ANOTHER HOLLOW WIN.

Wairarapa Age, 19 December 1924, Page 5

ANOTHER HOLLOW WIN.

ALL BLACKS BEAT HAMPSHIRE BY 22 TO 0. LONDON, Dec. 17.—The All Blacks defeated Hampshire by 22 points to 0. The match was played on the Association ground- at Portsmouth before a crowd of 15,000, which encroached within five yards of the line. The New Zealand Team. The New Zealand team was:— Nepia Hart Lucas Svenson Cooke McGregor Mill Parker - Irvine Donald Harvey M. Brownlie ' West White Cuppies v Making a Hot Pace. The All Blacks lost no time in penetrating Hampshire’s territory, setting up a hot attack on the home team’s line right from Parker’s kick-off. Twice McGregor nullified chances of scoring by dropping passes, and it was not long before the Hampshire forwards spiritedly took up the challenge and carried play on. to the AH Blacks’ line. Twice Mill relieved critical situations by finding the line wth long kicks. A Dour, Dogged Struggle. After these early exchanges of desperate attacks had died down, play became slower, mainly owing to the heaviness of the ground, and resolved itself into a dour, dogged struggle between the packs of forwards. In. the first half of the spell Hampshire easily held their own, and in several attacking movements the old international half, Kershaw, was conspicuous. Nepia was equal to all tests in defence. A Try for Donald. After half an. hour’s play Mill set the New Zealand backs in. motion, and the ball went out to Svenson, who passed in to Donald, and the All Black hooker got over. Nepia failed to convert. Just before the interval Cooke and Parker figured in a brilliant dribbling rush, and the former crowned a splendid effort with a try, which White converted. The score at half-time was New Zealand .. 8Hampshire 0 So far play had not been brilliant as a whole, but very hard and very close. On resuming after the, spell, Hampshire made two splendid attacks, which reached right to the New Zealanders’ lino, but Cooke broke through the attack and dribbled 50 yards down-field to the centre, with the result that McGregor scored in a good position, but White failed to convert. New Zealand .. .. .. .. 11 Hampshire 0 Fog Spoils Game. The New Zealanders’ combination began to assert itself, and. Cooke narrowly missed in an attempt to dropkick a goal. Hampshire’s forwards were penalised for being joffside, and Nepia kicked a magnificent, goal almost from the touch-line. New Zealand 14 Hampshire 0 At this stage of the game a heavy fog enveloped the ground, and it became most difficult to distinguish the players. The game, however, continued to be fought out on Hampshire’s line, where Mill, by a swift pass on the blind side of the scrum, enabled Svenson to score in the corner. Nepia failed to add the extra points. New Zealand 17 Hampshire 0 Ball Lost in Fog.

The next score was the result of a delightful intarchange of passing between Mill, McGregor and Svenson, from which McGregor scored his second try, and Nepia kicked an excellent goal. New Zealand ..22 Hampshire 0

Towards the close of the game the fog increased, and it became quite impossible to pick out the players, while the ball was lost’ several times, and momentarily held the game up. There .was no further score, the game ending in favour of the visitors as follows: — New Zealand .. .... .. 22 Hampshire 0