OUTDOOR SPORT.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15834, 3 June 1919, Page 8

OUTDOOR SPORT.

RUGBY FOOTBALL. FINAL FOR KING’S CUP, NL.v ZEALAND’S VICTORY OVER UNijiAND. New Zealand has won the Inter-Ser-yices’ Tournament. In a game at Twickenham yesterday (says the Times, of April 17), before about 10,000 people, who included the Prince of »» ales and Mr Massey, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, the “All Blacks” XV. beat the Mother Country by a penalty goal and two tries (9 points) to a penalty goal (3 points). This is the second occasion on which these two representative sides have met. On April 5, at Inverleith, New Zealand won a very tough game by a narrow margin, but on the following Wednesday, at Bradford, were themselves defeated by the Australian team. Thus New Zealand and the Mother Country, having each lost one game, had to ploy each other again for two reasons. The King had presented a cup for the winners of the Inter-Services competition, and it had been arranged also that the winners should meet an international French team next Saturday. The majority of the spectators yesterday were soldiers, most of them New Zealand soldiers, and they foUowed the game with such enthusiasm thajfc the big stands rocked with their cheers. And the New Zealand team deserved their enthusiasm, for when at half-time they ■•eemed certain to be beaten, they pulled themselves together and eventually won the game by sheer hard work and determination. They are a team of splendid physique, and every man of them in tip-top training. Their forwards are magnificent in the sheer riot of the loose scrummage, a little clumsy with their feet, but clever with their bands. Behind the scrummage the team has weak spots in attack, but every man knows how to tackle, and does it with his whole heart and strength. The weakness in attack is at half and five-eights, but this is balanced by the fact that their wing three-quarters, P. Storey and W. F, Ford, are players of genius. But the great strength is at forward, and no team taking part in the competition except Australia has been able to hold them there. New Zealand thoroughly deserved to win. Tenth, hard training, and hard scrummaging rather than exceeding skill have won them their position at the head of the Services competition. In skill they do not compare with the famous “All Blacks” team which revolutionised Rugby football in this country a dozen years ago. Some of their forwards are really great players, including Beiliss, Wilson, Hazell, and Kissick. Beiliss is the best of them in the scrummage, and Wilson in the open. Singe, the wing forward—really better described as a scrummage half-back—is the finest spoiler of open play who has been seen on a football field. Although Pillman manfully tried to check him he smothered practically every attempt of the British half-backs to open up the play from the base of the scrummage. And he was equally good at offensive play, not only in diving for the line, but in swinging the ball clear to his backs from the toes of the opposing forwards. Of Ford something has been said before, and the other wing. Storey, fails little behind him in football quality. Of the British side it must be said that they were beaten by the better side on the day’s play. As indicated, they were overwhelmed at forward. The British forwards could not stay the pace; they' lacked the necessary youth. This ends the Services competition, with New Zealand at the head, and the Mother Country second. It -was an admirably conceived series which will do much to popularise the great game in this country. And no thinking man can deny the value of healthy rivalry in sport between the centre and wings of the Empire. The sides in yesterday’s match were: ’Mother Country.—Major B. S. Cumberlege, back; Lieutenant J. N. Dickson, Captain W. J. Cullen, Lieutenant E. C. Pickles, and Major A. T. Sloan, threequarter backs; Lieutenant C. Lewis and Captain J. A. Pym, half-backs; Lieu-tenant-Colonel L. G. Brown, Captain C. M. Usher, Captain the Rev. W. T. Havard, Captain E. A. Gallie, Major H. B. Moore, Major P, H. Lawless, Captain C. H. Pillman, and Company SergeantMajor Jones, forwards. New Zealand.—J. O’Brien, back; P. Storey, J. Stohr, and J. Ford, threequarter backs; J. Eyan and W. Fea, five-eights; C. Brown, half-back; M, Cain, E. Hassell, J. Moffatt, J. Kissick, A. Wilson, E. Beiliss, A. West, and A. Singe (wing), forwards. So well did their forwards play yfsterday that never once during the whole game did the home three-quarter backs get the ball from a direct heel-out from the scrummage. The home forwards were beaten from the very start by their and overwhelmed before the finish. It was a rare, old-fashioned game, which might well have been played before the four three-quarter hacks or the five-eighths systems were dreamt of. The wind directed the play. It was blowing directly down the ground, and in the first half New Zealand had the advantage of it. The team went off with a fine burst, as if they would win the match out of hand. O’Brien, at full-back, and Stohr, at centre threequarter, punting high into touch on several occasions, kept the play near the home lines. Twice relief came through admirable play by Cullen and Sloan. Each of them, picking up in the loose, tore through the New Zealand defence, and was only brought down in the New Zealand “25.” Once the game was transferred the length of the ground by a bad mull by Cumberlege, and fjrom this time onward Cumberlege was always very uncertain in his play. But he made amends by kicking a penalty goal, taken fairly wide out against a strong wind, and gave the home countriea the lead, undeserved on the play, 20 minutes from the start. From thence to half-time the game was in the home half, and was spoilt by the very many penalties given to each team for “feet up” amd “off side.” The referee, Mr* Carver, was very strict, and rightly so, in so important a game. As New Zealand was playing with the strong wind, these penalties were exoep-

