TRIES THAT LIVE IN THE MEMORY

Cue (NZERS), Issue 34, 31 October 1945, Page 16

TRIES THAT LIVE IN THE MEMORY

TNTERNATIONAL Rugby matches 1 are remembered by their highlights rather than by their final scores. Long after the flush of victory or the gloom of defeat have passed there remains the memory of incidents which, though they may have occupied only a few seconds in their unfolding, Hee in the mind of the true enthusiast for years. New Zealand' Rugby history fairly sparkles with such gems—brilliant tries and sensational goals which have at times turned defeat into triumph, at others have served to raise particular matches above the normal plane. And not all those incidents, be it said, have been on New Zealand's side. There .are many members of 2 NZEF who will remember the two spectacular tries scored in the second Test match between New Zealand and South Africa at Christchurch in 1937. Tin 1 first was the work of the New Zealand centre, J. L. Sullivan, who had already scored a try to place New Zealand three points up after the first halfhour’s play. From the new-kick-off the Springboks, concentrating on geU ting possession from the tight scrummages, were soon hammering away at the All Black defences and had gained a strong foothold on the New Zealand line when a scrum was ordered almost in front of the posts. From New Zealand's point of view the worst had happened; when the 'Springbok hooker, J. W. Lotz, hooked the ball cleanly and

the half, D. Graven, sent out a long pass to T. A. Harris, at stand-off half. The New’ Zealand defence, was on tenterhooks. The .South African fiveeighth, L. Babrow, called for a piss and Harris fired the ball at him. But even as Babvow put his hands out to seize the ball Sullivan dashed up, intercepted the pass and in a flash was through the South African threequarter line.

Only one man turned! fast enough to give chase, and that was the winger,. D. O. Williams, who came tearing after him. Even as Williams got to him Sullivan kicked the ball over the head of the South African full-back, G. H. Brand, who had naturally come well up while his side was attacking. Then it became a duel between Sullivan the opportunist and the flying South African winger. Almost shoulder to shoulder they ran, with Sullivan always able to get to* the ball just a shade in front, and each time he reached it he kicked it on. The crowd was on its feet as the pair continued their race right to the Springbok line, where Sullivan had only inches to spare as he dived on the ball to score tone of the most thrilling individual tries in the history of Test Rugby in New Zealand.

Later in the same match it was the Springboks’ turn, and this time - star performer was the winger, • G. Turner. In a loose melee the •

went out to the South African backs and reached the centre, J. White, who passed to' Turner. Brilliant as Turner had already proved himself, this time it looked impossible for him to do anything, for the New Zealand winger, J. Dick, had run across to check him and J. M. Taylor, the full-back, had charged over to cover Dick. The half, H. J. Simon, was also cutting across to the wing closely attended by other New Zealanders. But Turner handed off Dick and then, with a brilliant change of direction, turned almost at right angles to cut in-field and catch his opponents on the wrong foot. Before they could recover he was flashing down the middle of the field for the line with no one to stop him, and he ran round to touch down behind the posts.

One of the thorns in the side of the All Black team that went to Britain in 1935-36 was W. Woolier, an amazingly fast and tricky five-eighth, who was one of the men chiefly responsible for Wales’ defeat of the tourists by 13 points to 12. One of the winners’ tries, engineered by Woolier and the Welsh half, Cliff Jones, was a spectacular effort. The Welsh team had been pinned in its own quarter for several minutes when the ball came cut to Jones who, swerving and side-stepping, beat three or four All Blacks before delivering the ball to Woolier, who burst through down the centre of the field and. by the time he had reached the half-way line, was clear of all opposition with the exception of the full-back, G. I). Gilbert. Rather than risk a tackle, Woolier punted straight ahead and raced after the ball. On and on it went, bouncing towards the New Zealand line with Woolier and several New Zealanders in hot pursuit - although with each yard covered Woolier appeared to be gaining an inch or two. He was first over the line and was in the act of falling when impact With the pursuing Gilbert pushed him clear of the ball. However, Cliff Jones

had also reached the scene by now and successfully dived for the ball.

