SCORELESS DRAW IN UNIVERSITY RUGBY TEST MATCH

Wanganui Chronicle, 30 May 1949, Page 6

SCORELESS DRAW IN UNIVERSITY RUGBY TEST MATCH

AUCKLAND, Last Night (PA).Rugby honours between the Australian and New Zealand Universities teams ended even after the third and final test match at Eden Park on Saturday which resulted in a scoreless draw. Conditions for the match could scarcely have been worse. Heavy rain, with a strong driving easterly wind leaving the ground in a waterlogged condition, although the rain eased in the second spell.

Good combined football was very difficult, and although New Zealand had the better of the game territorially the result was a just indication of the merits of the teams. Both sides went close to scoring on a few occasions and New Zealand was unlucky when J. M. Tanner, centre-three-quarter, went over the near the end in a tackle with an opponents hands round him and the ball ai he fell to touch down. From the resultant five yards scrum, Australian infringed and from a penalty by the posti G. Moore, New Zealand fullback, missed the easiest of kicks and the opportunity to win the match. The New Zealand forwards set a very fast pace in the loose from the outset, but it was apparent that the conditions would later cause a slackening off. Nevertheless there were some good forward rallies with the backs chiming in nicely on occasions in spite of being severely handicapped by the conditions. Honours in the scrums were about even, but manyerrors were made in the lineouts when players even did not attempt to take the ball cleanly. Both teams were freely penalised in the rucks, scrum sand the tight, and these breaches detracted from the general standard. The Australians were over-impetu-ous in coming round the scrums too quickly, but even so, they succeeded frequently in harassing the New Zealand inside backs. It was most unfortunate for the Australians that Emery was unable to resume after half-time because of an injury. An Australian back who caught the eye, however, was Solomon. Fast and heady, he undoubtedly would have been very dangerous on a dry ground. The Australian forwards were a better set than anticipated in allround play. Several showed exceptional speed and were quick in support, good in the loose at times, and tackled well. The New Zealand forwards were good in the loose but the team generally failed in tactics in giving the backs possession when other methods would have been beneficial. J. M. Tanner, the centre,, was the best back. The University forwards as a set did not compare too favourably with the vanguards of previous New Zealand teams.