SPRINGBOK'S
WIN SECOND
TEST
DASHING FIRST HALF DISPLAYTON TRIT
REGRETTABLE INCIDENTS HAI
AUSTRALIA'S REMARKABLE
RALLY
Sydney, July 14.
Beenen sustained an injury that will probably force him to rest. Assuming that Bastard is fit, there will be only eight regular forwards available for the first match of the New Zealand tour, at Auckland,
next Saturday.
If more serious casualties are
SOUTH AFRICA defeated Australia in the second Rugby Union test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday by 26 points to 17. It was the last match of the Springboks' tour and they sailed for New Zeaded and the men at present in- land on Saturday night.
·THE MATCH HAD EXTRAORDINARY CHANGES. SOUTH AFRICA DOMINATED PLAY IN THE FIRST HALF, AND, GIVING A BRILLIANT EXHIBITION OF FAST, OPEN PLAY, SCORED 26 POINTS TO SIX; BUT IN THE SECOND HALF THE TEAM LOST ITS STING. AUS TRALIA RALLIED GAMELY AND THE FORWARDS SHOWED SUPERIOR STAMINA AUS TRALIA SCORED 11 POINTS TO NIL IN THIS HALF.
Australia's three tries were gained after Towers suffered a severe cut on the forehead mid- way through the second half and left the field. His place in the centre was taken by Windon, a forward, and Windon took a prominent part in all three scoring movements: The match was marred by illegal play. Rough tactics were introduced and blows were struck. Once there was a stand-up fight near the touch-line between two forwards.
Rugby test matches are not parlour games; they are games for men of strength and courage. But there is a limit to which de- termination and toughness may be carried, and on Saturday sev- eral players overstepped the bounds.
As usual, when rough play deja plentiful supply of the ball, fine velops, the blame may be placed weather, and a good ground, a trifle upon a few hot-tempered indivi- soft in the centre and the backs duals in each side. Naturally, the were given full rein.
contested with game was
great keenness, but there was much illegal work in scrums, rucks, and line-outs.
2
DEFENCE LAPSES
4
a
jured soon rejoin the active players, the team should give a good ac count of itself against New Zealand. Its strongest pack should be a magnificent one. Such a set as Fanie Louw, Lotz, “Boy" Louw, van Reenen, van den Berg, Bergh, du Toit, and Strachan, would have of dash and cleverness. South the necessary solidity and a supply Africa is fortunate to have support- ing the more experienced backs Craven, de Villiers, Brand, White, Williams, and Tummer--such bril- liant young players as Babrow, van de Vyver, Bester, Lochner, Hof meyr, and Harris.
от
jeighth, van de Vyvers but there was less enterprise about the play of the inside backs, and in most
MARA ARTISTIC PLAY cases the aimseemed simply to get Babrow in the first half the ball out to the wings.
Saturday confirmed the impression There were two other important he had made in Brisbane that he factors that affected the form of is a potential champion. He is still the team in this half, Van Reenen, learning. He stirred the crowd with reproducing the improved form he his artistic play, and if he was de had shown in Queensland, had been serving of censure for not passing conspicuous early in the game with to Turner on the occasion when he his keer sense of anticipation and scored his try, the manner in which safe handling that enabled him to the propped to beat Rankin and It is true that in this half the snap up two tries. Midway through then evaded Collins's diving tackle, Springboks' task was made easier the opening spell he received, was splendid.. through opponents' lapses in de- severe knock on the right hip and The withdrawal of "Fanie Louw fence, especially by Towers and for the rest of the game he simply on Saturday probably influenced LINE OUT BARGING
O'Brien; but the Springboks did hobbled about Then, the stocky South Africa's selectors in playing The barging that took place in what they had
done against Babrow, who had been a glittering safe with the backs and including line-outs, much of which escaped
Australian Fifteen and star in attack in the first half, pass White instead of Hofmeyr as Ba- penalty, led to tempers becoming
against Queensland in their ing the veteran Towers with sur
brow's partner in the centre. frayed. Punches were struck, and matches in Brisbane they gave a prising ease, after the interval was a wise choice. White gave a there were other serious incidents. convincing exhibition of the open inclined to do too much and was all-round display, without The culminating brawl between
game, showing a Sydney crowd for caught with the ball even when a
and his work was the more meri two players in front of the mem- the first time that they could excel good opening had been made.
