6
THI EONGKONG TELEGRAPH, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1950.
NEWPORT ARE THE RUGBY HARLEQUINS
TEAM OF THE YEAR
Says PETER LOVEGROVE
Although they have only once been able to field their best side, Newport are the only first- class rugby union club in England and Wales to emerge from the first three months of the season with a 100 percent record.
They have scored 204 points and conceded only 45, and their 13 successive victims include their great Welsh rivals, Cardiff, Swansea and Neath, and the English clubs Bristol, Gloucester, Leicester, Blackheath, Wasps Plymouth Albion.
and
The men from Monmouthshire, always popular wherever they go because of their clean and attractive about play, and their determination to throw the ball whenever opportunity can be grasped, have shown them- selves equally at home on soft, muddy pitches and hard, fast grounds.
The secret of their success lies} returning to International foot- in magnificent teamwork, direct ball after a lapse of 10 years, methods, and speedy covering while his father played 25 times
than in defence
in the rather
early the for his country genius of particular stars. They years of the century and took Welsh can wield the bludgeon or the part in that memorable rapier with equal effect ac- victory over the first All Blacks
at Cardiff in 1905. cording to circumstances.
DISCONCERTING SPEED
Though their pack is big and heavy, and can mix it at close quarters with the most for- midable, it has a disconcerting in the loose spood on the ball and heels quickly from the mauls-an almost forgotten art these days.
Scrum-leader is R. T. Evans, the openside wing forward who has already won six caps for Wales and played in all the British Isles Test Inatches in Now Zealand and Australia this summer: he is one of the best tacklers in the game and always at hand in attack and defence. His back-row partners arc and usually D. G. Ackerman Welsh Trialist Pater Davies, both very lively skirmishers.
In the second-row mountainous, balding Edwards and L. E. T. who make such excellent use of acir height in the fine-outs. Edwards is also a most reliable place kicker-he kicked Beveil goals in the last three games was in the first Welsh Trial a few weeks ago, and is not far from International honours, Tom Sterry, in the front row, also gol a trial last winter.
RAPIER-LIKE
The rapier-like thrusts out- side the scrum come from the diminutive red-headed Roy Burnett at outside-half. Burnett
well sarved is
by W. A. Williams, who sends out a long, which onables his | flat pass
partner to stand well clear of the scrums.
R. Gheen (Oxford University) gets his backs away following a scrum in the match against Harlequins at Twickenham. Oxford won
8-0.
Gardner - Savold
Fight In London Next Year?
1951.
v. OXFORD
માનવ પ
JAPAN'S DAVIS CUP CHALLENGE
Americans Make An Announcement
Out Of
Of Turn
Sydney, Dec. 7. Australian tennis officials were shocked on Thursday by the New York announcement that a Japanese team was playing in the North American zone of the Davis Cup next year.
New South Wales Tennis Association President Bryan Fuller said: "Coming from America, this news is a shock. I find it strange and amusing that America should make an official announcement of Japan's challenge."
'The
By CEORGE WHITING The White City Stadium -maximum capacity 80,000 --has been booked for a big Burnett makes the most of fight on Tuesday, June 5, these extra two yards in which to manoouvre freely away from It is too early to say who the the attentions of marauding principal boxers will be.
President of the Lawn | He said Australia "for very wing-forwards; a incat decep- live diagonal runner and quick But they could be Britain's Tennis Association ог Aus- good reasons" abstained from thinker, he can take advan- new Heavyweight Champion,tralia, Sir Norman Brookes, voting on the decision made
America's commented at Melbourne it tage of the slightest chink Jack Gardner and
Is at Lausanne in July to readmit is also Lee Savold-for the British and entirely unlikely that the Ja- Germany
and Japan an opening and
to the European version of the World a dropped-goal expert and a
panese will reach a position Davis Cup games. fine tackler. He has had several Heavyweight Championship.
to play against Austral. Wales, bul never
Gardner, who leaves on De- those cember 14 to come off in
for
exhibition tour of South Africa, will be tried against at least two other American heavyweights before being given a world title match with Savold.
of
trials for
is the seems
Ben games. Jonos,
The three-quarter line, which has nat been
full al seen strength, this season, has been
rarer than sound
brilliant. probably at its best in defence, when incidentally the whole side covers in depth with the thoroughness
Dominion of a side. All tackle whole-hearted- ly, and that goes for the cool- headed R. Hughes at full-back
too.
ABSENTEES
an
-(London Express Service)
Rugby Offer
He said: "If they get to the challenge round, of course we shall have to sit up and take notice."
He said
in he was "quite the dark" regarding the pre- sent Japanese tennis prowess,
Record
To
League's Of £6,000 Bleddyn Williams
London.
