31: All Blacks primed for Wales Test
Wales had high hopes they could repeat the winning effort of their 1905-06 predecessors when taking on the All Blacks at Swansea in 1924.
Newport, and then Cardiff, had run the All Blacks close, but local critics felt Wales' decision to play only seven forwards would play into New Zealand's hands. On the other hand, the All Blacks felt having a week to prepare for the game might help eliminate any signs of staleness that were evident against Cardiff. Wetter was assigned to play the 'rover' game, given he had played Tests at halfback, first five-eighths or centre.
A Rugby International wrote before the game,
I cannot see Wales victorious. She has no longer players of the class she used to have; and the team work, which is so great in the Newport and Cardiff fifteens, will be missing from the international side. If the weather is fine, the All Blacks should obtain a 15-point victory; if wet, one of half that amount.[1]
The Times said Welsh opinion was that after some of the close calls the All Blacks had endured, Wales, playing at home, ought to do better than them all. But the writer's claim that playing Bert Cooke at centre was a mistake was to come back to bite him.
And Col. Philip Trevor did not think the New Zealanders would be beaten. Wales had not chosen a pack of solid scrummagers to confront the All Blacks.
They seem to me to be arranging to attack their famous opponents at their strongest, and not at their weakest, point.[2]
The All Blacks may have been ordinary and ineffective in their tour games for long periods, but they had never been rattled – they had plenty in store.
Neil McGregor, selected at first five-eighths, said Wales' choice of playing seven forwards against the biggest pack of seven New Zealand could field meant it would not say much for the All Blacks if they couldn't cope with them. Wales started at a fast clip and was vigorous.
George Nepia recalled the game and the revenge for the 1905 loss the side sought.
New Zealand was expecting us to get her own back for her, and the morning of the match we received a special message from our Prime Minister expecting us to win. I sat in a corner of the dressing room, as soon as I had changed into my togs, too keyed up for words. I was a bundle of nerves. Then the Welsh crowd started their amazing singing, and, though I love music second to none, their splendid chorus work only made me feel worse…[3]
The Welsh attempted some gamesmanship to upset the All Blacks before the kick-off. They got away with denying New Zealand a possible win in 1905-06 by moving the ball after Bob Deans scored, and they attempted to impose their will in 1924 before the game had started.
After the All Blacks had completed their haka, Wales decided the match ball was not up to scratch, and captain Jack Wetter rejected it. Three other balls were rejected before the referee chose one, and the game began. The 1905-06 tactic and those in 1924 were conveniently forgotten when a certain lineout occurred in 1978.
As was the case in Ireland, the New Zealand Test team had a week to prepare for the game at Tenby, while those not involved went on to Swansea where the Test was to be played.
'Ginger' Nicholls said the game was essentially a contest between the packs which suited the All Blacks.[4]E.E. Booth said Wales fell into the trap of believing they could contain the New Zealand pack, but the side lacked cohesion, leadership and the variety of attacks usually associated with the Welsh game.[5]
Neither side exhibited any combined excellence of note; the play was more rugged and virile than scientific or polished, and on many occasions descended to a scragginess (fortunately without malicious play) that was neither interesting nor pleasant to witness. After viewing the fair showings of the Newport and Cardiff matches I am inclined to think that the Welsh selection was faulty, passing over many promising heavy, fast, young forwards.[6]
Mark Nicholls opened the scoring after 10 minutes with a penalty goal, some reward for two lost try-scoring chances that saw wings Jack Steel and 'Snowy' Svenson both being stopped just short of their corners. They extended their lead midway through the first half after halfback Jimmy Mill took play to the Wales' 25 line. Maurice Brownlie secured the ball from a loose ruck, beat two defenders, and scored handy to the posts. Nicholls converted and was in the action soon after.
We were back on the attack and upon receiving in a passing rush, I pretended to drop for goal. [Jack] Wetter charged and I ran through to the fullback and passed to Parker who scored. This movement caught the referee napping and, although he was not in any position to judge, he mistakenly ruled my pass forward and the try was disallowed. Shortly afterwards, I repeated this movement, passing to [Jock] Richardson, but [Jim] Parker, coming up fast between Jock and I, knocked on and another try was thrown away.[7]
Midway through the first half, three Welshmen broke away with the ball at toe, with only Nepia in front of them.
They were rushing the ball downfield, passing it one to the other in close-in soccer fashion – and I stood alone between them and a try for they were on our 25 line. I was barely in front of them and to their right as I made to get the ball. I simply had to get it – and what is more – get it into my own hands and find touch to give our forwards relief for a few moments, as they had been particularly hard-pressed for a while. I made up my mind to dive for the ball. I knew I had to time my dive so that I would reach the ball the very second it was kicked from one forward's foot to the other's. So I dived for the feet of the man furthest from one of the three. I got the ball, brushed through them and found touch back on the Welsh 25. Then the whistle went. I turned round and there was Wetter and another of the trio of forwards lying flat out. To this day, I have no recollection of colliding with any of them. I felt nothing as I brushed through them, if 'brushing' through is the correct word to use in view of what happened.[8]
Just before halftime, Cyril Brownlie gave the ball to Bill Irvine from a lineout. Irvine charged through the Welsh pack to score near the corner to secure an 11-0 lead at halftime. Wetter left the field after the Nepia clash midway through the first half to return after the break, although essentially a passenger.
