NEW ZEALAND RUGBY TEAM

Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17751, 1 July 1929, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND RUGBY TEAM

OPENING OF AUSTRALIAN TOUR.

MATCH AGAINST NEW SOUTH WALES.

SCORELESS DRAW AT SYDNEY ON SATURDAY. The New Zealand Rugby team opened Its Australian tour on Saturday. afternoon with a match against New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Great Interest was taken In the match on both sides of the Tasman. The game In Australia has considerably Improved of reoent years while from the New Zealand viewpoint the tour will prove a good guide as to the quality of the material we will be able to place In the field against England next season. Saturday’s game was played In steady rain before an attendance of 30,000. It ended In a scoreless draw. Despite the adverse conditions the play was extremely fast and the standard of the football good,

WET WEATHER FOR THE GAME. The playing conditions were very bad, part of the ground being a quagmire. There was a strong wind blowing, New Zealand opening against it. The teams took the field as follows : New Zealand. Full-back. —Nepia. Three-quarters.—Waterman, Carlton, and Grenside. Five-eighths.—Lilburne and Oliver. Half-back.—Dailey. Wing-forward.—Cundy. . Forwards.—Snow and McWilliams (back row), Rika, Steere and Sontag, with Reid and Cotterell as hookers. New South Wales. Full-back: Ross. Three-quarters: E. Ford, Towers, King, Mann. Five-eighth: Bartley. Half-back: Lamport. Forwards: Breckenrklge, J. Ford, Palfreyman, Finlay, Telford, Wadelington, Ferguson, Cerutti. New South Wales got a free kick in the opening stages of the play but it was unsuccessful. Dailey took the ball and made ground for New Zealand. A scrum was formed near the halfway, the ball going to the home fullback from the following play. New South .Wales were penalised and sent back to defend. Cundy cut round the scrum and broke through the defence, Lamport being prominent in defence. New Zealand got the ball out ten yards from the home goal and New South Wales dribbled clear to Nepia who saved the situation. It was raining hard at this stage. Dailey got the ball to Nepia' whose long kicking was again in evidence.

The play was very fast considering the state of the ground. McWilliams was penalised and the kick placed New Zealand on the defence. New South Wales were nearly over at the corner. From a line-out the New Zealand forwards packed round, but New South Wales secured. New Zealand were penalised and the kick sent the ball behind the visitors’ goal line. Nepia Finds the Line. Nepia took a good kick and found the line at half-way. .New Soulh Wales got offside from the llirow-in and Nepia found touch about ten yards from the home line. The play changed quickly, the ball going out in the New Zealand twenty-five. Lamport secured, but Nepia was in again with brilliant play, the visitors carrying the play to midfield. The ball later went down to Ross, who found touch. A New Zealand dribbling rush followed, but play eventually came back to half-way. There was a free to New Zealand a little later and a lineout followed in New South Wales’ twenty-five. New Zealand carried on the play, but the home team broke away with a strong dash, which took the ball back to New Zealand"twentyfive, Towers being the' prominent figure in this dash. New Zealand forwards took charge and cleared the danger. The home forwards returned but Dailey’s good defence was in evidence and stayed tne advance. Ross was a little later called on to save the situation.

The Rain Pelts Down. The rain was pelting down at this stage. New Zealand, from a free kick found the line in the home twentyfive. Lamport effected a good clearance for New South Wales. From a scrum the ball went to the home side, but from an intercept a New Zealander broke through and placed the home team further on the defensive. Dailey and Oliver went dangerously close to getting across, but Ross saved. Play went hack to the visitors’ ground but Dailey returned. From a penalty New Zealand missed narrowly, the ball bouncing out into the field of play. On resuming New Zealand became aggressive hut Ross saved brilliantly and the piay returned to New Zealand’s 25 where Dailey found the 25. A series of scrums followed and the home forwards took charge, the ball being difficult for the defenders to handle. Dailey Prominent. Dailey was particularly prominent at this stage. The pace had been terrific to this stage. New South Wales took the ball to Nepia who returned. It came back again and Dailey sent it to the touch. Play carried on at a still rapid ratf, first one side and then the other attacking, until the ball went out at half. Nepia made good use of a kick from the half-way line. From a scrum New South Wales secured, Lamport, running down and kicking out at the visitors' 25. Nepia had a speculator shot a little later. The visitors appeared to he tiring. Ross took the hail at half-way and his kick opened up the attack but a home forward got offside and Nepia made good use of the kick. The home forwards put In a dangerous charge but a scrum stayed the movement. New Zealand heeled out to Dailey, but the half was caught. New South Wales forwards with the ball at their toe made progress. There backs then opened up the play, but dropped the ball. Waterman made a dash, but Bartley stopped him. The ball reached the home full back who found New Zealand’s twenty-five, but the latter rallied and carried play to midfield.

Played Only First Half,

Lamport defended well, but knocked on. Greenside was prominent in a New Zealand dash which placed New South Wales on the. defensive. The rally ended In a force.

A quick rally by New South Wales took play right to New Zealand’s line where Nepia saved, The latter was not playing up to his usual form at this stage.

A Penalty Falls.

