ALL BLACKS WIN BY NARROW MARGIN

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18548, 23 August 1928, Page 1

ALL BLACKS WIN BY NARROW MARGIN

Match Against South-Western Districts Was Poor Display.

LITTLE SPARKLE ABOUT THE NEW ZEALANDERS’ DISPLAY, SAYS REPORT.

PLAYING South-Western Districts at Oudtshoorn, the All Blacks won by I‘2 points to C. It was not a spectacular gamc.

Special to Press Association. (Received August 23, 11 a.m.) OUDTSHOORN, August 22. A poor, -exhibition, of Rugby was given by the All Rlacks when they beat South Western Districts by two tries and two penalty goals (twelve points) to one try and one penalty goal (six points). There, was an attendance of 3000 and the weather was beautiful, but the ground consisted of parched j grass: | The New Zealand team was:—- [ Full back—D. F. Lindsay. I Three-quarters— O. E. Rushbrook, S ; R. Carleton. r F. W. Lucas. Five-eighths—M. F. Nicholls, N. P. M’Gregor.' Half-back.-r.W. A.; Strang. Wing-forward —G. .Scrimshaw. Forwards—J. T. Burrows, S. Hadley, R. F. Stewart. I. Harvey, R. M’Williams. P. Ward, E. Snow. The home team started off with a rush, and carried the ball to the New Zealand line, where, by great defensive work, Carleton saved a likely try. The first time that the All Black backs opened out Rushbrook beat his man and put in a fine run down the sideline until tackled by the full-back. Then the All Black forwards asserted themselves and made, things warm for their opponents with repeated efforts to get across the line. .. New Zealand were heeling the ball frequently from the scrum at this stage, and the backs and forwards were combining in telling passing movements. From a penalty to New Zealand, Lindsay goaled. New Zealand 3 South-Western 0 The New Zealand backs continued to get most of the ball, but the SouthWestern men moped quickly, and smashed the attacks. Through a clever opening by M’Gregor, the New Zealanders went away in a prettv movement which ended on the goal-line with an obstruction by a. local man, for which a penalty was given. Nicholls kicked a goal. New Zealand 6 South-Western D There were only fragments of football from then on till half-time. SECOND SPELL. The All Blarks played eight backs in the second spell, Scrimshaw going out to the wing, and Lucas playing extra centre. Nicholls started off by making a fine opening, from which Stewart scored after seven New Zealanders had handled the ball. Strang’s kick missed. New Zealand 9 South-W estern 0 An attack by the South-Western for--1 wards, and a counter drive by the New Zealanders followed. Then came some

fine work by Albertyn, which ended in Myburgh being pushed out near the twenty-five. A penalty for lifting in the scrum was awarded to the South-West-ern team, and Smuts kicked a good goal. New Zealand 9 South-Western 3 The local side began to beat the All Blacks for the ball from the scrums, and a great rally by their forwards carried play to the All Blacks’ line, where they were forced twice in succession. The New Zealanders then got to work, and threw the ball about in a care-free movement which saw Lucas tackled within a yard of the line. A spell of distractingly poor football followed, but hf’Gregor produced a gem when be cut In, dummied and sidestepped through the opposition. Only sound tackling saved a score on this occasion. Strang next sent his backs away. The ball went to M’Gregor, Nicholls and Lucas. Lucas missed his pass but picked up and more pass

ing by Nicholls, Strang and M’Gregor sent the latter over for a fine tfy. Lindsay missed the kick. New Zealand 12 Southr Western 3

Within a minute of the final whistle Badenhorst scored for South-Western in the corner from a loose rush. The final score was:— NEW ZEALAND 12 SOUTH-WESTERN 0

Taken all through, the game was a sluggish one, and probably the worst display the New Zealanders have given on the trip.

M’Gregor and Harvey, who had been out for so long, put up good performances. Nlcholla, Strang, Carleton and Lucas played reasonably well.

Rushbrook and Scrimshaw' made occasional good breaks. Lindsay had a shoulder hurt in the first spell and this plainly affected his play. Ward, Hadley, M’Williams and Snow were good in patches. There was no sparkle in the New' Zealand play. At the same time, South-Western’s fight must not be disparaged, considering that they are regarded as the weakest team in the Union. COMMENTS ON THE GAME. South-Western districts finished second to last in the Currie Cup competition last year. They must therefore be a fairly weak side, and it. was expected that the All Blacks would win substantially. However, the toufists won by a margin of only six points, the explanation given being that the}' gave their worst display of the tour, though the cabled account of the match scarcely bears out this assertion. Still it is apparent that the All Blacks did not show' their true form. Of course they did not have anything like their best team in the field, but the team that did play should have been capable of better things. Near the end of a tour a team is liable to get stale, and perhaps this trouble is beginhing -to affect the All Blacks, though some of those who. played yesterday have really had little football in South Africa. Of those who played yesterday, Lindsay, Carleton, Stewart, Hadley and M’Williams are the only members of the team who took part in the third test last Saturday. The other players are probably being spelled in view of the game with Western Province next Saturday and the fourth test the following Saturday. These are the last two matches of the tour and both promise to he hard games. Western Province have for many years been the leading Rugby province in the Union, and it is possible that they will give the All Blacks as hard a game as a South African side. In the second match of the tour the All Blacks w 7 ere beaten by Cape Town Clubs by three points to seven. This team represented the city players and the main strength of Western Province. Of course, at the time the All Blacks had not struck true form, and, if they met the same side to-day, the}' would probably win, but Western Province at full strength are almost sure to give the New Zealanders a hard tussle. The All Blacks will no doubt field their test side on Saturday. They will have a week's spell before the final test on September 1 It i» to be hoped that the injury to Lindsay will not prove serious. He would be seriously missed from the test team as full-back.

The All Blacks have now played twenty matches. They have won fifteen matches, lost- lour and drawn

one. They have scored 323 points, compared with 129 against them. The following are the results of the matches to date: Western Province (country), won 11 to 3. Cape Town Clubs, lost 3 to 7. Griqualand West, won, ID to 10. Transvaal, lost, 0 to 6. Orange Free State, won, 19 to 8. Transvaal, won, 5 to 0. Western Transvaal, won, 19 to S. Natal, won, 31 to 3. First test, lost, 0 to 17. Northern Districts, drawn, 18 to IS. Rhodesia, won, 44 to 8. Second test, won, 7 to 6. Pretoria, won, 13 to 6. Orange Free State, won, 15 to 11. North-Eastern Districts, won, 27 to 0 Border, won, 22 to 3. Border, won, 35 to 3. Eastern Province, won, 1G to 3. Third test, lost, 6 to 11. South-Western Districts, won, 12 to G.