1905 AND 1924 ALL BLACKS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 198, 24 August 1935, Page 4

1905 AND 1924 ALL BLACKS

GALLAHERS MEN AGAINST VIRILE IRELAND 1 DEFEAT OF WALES BY PORTERS TEAM IN 1924

The 1905 All Blacks followed up their victory against Scotland by a win of 22 to nil against West Scotland in a match played at Glasgow ou November 22, four days later. It was not an interesting encounter and the crowd of approximately 22,000 came away with a sense of disappointment. The Scottish pack, remembering what had happened in the tussle at Edinburgh, set out with the object of keeping the ball tight. They succeeded for a time, but as strength spent itself up against the fitter and more co-operative side, the New Zealand backs came into the picture, and the second spell gave the Colonials absolute mastery. .McGregor scored two tries, Smith, Roberts, Mynott and Seeling one each. Wallace kicked two conversions. The New Zealand team was: Wallace; McGregor, Smith and Harper; Mynott and Stead; Roberts; Gillett, Glasgow, Tyler. Seeling, Johnston, Glenn, McDonald and y Newton. Great Match Against Ireland New Zealand defeated Ireland in 1905 by 15 points to nil, the winners scoring three tries, all of which were converted by Wallace. Ireland offered great resistance to the visitors, especially in the first half-hour, and the All Blacks were hard put to it to stop the brilliant rushes of the green forwards. A typically Celtic crowd, whipped into a frenzy of excitement, stirred the Irish team to great efforts. For the first 30 minutes Ruberts, at the base of the New Zealand scrum, hardly saw the ball, and on the rare occasions that he did get it the greens swarmed over the inside backs before they had a chance to do anything. “These All Blacks were not such terrible fellows after all, vhcu properly tackled,” wrote J. A But trey, giving au impression of the first 30 miuut’cs of that memorable match. Their wizardry was all very well when opposed to orthodox mediocrity, as had been the case in England and Scotland, but the Irish footballer, with the native genius of his race, had found a vulnerable spot in the New Zealand armour and it really did seem as if the Colonial cleverness would be overwhelmed by Irish vigour and dash. But, as the sequel showed, there may have been as much guile in the New Zealand tactics. They made only spasmodic efforts to force the game. All those efforts were made by. the other side! “Were the All Blacks purposely giving full rein to Celtic impetuosity in l the hope that, sooner or later, it would be spent? But as half-time drew nearer and nearer, and the Irishmen still kept up the aggressive, All Black faces began to take on an anxious, worried look. Those devils in green jerseys showed no sign of flagging and half-time was only eight minutes off. Then, almost quicker than the eye could follow, came the turning point. Roberts broke away and drew two green jerseys on to him and passed to Hunter, who ran straight for Lauders (full-back), head down, as though to forge his way through with that one irresistible rush which has made him famous in two hemispheres. Landers, who, throughout, had played a magnificent 'game, seized his man and the crowd shrieked as the two crashed in collision. Yes; Landers had stopped Hunter but where was the ball? The wily New Zealander, in the last fraction of a second before the impact, had deftly transferred to Deans, racing up behind, and before Hunter and Landers had stopped rolling, or the crowd had had time to change its note. Deans had got over. First blood to the All Blacks 32 minutes after the kick off. Wallace made no mistake with the kick and the score at, the interval was five to nil iu favour of New Zealand.” The Tide Turns. The tide which, up till then, had been almost entirely in favour of Ireland, began to turn. Roberts, Hunter and Deans combined nicely again for tho three-quarter to register another try,

which Wallaco converted. The Irish forwards began to tire, and the All Blacks to improve in xim and determination. “It. was about, this stage that the crowd had the first and only glimpse of what Hunter is like at his best,” reported one writer after the match. “Picking up at about; half-way, he threaded a dazzling diagonal course through at. least a dozen opponents without check, and it was only a supreme effort by Landers that eventually thrust him and Smith into touch. ‘Greased lightning isn’t in it,’ said an enthusiastic Irishman, and the crowd simply rose at the brilliant little eighth. It was the only Hunterian flash of the match, but, nevertheless, it was the main topic of conversation in Dublin <"1 -ior’’*-.”