However, Wales were still determined, and it took New Zealanders Nepia, Cooke and McGregor to pull off three saves, while on another occasion, Rowe Harding looked likely to score from a blindside play on halfway. However, Steel's covering tackle ended Welsh hopes. Down the other end of the field soon after, the referee awarded Steel a try, only for New Zealand touch judge Lou Simpson to rule that Steel stepped into touch. But the All Blacks were undeterred as soon after Mill worked a blindside move that saw Svenson across in the corner.
Deep into the game, Nepia was required to call on a plan he had worked on before the game. It involved sucking an attacking player into a simple trap. Harding was the player concerned.
He was tearing along the wing at a tremendous lick, and, as usual, when faced with the problem of saving a try, I looked to see what other opponents were thereabouts. I saw another of the red-jerseyed men running at breakneck speed through the centre and making to close with Rowe Harding. Needing to work quick, I staged a bit of make-believe by walking a few feet from the touchline towards the centre of the field, thus leaving a fairly wide gap between myself and the touchline, and one which Harding promptly thought wide enough for him to get through. I knew my limitations, however, and I knew just how much rope I could give that famous Welsh flyer. He made straight for the gap, and I turned and made straight for him. I threw him yards over the touchline with the ball. The trap had worked…It kept him from turning round and looking for the support which was there but which he did not see.[9]
Another of Nepia's actions, which he didn't refer to, was appreciated by the South Wales Echo's writer. It involved Nepia making a pick-up of the ball from a Welsh kick while travelling at a full sprint.
As he fielded the ball, he was partially tackled by a Welshman, and flew through the air like a bird, but he retained his hold on the ball, and got in a magnificent kick. It was easily the greatest thing Nepia has done in Wales.[10]
Just before the end, Harding was indecisive when playing the ball close to his line. He was caught, and from the resulting ruck, the ball found its way over the line where [Len] Cupples fell on it to score, with Nicholls' conversion securing a 19-0 win.
The All Blacks were thrilled to have achieved the victory they sought most of all.
Neil McGregor, championed by many critics for his outstanding defensive display, summed up the win.
It was hard - hard in all senses. A lot of us are feeling sore, but it was more than worth it. We were well satisfied with the win and did not expect such a big margin. Cooke played much better in this game than in his last few. He made the best out of the opposing backs' mistakes, and on occasions was able to turn defence into attack, on account of their faulty passing. Nepia played a great game at fullback, one of his best. He kicked well, tackled well and stopped many dangerous rushes. His fielding was grand to watch – he is a hard man to stop.[11]
Cooke won local favour, not only because of his Llanelly connection, but the quality of his display.
One of the surprising aspects of what he did, too, was that there never appeared to be any trace of selfishness in his great individual efforts. He was a centre of which any country could be proud, and he had something to teach which Welsh centres could learn with advantage.[12]
While lamenting the quality of play was not up to the standard expected of the occasion, the Western Mailsaid in an editorial that it was clear why the New Zealanders were invincible on their tour to date.
Their speed was marvellous, and the fact that both sides kept up to the very end the extraordinary pace that was set at the beginning was a demonstration of physical prowess of which both Wales and New Zealand can legitimately be proud. But more marvellous still was the clever understanding between every player in the New Zealand side; their swift seizure of every opportunity of turning a desperate attack on their own goal into a deadly organised attack on the opponents'; the perfect combination and their impenetrable defence. With such qualities, they won and deserved their victory.[13]
Welsh hero from 1905, Dr E.T. Morgan, said the All Blacks were deserved winners and the winning margin was not flattering as they were full value for their points. Wales had hardly deserved to score. Given part of the game was played in rain, he said, that reduced the fallacy the All Blacks couldn't play on a wet ground. Players who handled a dry ball as perfectly as the All Blacks did would handle a wet ball with greater certainty than those whose handling was indifferent in perfect conditions.
The handling of a greasy ball by these All Blacks has been a revelation.[14]
English critic F.S. Sellicks was critical of the Welsh selection and said the team was far from the best team Wales could have fielded.
It contained no member of the Cardiff or Newport packs, both of which had fairly held the tourists.[15]
Scorers: Wales 0 New Zealand 19 (Maurice Brownlie, 'Snowy' Svenson, Bill Irvine, Len Cupples tries; Mark Nicholls 2 con, pen). HT: 0-11. Referee, Colonel Brunton, NZ touch judge Lou Simpson.
[1] A Rugby International, Evening News, 28 November 1924
[2] Col. Philip Trevor, Daily Telegraph, 29 November 1924
[3] George Nepia, NZ Truth, 4 November 1936
[4] H.E. "Ginger" Nicholls, NZ Free Lance, 14 January 1925
[5] E.E. Booth, South Wales Echo, 1 December 1924
[6] ibid
[7] Mark Nicholls, Weekly News, December 18, 1935
[8] George Nepia, NZ Truth, 4 November 1936
[9] Nepia, ibid
[10] South Wales Echo, 29 November 1924
[11] Neil McGregor, letter to Southland Times, published 24 January 1925
[12] Old Stager, South Wales Echo, 1 December 1924
[13] Editorial, Western Mail, 1 December 1924
[14] Dr E.T. Morgan, Western Mail, 1 December 1924
[15] F.S. Sellicks, The Cricketer, January 1925