SPRINGBOKS V. MANAWATU.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 211, 6 August 1937, Page 12

SPRINGBOKS V. MANAWATU.

(By “Spectator.”) Wednesday was the day of days for Rugby football followers in the Manawatu, for was it not the day on which the mighty Springboks, magnificent footballers from the far-away veldts of South Africa, returned to Palmerston North sixteen long years after their first visit? Was it not the day on which we hoped to see a re-enactment of that grim and desperate struggle of former years? Did we not expect to hear again the yelling of the crowd, and to see again the surging of the forwards as our men heroically fought the “Boles” to the last ditch, as did the warriors of old? Wednesday was a day that we had all set apart, a day on which we all prepared to enjoy a long-anticipated Rugby feast. We were to see the tactics of the South African backs and the fierceness of the South African forwards opposed to our own Manawatu men. We hoped that our backs would counter the green and gold back line with moves as tactical, and the green and gold forwards with scrummaging as fierce. There were those of us who even dared to hope that our men would conquer. And so a tremendous crowd from far and near wended its way to the Showgrounds, buoyed up with hope and with a keen anticipation to see the present Manawatu men fight off the second Springbok invasion. ' All through the first spell the Manawatu team waged a satisfying battle. They fought the South African forwards. holding them in the tight and matching them in the loose, keeping play on the other side of half-way. They broke from ruck and line-out, and, with magnificent rushes, they took the ball down field on numerous occasions. Often, though, with the whole pack away in full cry, a forward injudiciously over-kicked -and allowed Brand, who was superb all through, sufficient time in which to gather in the ball and repel the onslaughts with very safe kicks to touch. On one occasion, Finlay unaccountably missed an easy penalty goal, and on another a diving forward was beaten by the bounce of the ball. The home forwards were grand in that first half, and they went tirelessly into the fray, led by All Black McKenzie. It was they who earned all the honours of the spell for Manawatu. It w-as the irony of fate, though, that the only points scored in that half were scored by the Springboks. Brand kicked a beautiful penalty goal right into the wind, and from right out on the side-line. A while later a ruck developed right down in the corner on Manawatu’s line, and Lyster, the blind-side wing threequarter, going into the chain of backs, received the ball from his scrum-half and shot diagonally through a gap and over under the posts for Brand to convert. It was a splendid effort on the home side’s part to hold the score to B—o at half-time, but it is a pity that the work of the Manawatu forwards did not reap a greater reward. The second period of the game witnessed the complete fade-out of the local team, and the mastery of the Africans. There was nothing in the play of our men to suggest that they had met the attacks of the Springboks in the first spell with attacks just as ruthless. There was bewilderment where there had been purpose, there was lifelessness where there had been vim, and there was complete subservience to a greater team. The Springbok tide began to come in with a vengeance until it absolutely engulfed the forward rock against which it crashed in the first spell. The African waves went irresistibly downfield and beat constantly against the 'Manawatu goal line. The inside backs repeatedly fled down the centre, the outsides went down the wings, and all the time the vanguard hammered and battered away forward. Only once did Manawatu lift its dying head. That was when they shoved, shoved, and shoved their way up to the twenty-five yard line, from where young Edlin, a game little half-back if ever there was one, pushed his w r ay somehow through a ruck, and the forwards carried on for Newman to score. However. the relentless visitors returned to the attack and resumed the annihilation of Manajvatu. The accuracy of Brand’s kicking was amazing and his field goal from half-way was a gem. The Manawatu defence was sadly battered and the flying African threequarters slipped through the breaches with a never-failing regularity. The crowd grew strangely silent as the massacre went on before its eyes. There was no roaring encouragement to the Manawatu men. There was only resignation and a little pathos, pathos because the fright we gave the Springboks in 1921 had been so easily avenged. The final score was 39 to 3, and we must admit that the Africans were the masters and we the frail pupils. We must remember the lessons they taught us, learn them and mark them down for our future benefit. for it is obvious there is much still to be learned by our Rugby footballers. > .... That was how the Springboks of 1937 settled a long-standing account with Manawatu. AVhen I looked at the schoolboys massed around the oval, I could not help but think of that other time when I, too, was a schoolboy, cheering as they were doing for a Manawatu side against the Africans. When the game was over, though, the thought came to me that, while I will always be able to treasure memories or that* magnificent struggle of old, that brought so much honour to the Rugby districts of Manawatu and Horowhenua, they will only have memories of a green-and-wliite side that was soundly beaten and entirely overwhelmed.