Fists Swing In Match Between All Blacks And Transvaal And The Crowd Throws Bottles

Wanganui Chronicle, 25 July 1949, Page 4

Fists Swing In Match Between All Blacks And Transvaal And The Crowd Throws Bottles

N.Z. Forwards, Beaten For The Ball, Play Well In Loose And Seize Opportunities

(From Claude King, Special N.Z.P.A. Correspondent) JOIIANNESBI KG, July 23 (Rec. 6 pm).—Maintaining their greatly improved form, the All Blacks defeated a powerful Transvaal team today by 13 points (three tries two converted) to three points (a penalty goal). Ihe match was one of the most fiercely-contested of the tour, and led to an incident almost unparalleled in the history of games between the two countries. Terrific clashes were seen between two very lively sets of forwards, and when an All Black was penalised for swinging his fists a section of the crowd became uncontrollable and hurled hotties on to the field of play and booed for some time. The match was held up for several minutes while bottles were removed. Later, Conrad and Johnstone fell heavily to the ground in a melee as the result of being on the receiving end of swinging fists and Transvaal were penalised, but a stoney silence prevailed on this occasion.

Despite the rugged nature of the football, the players immediately congratulated each other at the final whistle, a spirit of true sportsmanship which was at least appreciated by most of the crowd. Brilliant weather, comparable with a New Zealand summer's day. prevailed and the largest crowd of the tour, estimated at nearly 50,000, presented a colourful spectacle The line umpires were dressed in cream flannels.

' There was one change in the New : Zealand team. Crowley was not at his 1 best after having a tooth extracted and McNab replaced him. The Transvaal team went out in high hopes of victory. This is one of the strongest sides in the country, the only team to have lowered its colours being Northern Transvaal. Due to the excellent hooking of the veteran Lotz, some tine lineout play by Du Plessis and Dannhauser, Transvaal had almost a two to one advantage in possession. They won 25 scrums to 14 and 20 lineouts to 12, but while the backs teamed nicely in some good movements they showed the same weakness of all South African sides, including the Test team, of overkicking, and fumbling also robbed them of some likely chances. Any team which cannot turn such possession to advantage does not deserve to win. CLEVER OPPORTUNISM. In the absence of quick possession, which had been a feature of recent games, the All Blacks resorted to a style of Rugby in which they have excelled in the past but have not used much on this tour, namely, clever opportunism. The great mobility of the forwards paved the way for this. It would have done the hearts of New Zealanders at home good to see the way Simpson, Dalton, Frazer, Johnston. and McNab tore on to the opposition when errors occurred. Dalton scored the first try of the match following a dribbling rush in which he wts prominent ,and later he led a grlat dribbling rush from a lineout. His form showed a big improvement and he must come into the reckoning for future tests.

Simpson roused the crowd by the manner in which he scored. He snapped the ball up when it rolled loose from a lineout in the Transvaal twenty-five and bullocked down the sideline with such purpose that two tacklers went sprawling while he went over for a try at a corner. The All Blacks’ other try came from clever opportunism. Transvaal secured in a lineout at halfway and fed their backs, but McNab and Johnstone forced them into errors, kicked ahead and when the full-back fumbled Black was handy to kick over the line and score. SCOTT SUPERB. Scott’s superb display, the solid defence of the All Black backs, and the manner in which the forwards matched one of the finest packs in South Africa left no doubt in the minds of the big crowd that the All Blacks are a real force to be reckoned with, particularly as today's team was not the strongest the tourists can field. Transvaalers saw the All Blacks play one very poor game and many could not credit the great improvement effected.

Scott played a really magnificent game. He never fumbled the ball, gained huge stretches of ground with his line-kicks, and also place-kicked with better judgment. One of his lineI kicks was outstanding. Fielding the ball inside his own twenty-five he left-footed to put the ball out on the full at the Transvaal twenty-five. The ball must have travelled fully 80 yards. His perfect positional play made several otherwise useful short kicks through by the Transvaal backs look most unwise. The New Zealand three-quarters had few opportunities. The ball rarely got past Gudsell, who was most closely marked by his opposite and was given Uttle latitude. BLACK’S SPARKLING GAME. Black played a sparkling game. His chances were limited but he moved fast, and showed a fine sense of opportunism. He also cover grandly, twice extricating his side from awkward situations. Conrad had a torrid time behind the scrum, but stood up to his task well. He stopped one of the heaviest blows of the match in the second spell and wobbled about on palsied legs for some time* afterwards. All the forwards deserve the highest. praise for their great performance, and one Johannesburg evening newspaper carried the headlines: “Mobility of New Zealand forwards triumphs over Lotz's hooking.” The only disappointing aspect was ’ the manner in which they were I ’ beaten in the line-outs. Against the best South African sides it is essential I: to have Grant in the team as few op-1 1 ponents have excelled his high jump- ‘' ing :

Scott kicked off for Now Zealand. From the first lineout, all the Transvaal backs handled in a fine movement and Badenhorst fended off Botliijg, but the latter recovered and pushed him into touch. Transvaal never later equalised this rush for its luick combination and thrust.