tionally dangerous for the home side, ■and from one of several he took Stohr landed a goal. This brought the scores level, and-level they remained until halftime. But it was only by the most strenuous work of the British team that the New Zealanders were kept out. Several times their burly forwards, especially Singe, the wing forward, hurled themselves for the line in the loose, and "five-yard” scrummages were too frequent for British comfort. As they held their own playing against the wind' in the first half, it was generally anticipated that the home side would win. The home backs so far had been given no real chance, and in them the real strength of the team lay. But, unfortunately, their' chance never came. They were henceforward occupied with desperate defence. The British forwards had had such a gruelling in the first half that they failed utterly/to stay the course. New Zealand played just the right game in the circumstances. They rushed, sometimes with the hall at their feet," more often with the ball in their hands. Gradually they wore down the British forwards, and the longer the game went en the greater their superiority. Now and then the ball would clear enough for Lewis, Cullen, or Pickles to find touch midway, but either from lineout or succeeding scrummage the New Zealand forwards would rush back. Twice during the half Lewis picked up in the loose and got his line moving at top speed, and in these movements, Cullen, Pickles and Sloan did excellent work. But the New Zealand hacks tackled well, and neither of the two movements led to a score. Relief to New Zealand on these occasions was brought by Ford, the right wing three-quarters. Ford is a discovery of the present season, and although-youthful, is a finished player. He never misses his passes, and is very clever at intercepting. He was at the very top of his form yesterday, and scored one of the two tries in the second half by taking Ms pass and outpacing every one else towards a corner flag. The other try was scored' by Singe, the wing forward. A mistake by Lewis led up to it. Lewis, penned in near his own goal posts, threw blindly, and Pickles just saved a score by falling on the ball. From the succeeding scrummage Singe picked up the ball as it came out from the side of the scrummage, made a six feet dive for the line, and just got there. It was just such a try as the New Zealanders often score. There has never been such a side quite as dangerous near the line. Hie forwards have the knack of picking up quickly in the loose scrum, of handling, not passing in the usual sense of the term, to one another, and going ovjr the line in a body. It is a system which has never been developed in this country, and it pays.

WAIRO; RUGBY SUB-UNION, Delegates from Patea, Alton, Waverley, and Waitotara were present at the annual meeting of the Wairoa Rugby Sub-Union, and the proceedings were of an enthusiastic nature. Officers for the year were elected as follows: —President, Mr E. P. Symee; hon. secretary, and treasurer, Mr E. F. Hemingway; management committee, Messrs D. Cunningham, D. I. Thompson (Patea), F. McDonald (Waverley), G. Simpson (Waitotara), and Adlam (Alton), with president and secretary ex officio. It was decided to meet on Thursday next in the Fire Brigade Hall, Patea, at 7.30 p.m., and arrange fixtures for the season. The following teams have entered for the Senior and Junior Cup competitions; Alton, Waverley, and Waitotara, one senior and one junior team each. Patea two senipr and'one junior team. The second senior team for Patea will consist entirely of natives. It is hoped to start the season on Saturday next, 7th inst.