1937-08-10 — Page 19

THE CHINA MAIL: AUGUST 10, 1937

DOUREST RUGBY BATTLE ON RECORD

AFRICA WINS BY ADOPTING

OSLER" TACTICS

AUSTRALIA'S ATTACK ENDED

AT INSIDE-CENTRE

(By "THREE-QUARTER").

Sydney, July 1.

ESPLIN CUP WON

BY WANSTEAD

Hong Kong Rink Lose

By 24 Shots To 19

The Esplin Cup for which the "Wanstead-Lawn Bowls Club and a team of bowlers from Hong Kong meet annually, was won by the former by 24 shots to 19 in the official match, which was played at home three weeks ago.

THE first Rugby Union Test, Australia v South Africa, on Australian soil, lost and won in the mud, was a terrific battle. It will remain long in memory as one of the most dour Tests in which Australia ever en- CH. K. Electric), W. E. Hollands gaged.

The teams were: Wanstead: DA. Bristow, J. Ramsey, S. I Goddard · and A. Smith fskip): Hong Kong C. Dowman (Police), A. S. Paul (Police) and W. V. Field. (Crai- gengower). A full head by head description will appear in Friday's

South Africa, keeping to a fixed plan of campaign, forced play into on the close (kicking for touch with relentless determination, persistency, and skill), and battled to a forward supremacy which became the basis of a 9 to 5 victory narrow, but quite merited. Africa's "Osler" tactics Richards away. As Craven held brought with them an extraordinary crop of line-outs 119 in the match of the tackle Richards side-stepped Of these, Africa won 70, Australia 35, while 14 were neutral.

past, and holding his feet mir- aculously in the very centre of the

There was little between the teams, all said and done. Australia failed, not because of cricket pitch, surged into top speed the tactics that had been evolved. Faulty execution of them by the Australian inside centre, diagonally as from the outside came Tom Pauling, against a quickened defence, nullified their effectiveness on most occasions when Towers with clockwork anticipa- Australia's backs had the ball.

In many departments Pauling: was in great form. His defence throughout was superb, and his versatile football several times was the only thing that stopped the Springboks from scoring tries. But in the three quarter attack he upset the movements.

The ablest penetrator in the The gate takings of the team, outer-centre Towers, did were £2200. not get the ball oncè from Paul-

BAD CHOICE

Australian goal-line. Rankin sav- Fed with a glorious dive

FIRST BLOOD TO AFRICA Then Fanie Louw made a break

tion.

Straight to full-back Brand raced Richards, delaying just long enough with his pass to make sure that Brand tackled him. Hard and fast the pass travelled out to Towers on the right, and the Australian cap- at the Australian 25 on the blind tain was away and gathering speed. side of a scrum and winger Dorr After him came two Springboks, made a weak high tackle, that was Turner and White White dived to brushed off by the big Springbok touch Towers heels twenty yards, match Louw got the ball to Lotz, on quick- from the goal-line.

ing in the type of fast passing | - Towers won the toss and allowed movement which had been so Africa to run with the wind characteristic of N.S.W. the pre- vious week. The result was that Australia's wingers hardly touch ed the ball in attack.

ly to Van den Berg, who was crash-Towers shook momentarily, but ed to earth by Rankin' a yard from recovered and raced on to elude Australia's goal-line. In falling Turner's despairing dive when near Van den Berg flung the ball side the line. Towers ran round from the The wind was coming strongly ways towards the touch-line, and right of the posts to score in the from the south as Babrow kicked off coming up well, Bastard pounced on bull's-eye position. The speed of for South Africa, who had the wind it and scored the try just in from Towers in this try was sufficient to in their favour right through the the corner flag. Some thought it answer any of the assumptions that From Australia's point of view, first half. Strangely enough, when doubtful but it wasn't. Brand he has slowed down. this was the most important factor it came to Australia's turn the missed the goal and Africa led by in the game.

Our whole plan of wind had died almost completely 3-0, with the game gone 28 minutes. campaign centred on the ability of away.

