of severe pressure, until thirty-seven minutes after the start, when Hart crossed their line as a climax to a brilliant passing movement in which West. Cooke and Parker participated. Nepia’s kick at goal missed, and the first spell ended:

j New Zealand . . . ' 3 j Northumberland . . 0 On resuming tho New Zealanders soon began to dominate the game, tries being scored in quick succession. They had been below par in tho first ! -pell, but now improved considerably. From a scrum near the Northumberland line the ball was kicked over and Cooke Has lied acre's and scored. Mill converted. New Zealand S Northumberland . . 0 Excitement grew ns fluctuating pla;. followed in which ('atcheside was always prominent. In one effort he ran through half the team ur.d showed particular brilliance. Immediately afterwards the same player dropped a beautiful goal from the field.. This was the county mien's onlv score New Zealand . . . 8 Northumberland . . 4 The New Zealanders quickly return ' •d to the attack and ALII dived over under the posts, but failed with the kick.

Now Zealand . 11 Northumberland . . 4 The New Zealand backs were now [flaying in excellent form. Brown scor od as the result of fine collective pa.-s ing. but Nepia’s kick was abortive. New Zealand . . . 14 Northumberland . . 4 Shortly after Cooke made a splendid run and then passed in to Mill, who scored and added a goal. New Zealand . .19 Northumberland . 4 The All Blacks’ superior weight and overwhelmed the home side in the closing stage's. Richardson scored under the posts and Mill converted. New Zealand . . .24 Northumberland . . 4 Then Steel ran round tho opposition and obtained a try, but Xepia failed with tlie kick. New Zealand . . 27 Northumberland . . 4

The All Blacks were penalised nine times, but gained possession ol the ball from nio-t ol' the scrums. 1 ii‘‘ team as a whole, ami particularly the backs, entirely retrieved themselves after an indifferent opening. Parker. Richardson. Masters and Brownlie were the most prominent of the forwards, and Mill. Cooke and Brown the best of the backs. ENTERTAINED AT NEWCASTLE. BOX DON. November 8. Yesterday members of the Now Zealand team were the guests at luncheon of the Newcastle Rotary Club jviirfl inspected the Parson’s turbine After the match to-day they will be entertained at dinner and the theatre as the guests of the Lord Mavor, and will leave on Sunday for "London, where they will remain ten days.

SCOTTISH BAN. I PLAYERS INDIGNANT. Australian and N.Z. Cahlo Association. LONDON, November 8. The “Daily Express” states that Scottish Rugby, players are indignant at the union’s refusal to permit a match with the All Blacks in Scotland. It is pointed out that half the visitors are of Scottish descent, yet they are shut out from the land of their fathers. COMMENTS ON THE GAME. It was generally expected that the All Blacks would heat Northumberland by a substantial margin of points though with the inclusion of three inj ternationals the Northumberland sine i must have been a fairly strong one. The other day Northumberland were I beaten 0-0 by Cumberland, who a day ' or two previously had trone down to

Ithe All Blacks to the tune of 41 to nil. It is not known yet whether the Northumberland team had been strengthened 1 by the inclusion of internationals on that occasion. Still the result of the game gave hopes that the All Blacks would beat Northumberland by a good margin. They did so, though at halftime the score was only 3 to nil in their favour. According to the cabled report the All Blacks did not play up to their usual standard in the first spell. The score would indicate that this is correct, though the defence of the home team appears to have been very sound. Catchesidc., in particular, seems to have played a fine game for Northumberland. He is a wiry three-quarter and is a particularly strong runner. Last season, when playing for England, he scored against Ireland, Scotland, France and Wales. In one effort on Saturday Catch e side ran half way through the All Black team, but still he did not score. Some one got him in the end.

