THE KING'S RUGBY TROPHY

Waikato Times, Volume 91, Issue 14134, 11 August 1919, Page 7

THE KING'S RUGBY TROPHY

NEW ZEALAND'S TRIUMPH

GREAT STRUGGLE FOB SUPREMACY.

The sides competing in the tie match between the Mother Country and New Zealand in the Imperial Service coinpetition were: — Mother Country: Major B. S. Cumberiege, Lieut. J. A. Dickson, Capt, W. S. Cullen, Lieut. R. C. Pickles, Major A T. Sloan, Lieut. Clem Lewis_ Captain .1. A. Pym; L/ut.-Col. L. Oi Brown, Capt. 0. M. Usher, Capt. the Bev. W. T. Harvard, Capt. B. A. Gallic, Major 11. B. Moore, Major P. H. Lawless Capt. 0. H. Pillman, C.S.M.i. Jonos. New Zealand: J. O'Brien, P. Storkey, J. Stohr, .1. Ford, J- Ryan, W- Fea, C Brown, M- Cain K- Hassell, J. MoH'att, J. Kiswick, A. Wilson, LBelliss, A. West, A. Singe. The result was two tries and one penalty goal for New Zealand to the one penalty goal for the Mother Country_9 points to 3. Until half tune Prince Albert and Prince Henry were among the spectators. Another occupant of the Royal box was the New Zealand Premier, who remained until the end. During- the interval the two Princes entered the field and shook hands with the members of both sides. Amidst cries of "Good old Bill!" Mr Massev returned to his seat and had the gratification of seeing the New Zealanders force their way to for at half time, with 3 points all, it was almost anyone's game. There was a considerable period when it might have gone the way of the Mother Country, whose half-backs were quicker and more resourceful than those of New Zealand. In the first half each side had got a penally goal, but after ends had been changed, the. New Zeaianders, whose forwards (says Mr B. Bennison in the Daily Telegraph) at times played like men' possessed, had most of the game by far. After the interval the New Zealand pack was positively great. All the time they worked at top speed; that the mighty exertions did not cause them to crack was remarkable." The Mother Country playing- with a great blustering- north'wind, survived tlie first part with honours easy. Thereafter the forwards were teribly rattled, so much so thai there was only one side in it. "New Zealand," says the Morning Post, "laid its plans admirably, and in astuteness and generalship one has never seen tactics so admirably carried out, not even by the great Welsh teams. The New Zeaianders were out to win and the Mother Country had too many 'old men in her pack. It was beaten in scrummage science, arid the quick breaking New Zealand forwards never gave the slightest scope to the two fine halfbacks, Pym and Lewis. They worked splendidly in defence from beginning- to end, but they were overwhelmed.

The Mother Country's score was made by Cumberiege, and the New Zealand me n were within a few minutes level with a penalty goal, by Stohr. In the second half it was obvious all through that the Motherland was "done." The forwards had neither the pace nor Ihe wind for this terific fight. They struggled on pluckily, but they were beaten in scrummage science and bluffed in tactics when the ball was loose. One of the London critics comments : "You want youth and not maturity for the kind of forward work that was now served up by New Zealand." The Home forwards were scrummaged back to the line where Singe scored a try, and later 'the one sood movement in the match along the half and three-quarter lines sent Ford in. And that really determined the game. The Mother Country was utterly beaten in the second half; a great defence kept the score down to small limits. Some Comments. The Morning Post: "New Zealand had this great merit. They set out to play a particular game, and played it. They had a sterling pack of forwards, who could shove and could break quickly, and could hold the ball if they choose And they never gave the brilliant Mother Country back divisions a chance."

The Daily Mail: "The victors played their typical game to perfection, especially in the second half, and they rushed and bustled our men off their legs. ' They succeeded, and have now achieved tlieir supreme ambition the winning of the King's Challenge Cup. The Army backs, clever as they were, did not get many chances, and they spoiled some of these by knocking on." Tlie Daily Telegraph: "We would have no Rugby football that was not all iron: this about which I write was tremendous in its insistence that there should not be a single breather. It was a succession of bangs, and to the mind, not more than ordinarily imaginative, il supplied the secret of many of the imperishable stories the war has given us. There were moments when the two packs set one alight witli enthusiasm. They ran and worked like Trojans. The New Zealanders did not suggest a perfect machine; most of their move-' ments were plain and conventional—their backs/ especially, did not brin.g out the poetry of Rugby football—but as a team brimful of determination and indifferent to all else except to finish winners of the most memorable tournament in the history of a great game, they were giants every one of them." "Certain of the Home forwards would often hold up the New Zealand pack as they came tearing down the field in a body, generally with either Singe or Belliss at the head, but they failed to Change the character of the play in such a way as to promise a victory for that side with any degree of certainly The New Zealand pack after the interval were positively great. Sporting Rife: "The Army did welt al limes, but there were practically none of the passing bouts which had caused such trouble to previous opponents. The black-garbed men saw to that. As a matter of fact, no latitude was allowed on either side and if the New Zealand scoring machinery the more often got into motion the occasions were only rare. O'Brien was as safe as a bank for New Zealand. Stohr was sound at centre, while Ford was the prominent of Ihe wings. Ryan and Fea were frequently attracting attention, while Belliss. Moffatt, and Kissick were not the least useful of the forwards. Spectators saw a dour, determined struggle between two sides with but a sinple thought—the winning of the championship, and incidentally the trophy."