The score was unchanged by half the inside backs to get the ball From the kick-off the African for- time. quickly out to the outside backs, wards hurled themselves headlong: The game had been in operation of the Africans. Ironic cheers whose known powers of penetrating into the attack, and Australia had for 35 minutes before Australia got swelled from the massed crowds to her back to the wall as Rankin sav into the South African 25. This greet Craven's Osler tactics-- to kick,ed with a long line kick to the right they did following a splendid pick-tactics, we had been assured were Pauling applied his boot almost in-wing

up by Pauling, whose subsequent no longer part of African football. variably to the ball as he got it With the game only five minutes kick was more effective and Brand They served their purpose, however,

were to have done the rest. Though not instructed

"TOUCH-LINE ANTICS” Towers, converted and Australia led by 5-3. The half was now 12 minutes in progress. Then came into full blast the touch-line tactics

from Richards, repeatedly kicking old, it was apparent that Africa failed to grasp the ball. Kelaher and play was transferred from

Her backs

straight into the waiting arms of was a different team

came up fast and toed it away from African into Australian territory. Africa's full- back, Brand. It was were much faster up on their men Brand, Towers în support, but Australia was shaken time and playing into Africa's hands.

in defence. The forwards were a Africa was able to cover up again by onslaughts from the huge mighty machine of giants, crashing

HAD THE BETTER OF IT

African forwards. Africa had had much the better

Covered with mud, they hurled

SPRINGBOK'S PLAN OF ACTION their way onwards..

The Springboks deserve high In the line-outs the loss of Hodg of play territorially, and in other themselves into the fray like verit- praise for their will to win. Philipson was particularly felt. Africans Nel, veteran of many hundreds of Strachan and Bergh practically had ways. Australia had had a thorough able Zulus. It was very difficult to

testing in defence. Under football clashes, led his men of green things their own.

this itell who was African and who Aus- way. In the on to the field with his tactical plans scrums Bonis tried all his wiles, as a tackler: He was definitely in-

Dorr did not come up to test form the ball monotonously and after the Itralian in the forwards. They won

all worked out.

but he was hardly in the race.

inside backs had closed things up He had seen that the ground was Actually he won the hooking duel 17

(Continued on Page 21) sodden and the mud of the cricket times to Lotz's 13, but the Spring- pitches extremely slippery, ISO he boks pushed Australia back off the decided that, for his men at least, ball, and won 19 scrums to 11 it would be foolhardy to attempt over-much to handle the ball.

DIZZY FROM JOLT

In the space of the first twelve minutes Rankin had saved.

HANDLING MISTAKES » He instructed his men to use their lia three times, with his

then the right wing in the Austra ferior to O'Brien, who would streng-

team for the second Test.

Towers had kicked off OIT] the resumption Richards and utti were like hawks as they after ball and were for a

Lack was not them

and

frica

LATEST

feet as much as possible, in dribbling work handling - and kicking at ed In and line-kicking, and not risk full-back Richards soid a dummy

giving the danger of mistakes in handling to Craven in a characteristic run Windon and among the backs. These tactics but crashed into a posse of cover-selves gradually developed along lines akin defenders. Almost immediately to those that were utilised against afterwards he did the same thing, Kelaher and McShane on the blind

De Villiers, in a cheeky run, beat ST LEGER Australia and New Zealand by and this time he was dizzy from side but was stopped As the Bennie Osler.

the jolt.

cans won the ball from That the crowd of 33,034 recog From a scrum in the NSW. half,

thrown line-outs it aised them once again was evid-slender little de Villiers, always Craven, who repeatedly kicked ent as they ironically cheered when, dangerous when with the ball, cut

into touch The crowd was rar- time after time the Springbok five-round the blind side, his legs a-

ing its disapproval derisively. eighth, Craven, kicked for the touch twinkling as he danced his way

BEST TRY OF MATCH line. This persistent feature of through. Blocked, he short-kicked Then hike, a bolt from the blue South African football is undoubted-down-the ly unpopular with the public in raced like a bare vinger Turner came the most spectacular try of hare after it, booting the match. From a line-out în Australia

it in turn past Dorr and over the Australia's territory, McShane got

and

CALL OVER

and to

it

London, To-day. The following is the latest call- over for the Leger, which will be run on September

Midday Sun 3 to 1 o, 100 to 30 Perifox 9 to 20,-5 to 1t Solfo 100 to 9 o, 100 to 8 t

Beuter.