Wallace, who played for Xorthumbeiland. was a star of the British team’s three-quarter line in the South African tour. According to reports he proved himself not only a brilliant attacking player but also a sound man on defence. Whitley, the other international, who played for Northumberland, is a good half-back. He also made the South African tour. The All Blacks showed improved form in the second spell and further their superior weight and pace began to tell. Once they got into their stride the New Zealand backs appear to have gone very well. It is pleasing to learn that the forwards gained possession of the ball from most of the scrums. At the start of the tour the All Black hookers appeared to find it rather difficult to beat the front rank ers in the 3-2-3 formation and some

English critics expressed the opinion that, if the>' wanted to get the ball from the scrum, they would have tn change their scrum formation. Some time ago it was reported that the New Zealanders were credited with secretly developing a new serum formation more effective than the 2-3-2 formation against the 3-2-3. No j urther information about tins has eoine to hand, and it is not known whether the New Zealanders have, tried out any new scrum formation. It- was .stated the time that the All .Blacks intended to try out- the formation against England. the last match of their tour in the Old Country However, whether tho New Zealand forwards hare adopted new tactics or whether they are showing improved, form in their scrum work the fact remains that in the last few matches they appear to have been doing better in the matter of hooking. There is no doubt that the New Zealand scrum formation is a good one. It is more compact than the 3-2-3 formation, and its wedge-like nature gives

it more driving force provided the men pack properly. However, it takes two good front rankers to beat three good men opposite them. Barker acain played a good game. Ho i$ undoubtedly one of the brilliantmembers of the team. Masters is also mentioned as being prominent amongst the forwards. Masters may not; be a particularly brilliant forward, but he is a good, honest toiler, and he invariably does his full share of the work. Out of the sixteen matches that the All Blacks have played at Home Masters has [flayed in eleven. Probably he has played in twelve, though this i-. not certain, because the personnel of the team which met Leicestershire was not cabled. Masters apparently is standing up to the strain well. Harvey, tho other lock, has taken part in only lour matches. It was reported a week or two ago that he was suffering from tonsi litis. Of the seven tries scored for the AH Blacks Mill converted three. This is the first time that Mill has converted tries on the tour. According to the report the ground •11 Saturday was heavy. The All Blacks seem to he getting used to bad ground conditions. Such conditions troubled them rather in the earlier matches of the tour. On Wednesday the All Blacks are to Play C ambridge l’Diversity, and on Saturday they will meet London Counties. Following are the results to date of matches (with the scores of the 1905 team for purposes of comparison') played by the All Blacks:

THE RUGBY GAME. | B~ Telegraph—-Press Aasn.—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON. November s. Leicestershire beat Cambridge University by 39 points to 0. Newport beat Cardiff bv C to 8 ami Coventry beat Guy's Hospital by 31 to 'i In the county championship. ('umberland neat Lancashire by 22 to nil. THE LEAGUE GAME. SEMI-FINALS. LONDON. November 9. At Workington, in the Northern Union Yorkshire Clip semi-finals. Bat-ley beat Hull by 10 to 8. and Wakefield beat Leeds by 5 to 1. In the Lancashire Cup semi-finals, St Helena beet Barrow by 7 to 5, and Oldham beat St Helens by 16 to 9. THE ASSOCIATION GAME. ENGLAND DEFEATS IRELAND. I.ON DON. November 8. At Belfast, in be Association amateur international match, England beat Ireland by 3 goals to 2. In friendly matches, Cambridge University beat London Caledonian by -1 coals to nil, and Corinthians beat Oxford University by 3 goals to 2

1924. 190(1. Devon (W) 11_o do1 Cornwall (W) . 290 ll - 0 Somerset (W1 . 60 23--0 Gloucester (Wj (j_ -0 44--0 _3 Swansea (AY) 39--3 4... Newport (W;, 13--10 «V_ Leicestershire ( AY) 27--0 2821— -0 North Midlands (AY) 40 3 Cheshire ('A ) 1834 -0 Durham <\Y) 43 Yorkshire f\Y'i 12 t 40 — o (W'l 23 , i '(-uniherland (AY > 41 IKKLAXD (AV) G -0 15_ — ‘Ulster < AY) 28o .Void humberland (A'.') 27 4 31--0 Total 399 —l a 358 — IS Hie 1.905 team die shire. { nmberlaiid or not j>la\ Ulster. Lanca-