torious, as he had been kept out bers' stand was regrettable, to say at this style of Rugby as well as at
of the important matches in the least. Fortunately, there was the dour, forward game they had Thus it was that Australia, rally Queensland and had not played handy a man of the type of Daníe previously produced.
ing in grand style, and with the with Babrow since the first test Craven, rugged but cool, to push the combatants apart and remind running of the speedy backs, and fitter set, was able to restore inter-peared at half back, five-eighth,
VERSATILE CRAVEN Some tries were missed; but the forwards proving themselves the Danie Craven had previously ap- them that they were playing a game. their swift passing and
The rough play and the failure handling, the backing-up by the try and to supplement this with two Saturday he commenced as a flank
cleanest to the game by gaining its first and full-back on the tour. of several of the Australian play-forwards, and their clever posi- more tries, all being scored when forward, the selectors preferring ers, and also the manner in which tional play when the cross-kick the team was a man short. the Springboks, both in tactics and from the wing was exploited, were execution, fell away in the second admirable features, and even those notable. He had been one of Aus
The part played by Windon was fit forward left out of the team.
this to playing Jennings, the only half, tended to make the test an who had come prepared to criticise tralia's best forwards, and when to play as an extra five-eighth, and Craven occasionally dropped out unsatisfactory match; but to offset were saying at half-time that this he replaced Towers at outside cen- for a few minutes in the second the disappointing features there team, which had scored six tries tre midway through the second half, while de Villiers lay stretched were the superb display of the and four goals against two penalty half, he supplied an initiative that out on the turf, he was the half- visiting team in the first half and goals in the first half of a test had been missing. It was Windon back. It was a thorough test of and the gallant rally by Australia match, was a truly great one. when the match was well advanced.
who followed on a kick, gathered his versatility, and Craven showed the ball, and sent a swift. pass to again that he is the complete foot- EARLY BRILLIANCE
O'Brien, to give that winger a clear baller. It would be strange to see run to the goal-line.
It was Windon again who snap...
Thim out of South Africa's test team. loose ball broke through Williams hav
DOES NOT APPEAL first odgson, fo
on a firm ground in Sydney, was speedy, ke
SECOND-HALF CHANGE
an
WINDON'S GREAT PART
In the second half there came It will be claimed by some that a surprising change. For some time if the Australian defence had been Australia's forma was still uncon- tightened up in the first half, or vincing; but as the play advanced, peda if the game had gone on for an South Africa suffered a deteriora other 10 minutes, Australia woultion: Scrums in this half were fair- have won; but the plain fact is that ly evenly shared; but the Spring- on the day South Africa was the boks enjoyed a pronounced adyan- better team, and deserved to win tage in ime-outs. As the game pr The superiority shown in the first ceeded there was a stiffening of the balf was even greater than the home defence, especially when Win- scores 26 to six seem to show don went to the centre; but it seemingers it Australia never looked good enough ed that the visitors were relaxing, the corne to win. The team had a big advan-perhaps unconsciously. The run- tave in penalties.
ning about in the first half had
The first seven minutes of play taken the sting out of the forwed
had
proved to be the most vital stage and Brand, and, to a less extent of the game. In that period South Craven, engaged in Africa, through the crushing touchline kicking than they tactics of the forwards and the done in the first Half dashing play of Williams on the tactics that brought right wing, scored two tries. This cheering.
success, no doubt, encouraged Nel and his team to open up the play. The conditions were favourable
Little
gallop from
fire: the for-
pass him
The meth00
Anstra South Africa, wards, was languishing. There must be a toning up of cor
On
appeal,
SC-
half on
ailed
first half when, a
cessful, but the greatest ry of the team Saturday concerns the growing casualty list. Wiliams, Williams scored a great Two of the finest forwards have try ins been added to the list, Louw's injured left shoulder, vented him from playing on day, and in the test match
a
line-out, he dashed infield, pre-pass from van de Vyver, and maced
ugh the centre scoring a an though tackled by Rankin.