McDonald scored tho third New land try, which Wallace converted, making the final score: New Zealand 15, Ireland 0. Defeat of Munster - 1 The 1905 All Blacks’ twenty-third match was against Munster. It was won by the Colonials by 33 to niL Ab-. bott scored three tries, Glasgow, Roberts, Stead, McGregor and Booth one each. Glasgow kicked three conversions and a penalty. As a matter of fact, the Press headed the match afterwards as “Abbott’s and Glasgow’s.” “Loyalist and Nationalist turned out alike to meet the New Zealanders at the railway station at Limerick on their arrival ■ from Dublin,” stated one report. “The match, however, might well have been left out of their programme. First, because, they could have done with a week’s respite in view of the international match against England some four days later, and secondly because the Munster side was not nearly strong enough to test the best in the visitors. The Band of the Northumberland Fusiliers played the team on the field with “The March of the Gladiators.” The Irish side was played on to the tune of “St. Patrick’s Day.** Roberts was injured in this match, and Booth, who was at full-back, came up and played half, and scored his try when in that position. Defeat of Cardiff in 1924 Porter’s crack side of 1924 continued its winning way against Cardiff, ou November 22, a crowd of 40,000 a 1 tending at the Cardiff Arms Park and packing it to such an extent that there wasn’t room for a child left. Before the match the team was taken to the Council Chamber and there saw the jersey Bob Deans had worn in that epic struggle against Wales in 1905. Grim, forwards battled in. the match between tho New Zealanders and Cardiff and there was very little back play. Tho home team had the vim to attack solidly for long periods at a but it lacked finish in the face of New Zealand’s defence. New Zealand actually won more scrums than the opposition, but O’Leary, a roving forward, played a definite wing-for-ward game, pouncing on the All Black half time after time. Nicholls scored the first points with a penalty. Lucas and White scored a try each before I half-time and Nicholls, converting the second one, made tho score 11 to nil at the interval. Porter scored almost immediately after play was resumed and Nicholls converted, making the Now Zealand score 16. Instead of losing heart the Cardiff team awakened to new vigour, and tho forwards pressed heavily on the All Black line. Well on in th© spell Cardiff was awarded a penalty which Wallace used to good effect. From then on the New Zealanders had to stand up to a continual barrage of attack by the forwards. White carried ou under difficulties, having suffered an injured shoulder, which had fated him. leaving the field for a t!m»-T Delahay scored Cardiffs’ only try, “dummying” hig way to that reward. Wallace converted and the game ended some ten minutes later with the scores: New Zealand 16, Cardiff 8. It was in this match that the New Zealanders received their first taste of a Welsh crowd inspired sufficiently to sing the national song: ‘‘Land of my Fathers.” Memories came down the wind with that song—memories of the most famous match ever played on a Rugby field. The All Black team which defeated Cardiff in 1924 was: Nepia; Svensou, Brown and Lucas; Nicholls and Cooke; Mill; Porter; Parker, Donald, Irvine, M. Brownlie, Masters, Richardson and White. 1965 "Defeat” Avenged Such was the memory of the defeat New Zealand suffered in 1905 at the hands of Wales, that the match the 1924 side played against that team was considered to bo of sufficient importance for the Premier of the Dominion, the late Mr. W. F. Massey, to forward a cable to Porter’s men in the following terms: “New Zealand sonde ita AH Blacks best wishes for to-morrow’s great contest. Whatever the result we are confident that it will be received by both sides in tho best of British sportsmanship. Kia kaha, kia toa, kia ora. (Signed) W. F. Massey, Premier.” But the Wales of 1924, apparently, was not tho Wales of 1905. The 1924 Xll Blacks won convincingly by 19 nil. White was not able to play, an.' tho choice of half back was left until the morning of the match, Mill being ready to go in on a fine day, or Dailey if it was wet. MMI got lhe job—but it rained before lhe gaiuo ended. Gates were closed at 2t15 and there wasn’t standing room on the ground. Fiftylive thousand people had gathered to see th© match, and they sang various Welsh numbers, including “Cwm Rhondda” and “Aberystwyth.” The Welsh captain held the game up for a time while he inspected four balls which were thrown on to the field for use, rejecting them one after the other. Wales attacked from the kickoff, but. New Zealand gradually assumed the Upper hand and at halftime led by 11 to 0. M. Brownlie dragged two Welshmen over the line to score the first try. Nicholls converted. Nicholls kicked a penalty and. six minutes before time, Irviue scored an unconverted try. Wales lost Wetter. the captain, for a good portion of the first spell. Ho collided with Nepia. Ho returned in the second half, but was very groggy. Splendid passing by the New Zealand backs resulted in Svenson scoring. The final try was scored by Irvine, who topped off a lengthof-the-field dribbling rush. Nicholls’ converting kick made the final score: New Zealand 19, Wales 0. The New Zealand team was: Nepia; Stool, Cooke, Svenson; Nicholls and McGregor: Mill; Parker; Irvine, Donald, Al. Brownlie. Masters, Richardson. C. Brownlie and Cuppies. (To bc continued next week.) .“CKOSS-BAK.” 4