THE ANGLO-WELSH TEAM PLAY A DRAW WITH NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 956, 2 July 1908, Page 11

THE ANGLO-WELSH TEAM PLAY A DRAW WITH NEW ZEALAND.

THE VISITORS SHOULD HAVE WON.

Ten thousand spectators rolled up at the match on Saturday at the Athletic Ground, Wellington, to see whether the Anglo-Welsh team could make a better showing against the N.Z. reps, than was the case at Dunedin. That the visitors did so was proved by the fact that they managed to make a draw of it, a draw which would have been a victory had Harding kicked a goal from the easiest possible position. The teams lined out as follows: —

BRITAIN. Fullback: Jackett. Three-quarters. McEvedy, “ Ponty ” Jones, Vassall, J. L. Williams. Halves. “ Tuan ” Jones and W. Morgan. Forwards: NEW ZEALAND. Fullback: Wallace. Three-quarters. Fryer, Mitchinson, Cameron. Five-eighths: Hunter and Gray. Halfback: Burns. Wing-forward: Hamilton. Forwards: Murray, Ready, Cunningham, Wilson, Francis, Seeling, Patterson. The weather was wet and the ground in very bad order, so that really scientific football was more or less an impossibility. Instead it became a game of what a Southern scribe calls the strenuous order, which in plain English means that it was a rough game. In this it would appear that the New Zealanders were the chief offenders, which is more than a pity, for Dominion players have not got too good a name in this respect, and the less of the so-called strenuous play, the better for the popularity of the pastime. A detailed description of the play would prove uninteresting at the time. The first half was very even there being a series of attacks and counter attacks, each side being forced on several occasions, but no score resulted. In the second half New Zealand’s score came as the result of a smart bit of work by Cameron who got close to the British back line. Jackett in trying to save the score kicked over his own line and in the resultant five yards’ scrum Britain was penalised for off-side and Francis kicked a goal. This reverse put the Britishers on their metal and a fierce attack saw Ponty Jones get over the N.Z. line between the posts. Fortunately for N.Z. Harding was beaten by the greasy ball and the kick at goal was a failure. Fairly revelling in the mud the Britishers attacked again and again, but could not break through the impregnable line of defence. Still it was a very close call for the Do-

minion players, the Britishers coming within an ace of getting through on more than one occasion. When the whistle sounded, the score stood at 3 all.