KIMBERLEY GAME WAS POOR AFFAIR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18547, 22 August 1928, Page 12

KIMBERLEY GAME WAS POOR AFFAIR.

ALL BLACKS MEET WITH A RUN OF BAD LUCK.

(Special to the “ Star. ”) WELLINGTON. August 21. Mr G. E. Beamish, writing from Kimberley on July 8 of the match against Northern Provinces, says:Regarded in the first place as a “minor test,” the All Blacks’ match against the combined Northern Provinces’ team eventually developed into a comparatively tame affair. Those Springboks who were at first selected in t.he Northern Province side were withdrawn by the South African Selection Committee, after the first test, partly to give the players a rest and partly out of consideration for the All Blacks, who would have had to play what would have amounted to two test matches in consecutive weeks, so the team that was fielded against the All Blacks was not a strong one and should have been beaten quite easily. Nearly seven thousand people, the biggest crowd that Kimberley has ever known, turn ed out under a blazing sun to watch the match. They must have been sadly disappointed with the display, be cause, for the most part, it was distracting, the? players on both sides making many mistakes. It was a game of patches. Here and there came a flash of true football, but these flashes were few and far between. The spin of bad luck that has followed the team throughout the tour stuck to them at Kimberley, for, twenty minutes after the kick-off, Kilby had a bone in his right ankle splintered and had to be helped off the field. With the disappearance of Kilby went the slight suggestion of combination that the All Blacks bad in tho first few minutes of the game. M’Gregor went to half-back, Nicholls to first five-eighths. Sheen to second, Lucas to centre and Stewart on the wing. The back line was demoralised, and it could be plainly seen that M’Gregor was painfully slow in getting tho ball away from the scrums. Nicholls was naturally hampered, and his vis-a-vis was on him before he had time to get rid of the ball. Sheen was off colour, and Lucas rarely saw the ball. Stewart was lost among the backs. After half-time he played centre, and Lucas went back to the wing. When the ball did get as far as Stewart in passing rushes, he dropped his pass and let the opposition through. Lindsay was the only sound man among the backs.

TRIES SHOW WEAKNESS. Strangely enough, all the tries scored were brilliant as a spectacle, but they showed up the many weaknesses. The first one came from an interception. The ball travelled along the chain of All Black backs to Sheen. He made a half-hearted attempt to run, then sent on to Lucas. But Todd, the fast winger, was waiting for an interception and got away with it. Racing for the goal line in full cry, he left the All Black backs standing. With only Lindsay to beat, he made a fine sidestep going at top and scored between the posts. Three points came to New Zealand from Lindsay’s boot in the next few minutes. Then came a sparkling try. Ten yards out from the goal line and five yards out from the touch line, a scrum was put down. Hore and Hadley did their job. Rushbrook shot from the wing to first five-eighths to make the extra man and took Kilby’s pass going at top. He saw an opening, beat two men and dived over the line for a fine try. To Northern Province went the next try. Fellows-Smith worked the blind side from a scrum and Dobie, the solid Transvaal centre, swerved past Lucas and Lindsay for a fine try. The All Blacks’ defence had been caught having forty winks. Nicholls, playing better football than he had done in the first half, made an opening characteristic of the player. He drew his man, cut in and sent Ward away. Down the line raced Ward with Lucas waiting for the pass on the outside, but the pass never came. Ward was tackled ball and all and with that bloomer went a certain try. BEST TRY OF TOUR. Later came the best try of the tour. Taking a high punt in his stride, Lindsay ran up to the three-quarter line to send Stewart away. Rushbrook took t.he pass at half-way when going all out. Two men attempted to tackle him, but he mowed them down. On he raced like a greyhound and the rest of the Northern backs could get nowhere near him. Liebcnberg came hard across from the other wing as he crossed the line land Rushbrook got a slight concussion, after he had scored the finest try so far on the tour. A magnificent drop-kick by Lindsay came a few minutes later. He took a clearing kick near half-way and with plenty of room to work in, he took careftil aim and let drive. The ball soared high in the air £nd came down squarely between the posts. That goal gave New Zealand the lead and also inspired the northerners to do better things. Just before the final whistle, Fellows-Smith sent Francis away. Todd was next to receive and, racing past Stewart, he had a clear run in. It was a good try.

FORWARDS BEATEN. For a start the All Black forwards went well, getting a three to one possession from the scrums. Then the northerners changed their formation, and the result was that they got the rest of the scrums in the first half. In t.he second half they continued to win the majority, but the All Blacks finished up by winning the ball in the last quarter of an hour. There were few decisive line-outs, and the northerners, to the surprise and chagrin of the New Zealand supporters, won as many as the All Blacks. The man that stood out among the All Blacks’ forwards was Hadley, and M’Williams, although he was heavy with influenza, played a good game. The rest were spasmodic. The outstanding man among the Northern forwards was Potgieter, the only test player on the side. He scored a comical try, but was “ a mile ” offside, and the try was disallowed. From a melee on our goal line, M’Gregor kicked the ball downfield. Their fullback booted it into the pack again, and Potgieter snapped it up, made a brilliant effort, and with a beautiful swallow-dive got over. It was one of the brightest gems of a drab match. Still the All Blacks cannot strike form. Everything seems to go against them. At the same time, in this match, it must be remembered that the majority of the players had not played for at least three weeks. Some had been down with influenza and some with injuries. Several had not been able to practice, so that there was little chance of them showing their true form. M'Gregor seems to be getting as unlucky as Harvey, for in this match he was again badly hurt in the second spell. It was found that he had torn a cartilage in his knee. This happened when he had only just fully recovered from the injury to his back which he got in the first match at Cape Town; following that he had the same spot hurt at Kroonstad. Yesterday’s match was M’Gregor’s first for a month. |any reduction to consumers?