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HANDSOME VICTORY EARNS

ENGLAND GRAND SLAM


Finest Pack for Years Routs Scots
In Closing Minutes
England

By MICHAEL
MELFORD
16 pts Scotland

F England were to win their fourth victory of


the season and all the glory that went with it,
the ideal always was that they win it handsomely and conclusively in a game worthy of the
presence of the Queen, Prince Philip and 72,000
others.

So, happily, It wasand the trail that began a shade luckily


at Cardiff in January with a Welsh threequarter getting offside
far away from the ball, ended now with England battering
ceaselessly at the Scottish line
and with the fine Scottish pack INTERNATIONAL TABLE
Pts.
routed foi: the first time.
D . L. F. A. Pis.
p.4 W.
England
4 0 0 34 8 8

T w o goals, a penalty goal a n d Ireland


4 2 0 2 21 21 4
4 2 0 2 21 27 4
a try to a penalty goal s e e m e d a n Scotland
Wales
3 1 0 2 1 2 17 2
unlikely e n d after a n e v e n first France
3 0 0 3 11 2 6 0
half. W i t h 10 m i n u t e s to go, Eng- Remaining Match.March
2 3 : France v
land still only led 6-3.
Y e t o n Wales (Paris).
those last m i n u t e s , t h e m a r g i n w a s ' HigSins. Thus It was, a a d Higsias
fair enough. T h e longer t h e rubbed it in by Instigating the
m a t c h lasted, t h e m o r e E n g l a n d second try and scoring the third.
m u s t h a v e scored.
Their forwards had had to overcome JEEPS' BIG PART
a tough, flery, well-knit pack. Their Bartlett Passes Well
backs had had to beat magnificent
No one has contributed more to
tackling. Scotland were no easy prey
season's success thar Jeeps, so
and only a side of unusual ability the
often
a ninth forward or a second
could have swamped them as Eng- full-back.
Now, with his rare speed
land did in the end.
in gathering and dispatching the
A lot of nonsense is often talked ball, with his accuracy of service and
about team spirit but even the general appearance of knowing
casual watcher must have remarked exactly what was going on, he
the unusual accord in this England showed his talents as an attacking
sifle ofplayers from 11 different clubs scrum-half as well.
and universities.
Bartlett passed admirably and it
was no fault of his that the threeFINE CAPTAIN
quarters' activities were not more
profitable. T h e Scottish backs lay
Careful Team-building
up and fairly hurled Butterfield
The grand slam of four victories, well
Davies down. Not until the very
last achieved by England in 1928, and
last
of the game did Davies
would not have been possible with- make move
the only orthodox opening.
out a captain of character in Evans
and selectors who built carefully over
McClung, Macdonald and Smith
two seasons and, once satisfied, were looked utterly solid and Allan, for
prepared to back their judgment. whom on recent form one felt some
They have needed only 17 players apprehension, looked as safe as anythis season, only 22 in the last two one in perhaps the most difficult task
seasons, some of those replacement."; of allagainst Jackson.
for casualties
He was helped by the niunber of
Mostly, Saturday's events con- passes that went astray between
firmed reputations. They confirmed Davies and Jackson. Jackson does
that this was the finest England pack not believe in going outside if he can
for a long time and that Robbins and jink inside and is probably at his best
Marques in their respective spheres with a centre who can give h i m a
were the outstanding English for- scissors pass.
Davies. one suspects, has quite
wards of recent years.
Currie had one of his best games enough trouble delivering the orthodox
pass accurately without having
for England yet, joining Marques in
some brilliant line-out play. Evans, to embark on the complications of
among other things, heeled three under-arm flips and the like.

Sound Place-kicking

So what with wayward passes,


Jackson not perhaps lieing prepared
to trust his recently damaged hand
too far and the unfailing tackling,
the English backs promised more
than they achieved for a long time.
Chains had an uncertain first half
but. like Scotland, K. J. F., who once
again looked a.';tonishingly calm and
safe for a full-back of limited experience, .showed his flair for the big
occasion by some excellent secondhalf place-kicking. Three kicks,
three goals, including one conversion
from the touchline.
If the dccllne_of the Scottish forwards in the last 20 minutes was unexpectedly abrupt, there was no disE. EVANS R. E. G. JEEPS grace attached to going down before
heavier pack and one of England's
Captain of character a n d attack- atalents.
Greenwood was perhaps in
ing scrum-hali.
a cla.ss of his own and just once he
broke
away
and showed his remarktimes against the loose head, with
Jacobs and Hastings always seeming able control with the ball at his feet.
to have the under-shove on the DEFENSIVE BACKS
Scottish front row.
For all the successes of this Scot- No Penetration
tish pack, it had always seemed that
T h e Scottish backs never looked
their back row must suffer in com- c a n a h l e nf Innnr-hlncr a n e n p t r n t i v p