Newport have not been so outstanding in the matter of booking, and when I saw them in a fog-blankoled match with
The most notable absentees so London Welsh at Herne Hill, far have been John Gwilliam they gave a trial to J. Travers. among dhe forwards, and This youngster comes from a Malcolm Thomas and Ken Jones very famous rugger family long in the threes. Gwilliam, last The record offer of £6,000 made by the Leeds Rugby connected with Newport and year's worthy skipper of the League club to Bleddyn Williams, the Welsh International Welsh side which won the Triple Rugby Union centre, seems small when compared with Crown, is in Scotland, while British Isles tourist Malcolm some of the gigantic fees paid lately for soccer players. Thomas is in the Navy, and will be fully occupied with Devon-
But a soccer player gets no part of the transfer fee, port Services (which he cap- whereas Williams, if he decides to become a professional tains), the Navy and Wales for player, will receive the whole fee, together with a house
and a job.
Wales.
>
His brother "Bunny" earned 12 Welsh cups before and after the Second World War, actually
Boat Race May Be 1949 'Repeat'
next
most of the season.
"down
4
Australian tennis players claim the holding nation-Australia- should have been making any announcements of Japan's chal- lenge.
An influential section of the Australian tennis world violently opposed Japan's Cup participa- tion but the general feeling is that only a miracle could give Japan a strong enough team to become the challenger
in the Australian finals in Sydney next November.-United Press.
ALGAR SMITH TO
FIGHT FALLON .
The London lightweight Algar Smith, former boxer, Amateur Lightweight Cham- pion, who is still undefeated as a professional, will meet Peter Fallon, of Birkenhead,
on the Randolph Turpin versus Tommy Yarosz programme at Harringay on December 12.
title.
The contest will be over eight rounds at 10 stone, two pounds. the-Reuter,
Fallon, who beat Cliff Curvis in 1948 and
North- won the Ken Jones, the fastest winger
Central Lightweight title, lost in the four countries today, Morcover, the entry of outside-half, gave exhibitions to Tommy McGovern in the with 17 Welsh and British Williams into the League ranks of inspired back play that final eliminator for the British Isles caps to his credit so far, is would cause as much comment fascinated the spectators, It looks as though the Univer-.this year's Newport skipper
circles as big in Rugby Union
SEVERAL OFFERS Race of 1949, which but has only played one game sity Boat Cambridge won after being be- for the club since his return transfers do in the soccer world. hind for every stroke but the from
under", and
Since his return from For Williams is regarded as last, will be repeated in one promptly broke a finger in his
several the Easter Saturday left hand,
cleverest centre in the tour he has received respect
clubs but offers from League British Isles and has been. (writes Hylton Cleaver). The
He was a touch judge and told capped 12 times for Wales since has said that he will not decide same two strokes are likely lo
in his pleasantly
marked the war, He meet again whereas this year Welsh accent, that his finger had miss
was unlucky to until some time later. all the International they did not.
sot well and was now out of matches last
In a recent poll, carried out season through
by the Sports Writers Associa- Christopher Davidge, of Ox-plaster; he hopes to be turning injury, for he had been chosen ford, then fell ill. David Jen-out again. "It doesn't do to be to lead Wales in the first, and tion of Great Britain, to deter-
he said, "they he thus missed the honour of have done the most for British Control, following an applica-
who six sportsmen
Tho British Boxing Board of nens, of Cambridge, surrendered out too long," bis scat to J.L.M. Crick, of soon forgot and pass you over in captaining or playing for his Not that he has country in the year when they
prestige
Williams tion from the Transvaal Board, Lady Margaret, and retired to this game." 112,"
much to worry about on that won the Triple Crown for the was placed in the first twelve. have decided that should a con-
Should be decide to change test be arranged under first time since 1911.
his code, Cardiff, Wales and Championship conditions be- As vice-captain of the British Rugby Union will lose one of tween Don Cockell, the British Champion, toured New the brightest stars of the post-Light Heavyweight
me,
score.
team that
Full
mine the
this year,
Cockell-Hunter Match For Empire Title
full
Crick has now gone down, but
With these three leading Jennens, who expected to, and who joined London with a view Newport would at once quality Isles
players turning out regularly, to rowing for them at Henley,
as "the team of the year" Zealand and Australia last sum-war game but the League will and George Hunter, the South will now be staying up a little There is such a happy and de- mer, Williams added to his re-gain a great player who brings African title holder, they would longer and will be available for termined spirit about the club, putation and with Dr Jack Mat- with him the experience and recognise it as being for the the race on March 24,
however, that they may even thews, his partner in the Welsh craft of many years' top class British Empire Championship.--
centre, and Jack Kyle, the Irish rugby-Reuter. do it without them.
--(London Express Service)
Reuter,