'Equally thrilling was the winning try of the match,- in which Woolier again was the chief figure. In the last few minutes of the game, with the New Zealanders two points up, a lineout occurred well' inside Welsh territory and the ball went back to Cliff Jones. The latter took a stride or two before passing to Woolier, who set off

down the centre with the New Zealanders tunable to get within tackling distance. Some were beaten by his pace and others were thrust aside as he went on and on for practically half the length of the field until, almost on the line, he flashed the ball to the winger, G. Rees-Jones, who scored.

’’Woolier for Wales! Obolensky for Englandl” was the way one English writer summed up British elation following the defeat of the 1935-36 All Blacks at the hands of England. The jubilation was fully justified, for just as Woolier had addled the All Black defences at Cardiff, so did the flying Russian prince leave them standing at Twickenham in the final international of the tour. Obolensky scored two memorable tries in this match, the first of them after a fortyyard dash down the touch-line. The second, which placed England six

points ,up at half-time, was scored after he had crossed from his own wing to the opposite corner in an electrifying diagonal run. From a scrum in mid-field the English halves, B. C. Gadney and' P. L. Candler, both handled before the ball went to P. Cranmer, at centre. Cranmer covered thirty yards down the centre and then sent a reverse pass to Candler, who, when blocked by two New Zealanders, handed on to Obolensky, charging in from the right wing. The Russian took Candler’s pass in his stride, beat N. A. Mitchell by his pace and flashed through the gap, and! then, running round Gilbert as though the latter was standing still, scored in the left corner.

When present-generation New Zealand Rugby enthusiasts recall famous tries few overlook the effort by the British winger, J. Morley, which gave

Groat Britain victory over New Zealand in the first Test at Dunedin in 193 Q. The score was three—all when, with the final whistle due at any second and the visitors hemmed in on their own line, the tall Welshman, Ivor .Jones, broke through on his own and set sail for the New Zealand half. Like a flash Morley was at his side and, when Jones drew the All Black

full-back, G. Nepia, the diminutive winger was ready for the pass, which he took at full gallop, well past halfway, and then made for the distant New Zealand line. There was still A. E. Cooke to be reckoned with Cooke, who, playing at second fiveeighth, was coming across in answer to that uncanny sixth sense of his and who, as the line was ••neared, seemed to be gaining on his quarry. But Cooke arrived there just a yard too late and Morley touched down for a matchwinning try.

No record of famous tries is complete without reference to a try that was not a try—one of the most discussed incidents in the history of Rugby football. The occurrence marked the only match in which the famous 1905 All Blacks were defeated, the encounter with Wales, which Wales won by three to mil. The claim was made, by the New Zealand team that they had scored a fair try which had been disallowed by the referee, and there have been statements bearing out this contention from many noted Welsh Rugby men, including Dr. Teddy Morgan, the brilliant Welsh wing, who scored Wales’ try. Standing on the side-line on that day was Mr. George Dixon who’, in his published book on the 1905 tour, said that after a New Zealand rush which left the referee and most of the players well behind the ball was grounded in the corner. The brilliant W. J. Wallace had made a brilliant swerving run from the halfway line and had reached the Welsh line when he passed to the New Zealand three-quarter, R. Deans, who dived over and touched down well behind the line. He was at once dragged back, ball and all, into play, and when the referee, who was fully thirty yards away, came up he gave a scrum five yards out. It is interesting to note that in 1924, when another New Zealand team was visiting Wales, Dr. Morgan substantiated Mr. Dixons story.

That try has long been a burning topic in New Zealand Rugby circles and still is, forty years after it occurred. Whether or not it was a fair try does not matter- now, for the records will always show that Wales

beat the All Blacks on that memorable occasion. But it’s a fair guess that as long as New Zealand and Welsh teams meet at Rugby football the ’’try that was not a try” will continue to be dragged out of the cupboard.