New South Wales were awarded a penalty hut the shot failed. On the resumption the ball went to the home twenty-five, but New South Wales came back, Nepia stopping

Mann close to the scoring mark. Both players were temporarily knocked out. The rain had kept up Incessantly since the start of the game. Nepia got a nasty knock. A dribbling rush by New Zealand assumed dangerous proportions but New South Wales came back to the visitor's twenty-five, where tha ball went out of touch. The defenders cleared play to half way. New Zealand invaded New South Wales’ territory and the advance ended In a force down. New Zealand were penalised and the kick took play to half-way and subsequently Into New Zealand ground. Dailey to the Rescue. Dailey took the ball from the' feet of the home forwards, but the return saw play still in New Zealand's twenty-five. New South Wales did not make much use of a free kick. They started passing but Ford was out of position. Lamport dropped the ball and his forwards took charge. New Zealand retaliated, Carleton getThe N.Z. Half-back.

ting the line on the New Zealand side of half way. A home five-eighth missed the ball and Ross, later on, was at fault but New Zealand were ruled against for “shepherding” near the line.

Lamport opened up a home attack in which Mann later appeared, but McWilliams was prominent in placing New Soutli Wales on the defensive. Lamport kicked to Nepia, who passed out, hut the movement was checked as half-time came without score. Second Spell Opens. New South Wales were penalised in the opening stages, Dailey taking the kick, which Ford returned to the New Zealand twenty-five. Dailey got the ball and punted over the home full back, but Ford freed. Another movement in which Dailey and Grenside' were prominent, gained ground and New Zealand set up a hot attack to the home quarters, where they went across but knocked on. Nepia had a penalty shot at goal but missed narrowly. Ross found his twenty-five in a further pressure. Carleton, the New Zealand centre, who was not himself when he went on in the first half, did not return in the second spell, and his place was taken by Stringfellow. New Zealand were now attacking with determination, and there was no let-up, the home backs being given a hard time keeping their line clear. Rain was falling heavily and continuously, and the players were slithering about in the slush.

Rain was pelting down when Nepia had a shot, which missed by a narrow margin. Keeping up the attack, the Blacks were playing desperately, and keeping the locals just as desperately clearing. Lilburne marie a dash, but lost the ball. Throwing all their strength into the attacks, New Zealand looked like scoring several times. Picking up from the loose, Dailey sent his backs away, the ball finally going to Waterman. The lastnamed had an open field, but the ball was knocked on over the N.SAV. line.

Despite the state of the ground play was spectacular and varied. Bartley was prominent In an attack by N.S.W., but a mark stopped the rush. Wet to the skin, 30,000 people w’ere kept at a high pitch of excitement, and they were almost frenzied when N.SAV. dashed down with the ball at toe, sweeping the Blacks aside. It was a beautiful dribbling, concerted effort, but Nepia was safe, and snatching the hall from the ground found the sideline. Ford’s Hard Luck. Ford, the N.SAV. wjnger, then brought off a great solo effort. From half-way he dribbled right down the field and past Nephia, but In. the dive to touch down he missed by Indies. Ford and Towers were off for the New Zealand line when the greasy ball eluded them, and a visiting back ran down and found the line inside

(he N.S.W. 25. N.S.W. were, well under way when an illegal tackle gave the visitors a free. Twice in quick succession Grenside pulled up attacks by the home forwards. A fine kick by Lilburne sent play into the locals’ area, and a scrum was set in front of the N.S.W. posts. Off-side play by a Black forward allowed Ross to clear. A great line-kick by Nepia shifted the scene from his own 25 to the home team’s 25. The New Zealand forwards broke away, but lost possession, and. Lamport stepped in to clear.

Again New Zealand were within an ace of scoring, but after taking the ball over the line it was forced ny Ross. Off again, the Blacks were passing in good style, and were less than half a dozen yards from the N.S.W. line when Telford intercepted. With the <=nd drawing near, each set of forwards tried desperately in break down the defence. Rain was now falling in torrents, and darkness was setting in, it being next to impossible to distinguish the players. Rika and Sonntag were away, but the slippery ball beat them. The crowd were now cheering themselves hoarse as first one and then the other attacked. The game ended: —> New South Wales .... 0 New Zealand 0 NOTES AND COMMENTS. The New South Wales forwards surprised everybody by their wonderful showing in checking their opponents, who played quite up to New Zealand’s best standard. It was equally apparent Nepia had found his match" in Ross, both of whom were always conspicuous. Dailey played his usual brilliant wet-weather game. His outside supports improved considerably in combination in the course of the game. The New Zealand forwards played wonderful football, almost dominating the play in the last stages. Among the New South Wales backs Towers and Ross were easily the stars. The weakest man in this division was Bartley, who lacked experience and celerity. J. Ford, the giant Waratah forward, was most prominent throughout, and received adequate support from his colleagues. SATURDAY’S TEST MATCH. AUSTRALIAN TEAM. A STRONG COMBINATION. SYDNEY, June 30. The Australian Rugby team to meet the All Blacks next Saturday is as follows: — Fullback. —Ross. Three-quarters.—E. Ford, Towers, King, Gordon. Five-eighths.—Lawton (captain). Halfback. —Malcolm or Lamport. Forwards. —Breckenridge, J. Ford, Palfreyman, Finlay, Hamelainen, Cerutti, Bonis, Judd, Thompson. One forward will be omitted. Malcolm will play half if the conditions are dry, and Lamport otherwise', Lawton, Hamelainen, Bonis and Thompson are Queenslanders.

Of the »seventeen players named above ten took part in the match last Saturday between New South Wales and the Ail Blacks. The Australian side looks a good one on paper. Lawton is well known in New Zealand, and lie has toured with Sydney University and New South Wales teams. He is" one of the most brilliant backs Australia has produced, and his fine play has won him praise, not only in Australia and New' Zealand, but in England, where he attended Oxford University, and in which country he also toured later with the XYaratahs. Malcolm was one of the halfbacks in the Waratah team and he captained the New South Wales team which toured New Zealand last season. THE NEXT MATCH. The New Zealanders will play the next.match of their tour on Wednesday, against Newcastle, at Newcastle.