ROBUST FORWARD RUSHES. The All Black forwards, with Dalton- Frazer and Simpson prominent, made some robust rushes in the loose and the game was only three minutes old when they smashed their way over the line, Dalton scoring. Scott’s kick hit an upright. Immediately afterwards Black made a nice break, and kicked high but the New Zea-

' land forwards knocked the ball on. 5 Then Scott came up into a passing j rush but failed to hold the ball and ' from the resulting scrum Transvaal ! cleared. A lineout followed at half--1 way which saw bad fumbling by the ’ Transvaal backs and Black’s clever opportunist try. Scott converted and the All Blacks were eight points up in as many minutes. A scrum followed the kick-off at half-way. Th,e All Blacks were penalised and a roar went up from the crowd as Geffin, the hero of the first Test, took a long . shot at goal but the ball fell outside the posts, Scott forcing. The football was fast and spectacular at this stage. When a passing movement broke down at Gudsell, Black was handy to secure and break through, linking up with Meates, who was checked in the Transvaal twentyfive. With George Muller, the Transvaal half, getting plenty of the ball, the home backs had plenty of chances, but they invariably kicked right into the hands 6f Scott. Muller then elected to go on his own and proved very elusive. However, the All Blacks’ defence was equal to most tests. A good Transvaal movement went out to Kotze, but he knocked on. GUDSELL HEAVILY TACKLED. Later Gudsell went down to the ground in a terrific tackle and Transvaal set up a rush, but the forwards j knocked on in a handy position. Gudsell retired for a few minutes to receive attention from the sideline. He I was facing some of the best tackling seen on the tour. In loose play Elvidge snapped up a rolling ball and made a grand penetrating run. Fending off two opponents he sent on to Meates, who was at centre now that Gudsell was off the field. Botting then received and swung the ball infield. Conrad and Black joined in and Meates came again into the play to have a pot at goal which went low. Transvaal cleared to Scott who had a long pot which was a fine attempt, but the ball fell short In the last few minutes of this spell Transvaal attacked hotly and were right on the New Zealand line when the whistle went

Wild passing by the New Zealand forwards following the resumption saw Transvaal press hotly Elvidge's kick was charged down and Scott was then caught. Lotz won the ensuing scrum but Black cleared brilliantly when the inside Transvaal backs kicked ahead. In a subsequent scrum New Zealand was penalised and Geffin goaled from wide out on the twentyfive. A scrum at halfway followed the kick-off and New Zealand backs handled for Elvidge to short punt through and catch the opposition in an awkward position, .but a defender came across to boot the ball into touch. From a lineout Conrad sent to Black, who short punted. Badenhorst. cleverly side-stenped the fast following up of the New Zealand backs and shot down the centre of the field He punted over Scott's head, but Meates came back to save,

DALTON’S BREAK THROUGH. > A brilliant break through from a I lineout by Dalton put New Zea’and on ■ attack, but from a scrum a pass by 1 Conrad went astray and Malan led > Transvaal in a raking loose rush which saw the New Zealand defence again sorely tested, but prove equal to the task. Transvaal now had a long period on attack and exchanges in the forwards became willing In one ruck an All Black was seen to emerge with his fists flying Tills led to an extraordinary scene in which a section of the crowd hurled bottles on to the field and Geflin missed a penalty shot at goal Transvaal kept up the pressure but I welcome relief came to New Zealand |in improved scrummaging. Conrad freouently sending the ball right back Ito Scott, who gained a lot of ground 1 with line-kicks Not to be denied, ' Transvaal again attacked and from a I scrum on the line George Muller appeared to cross the All Black's line but lost the ba l !. Back went the AU Blacks and from a lineout in the Transvaal twenty-five. Simpson secured, barged up the sideline and hurled ! himself over at a corner for Scott to convert with a great kick. The match was now certain to end in victory for the All Blacks, but before* the final whistle blew Johnstone and Conrad were out for a few moments, having got in the road of flying fists. The final incident was Scott’s brilliant clearance from his twenty-five to the opposing twenty-five, and th" match ended on a fine note when, a' the final whistle, both teams accorded each other hearty congratulations.