TWICKENHAM TRIUMPH. P. H. Thompson crashing over in


the corner for England's second try.

a lot of a young m a n of 19 to adJust himself to the extra pace of


International football with such as
Robbins breathing fire on him.
Earlier this season Scotland
seemed to accept their lack of midfield thrust and, with McClung at
stand-off half, to be content to exploit the attacking talents they had,
such as the speed of A. R. Smith
in pursuit of the diagonal kick.
In their victories over France and
Wales there was method in all the
backs did. This time their achievements were all defensive.
T h e first seconds of the match set
the pattern for m u c h of the first
half. From Scotland's kick-off deep
into the 25, England started a pas.sing movement, got into trouble and
had to be extricated by the inevitable Robbins. T h e willingness to
take risks in the cause of attack
was one of the most cheering parts
of England's performance.
The early line-outs produced some
curious manoeuvring, while the Scottish forwards, by standing well back,
operated a plan designed to isolate
Marques and Currie. This, however,
needed a long throw and was quickly
foiled by the brisk wind.
It was 20 minutes before Scotland
won the ball from the line-out, and
though they then won it 10 times
before half-time by bunching, England soon sorted that out.

yards out and half-way to touch.


Challis duly kicked his first goal.
Within five minutes Davies
knocked on a high punt ahead and
Jeeps, in front of him, picked the
ball up. From the resultant penalty for off-side, only six yards short
of half-way. Scotland (K. J. F.) put
his .side within range again.
It was a situation which in theory
.should have revived Scotland's
morale. All that happened was that
England returned fiercer than ever
to the a.ssault and snuffed out the
last flame in the Scottish forwards.

Spectacular Move

With eight minutes to go, Jack.son


came inside to launch a spectacular
passing movement which was halted
near the left corner. The try that
followed, as an England forward of
the post-war years .said, would have
warmed the .soul of the insatiable
theorist of those days. B. H. Travers.
who reckoned that for a wheel to
be successful in modern Rugby, the
opposing back row must be incompetent.
Scotland heeled near the line and
wheeled. Higgins promptly picked
the ball up and pa.ssed it to Thompson who. with the Scottish forwards
still busy wheeling, crashed over in
the left corner .
By now Scotland, exhausted by
much honourable tackling, were
slowly up and when Jeeps was caught
after a scrum in front of the ScotENGLAND LEAD
tish posts, Higgins recovered possesLuck, Sleight of Hand
.sion and wrestled his way over on
own.
T h e Calcutta Cup. the
T h e try by which England led at his
Crow-n and the Championhalf time was a blend of luck and Triple
sleight of hand. Scotland won the ship, were well and truly won.
E N G L A N D : R. Challis (Brisloll: P. B
ball from a line-out after 37 minutes Jackson
W. P. C. Davies (Harleand Waddell made some progress quins). J.(Coveniry).
Biillerfleld (Northampton). P. H.
rHeadinslcy)-. R. M. Bartletl (Harlebefore passing hurriedly and ankle- Thompson
R. E. G. Jeeps (Northampton)-. G. W.
high. McClung. sensibly enough, fly- qiiins).
(Gloucester), E. Evans (Sale) (capt).
kicked hard only for Butterfield, four C.Hastings
R. Jacohs (Nortbamnon). R. W. D . Marques
(Cambridge
& Harlequins). J. D . Curric
yards away, to make a fantastic (Oxford Univ.Univ.& Clifton).
P. G. D. Rohhins
catch somewhere around his ear.
(Oxford Univ. & Coventry). A. Asheroft (Waterloo). R. Hicgins (Liverpool).
He was already in full stride and
S C O T L A N D : K. J. F. Scotland (Army
F.P.): A. R. Smith (Cambridee Univ.).
raced half-right for the line passing T.Herinfs
McCIung (Edinbiirsh Acad.). K. R. Macto Davies as he reached it.
donald (Stewart's Coll P.P.). 3. L. F. Allan
Univ.): G. H. Waddell (L. Scottish
The second half began with grow- (Cambridae
R.N.). A. F. Dorward (Ciala): H. F. McLeod
ing pressure by the English forwards. &T.
(Hawiclc). R. K. G. MacEwen (L. Scottish).
Elliot
(Galea).
E. J. S. Michle (L. Scottish).
The Scottish front row by now
W. Y. Kemp (Glaszow H.S. F.P.). G. K.
showed signs of wilting imder the J.Smith
(Kelso). J. T. Greenwood (Perthshire
strain and after 20 minutes they Acad.) (capt.). A. Rohson (Hawick).
coilan.serl. vielrlinp- a o e j i a J i y ^ e r 40 Referee : R. Mitchell (Ireland).

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