1905 AND 1924 ALL BLACKS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 204, 31 August 1935, Page 4

1905 AND 1924 ALL BLACKS

TUSSLE AGAINST ENGLAND IN THE MUD PORTER HAS CLOSE CALL AT LLANELLY

England was outclassed and outmanoeuvred by the 1905 All Blacks in a match which ended in New Zealand’s favour by 15 points to nil. McGregor scored four tries and Newton one. “As so often happens when expectation is screwed up to the top-moat pitch, only to be disappointed in the actual realisation, and long-looked for Rugby international encounter between England and New Zealand must have fallen considerably short of the anticipations cf t'he majority of the 50,000 spectators who filled the Crystal Palace enclosure,” wrote J. A. Buttery after the match. “Everyone had come in tho sanguine hope of witnessing not a game of Rugby as played on the stereotyped, depressing lines with which English crowds have, unfortunately, been so long afflicted, but a display of football pyrotechnics of which the weird, mysterious All Blacks would be the meteors and the Englishmen merely the stars. They had read and heard so much of Hunter’s cuts through seemingly impossible hordes of foes, c>f Gallaher’s eel-like wriggles round the scrum, of Robert’s dazzling feints at half, of the glum velocity of the lion-hearted Wallace, and the terrify; bursts of speed with which McGregor and the other backs paralysed their opponents—to say nothing cf the revolutionary methods of their scrum —that they streamed down to the ground prepared for a bewildering series of sensations, for shock upc-n shock of unconventional delight. “ But the game had not been going a minute before it was clear that tho state of the ground was against fireworks. The players slid about as if on

ice, the wet ball slipped through their hands with exasperating regularity, pusses went forward or away, while the floundering footwork was mainly a matter of chance. The New Zealand flying three-quartera, some of whom are reputed to bo able to run one hundred yards in a little over ten seconds, took nearly half that time to get going in the slush, and even when under way, the devastating swerve at full tilt, which has pierced so many defences up and down the country, became impossible of execution on the treacherous ground, as an attempt to change the feet immediately brought disaster to tho fworver. The game Consequently lost much of its expected openness and brightness. McGregor was the hero of the match, just as he was the hero of the last match played between New Zealand and England in the Colony. He scored tho two winning tries on that occasiojj in the last few minutes of the game, hut on this occasion he went two better. It was a remarkable testimony to the strength of the New Zealand team to know that, nut for Smith’s injury at Limerick, AlcGregor would not have been playing as Wallace, Deans and Smith was the pre-concerned three-quarter line, Roberts. the New Zealand half, instead of passing out to his live-eighths or threequarters from the sfcrum, would merely feint that way. but directly he had got the English defence on the move, would pass like lightning in the other dircc-

tion, with the result that one or other of his backs, rushing up, would find an opening. It was this apparently simple trick that led to tho first three New Zealand tries, Itoberts initiating the movement twice and Gallaher once. McGregor was tho wiating, unmarked, three-quarter on each occasion, and he had little else to do but turn on top speed and gallop over before the discomfited English defence, veering away from him. had realised the quick change and could alter their feet. The place kicking was ineffectual. Walace, after failing thrice, gave way to Dea no and Gillett, who, however, did no better, which was not to be wondered at, considering the heavy,, greasy bail. When the final whistle blew the whole thirty players, English and New Zealanders alike, were “all black.” The New Zealand team was: Gillett; McGregor, Deans and Wallace; Stead and Hunter; Roberts; O’Sullivan, Tyler, Casey, New!on, Glasgow, McDonald, Seeling and Gallaher. Defeat of Cheltenham. Immediately following theit match against England, Gallaher’s team played and defeated Cheltenham by 18 points to nil. It was a bright, sporting game, the opposing side playing a type of Rugby approaching that of the All Blacks themselves. There was very little scrum work, and the ball came out into the open a good deal. Both packs broke up smartly and fanned out over the ground like backs. Instead of finding touch, each side kept playing the three-quarter line up to it. It was ’X one of the best ga aes played during the season and delighted the 12,000 spectators. . . . There was a strong representation of ’Varsity players in the Cheltenham team . . . New Zealand did not field the crack team, Smith, Wallace, Hunter, Stead, Gillett aud Seeling being onlookers. Deans and Mynott played in the five-eighth line, and the three-quarter line was Harper, McGregor and Abbott. Abbott scored three of the four tries scored by tho All Blacks and Roberts the other. Harper kicked three magnificent goals from out near teach. Llanelly Extends Porter’s Team Hollowing their encounter with Wales the 1924-25 team played Llanelly and won a hard match by eight points to ] three. McGregor and Nicholls were unable to play on account of having contracted colds tho Saturday before, and Cooke was on the field in spite of doctor’s orders to stand down. The rest of the team was feeling the effects of the Welsh test. There were some 2000 spectators, and, in accord with Welsh custom, started singing before the match started. New Zealand attacked at the beginning, and twice made Llanelly force. A screw kick came to Hart, and ho raced for fully 60 yards, with . the whole Llanelly team in pursuit and scored between the posts. Nepia con- ’ verted and the All Blacks led by five to nil. ” M. Brownlie started the move which brought the next try. He picked up from a ruck and transferred to Irvine, to I’acwai, to Dailey, to Svenson, who scored in the corner. Nepia failed to goal. Borno minutes before half-time Llanelly was awarded a try which was scored under peculiar circumstances. The ball had been kicked out, and while the teams were forming up opposite the touch-judge and waiting for Finch, the Llanelly three-quarter who went for the ball, to bring it back, one of the Llanelly forwards went to meet him. They ignored the line-out and had a throwin ou their own four yards away, and the forward accepted the ball, transferred it back to Finch, who waltzed over the line. As he did do the touchjudge brought down his Hag. The crowd went mad! There was no score in the second spell, a great battle ensuing between tho two packs. Llanelly attacked with greater vigour than ever, and undoubtedly had the best of tho game from a /territorial aspect. They fought like ligers for every inch of the field, and Nepia and Dailey put up with a groat gruelling, going down bravely to every rush. It was that rock like defence which kept Llanelly at bay, and when the match was over a record had been established—this was tho first touring team to get through Wales without defeat. Tho New Zealand team was; Nepia; Hart, Brown, Svenson; Paewa\ Cooke; Dailey; Porter, .Irvine, McCleary, Mas* liters, M. Brownlie, C. Brownlie, Richardson, Cuppies. Defeat of East Midlands Porter’s team defeated East Midlands, tho twenty-third match of the tour, by 31 to 7. Tho weather was gloriously fine, but th© New Zealanders were not at their best. East Midlands had a greater share of the ball than the score would indicate, and the losers’ forwards, although beaten in the tight play, were dangerous in the loose. In the second spell, however. East Midlands found the pace too fast and faded out of tho picture. The first score was registered by East Midlands eight minutes after a ball being kicked past Nepia into the New Zealand goal, Jones, one of the I home five-eighths, racing over to fall |on it and score. Steel and C. Brownlie scored just before half-time and Nepia converted once, making tho score at the interval.—New Zealand 8, East Mid lands 3. New Zealand had the upper hand in the second spell. Steel scored two tries, Brownlie, Brown and Cooke one each. Nepia kicked four conversions. East Midlands increased their score by four points, Jones landing a goal from the field. Tho New Zealand team was: Nepia; Lucas, Brown, Steel; Cooko and McGregor; Mill; Porter; Donald, Irvine, Masters, Richardson, C. Brownlie, Cup pies and Parker. —“Cross-bar.” V. (To be continued next week''.