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Who Scored that Try ?

Rugby Classics.

Whenever a group gets together and football is the topic it seems almost inevitable that sooner or later someone will put the same one question, "What is the greatest try you have ever seen?"

The answer seems to be very different.

From "Well, the best I've seen was Porter's potted goal against Britain for Wellington—Oh, you meant try—now, that's a different matter. . . ." to a hundred other sensational stories.

For football has been played in this country a long time now, and a great number of tries have been scored in that period. Nevertheless a few from that, unending number can well be recorded.

Always fresh in the mind when such scores are mentioned is that wonderful try scored by Albert Falwasser, the New Zealand Maori All Black, the famous Hawke's Bay wing three-quarter, in the Hawke's Bay - Wellington game in 1925. It was the game of the year in Wellington. The Ranfurly Shield was at stake, and the almost invincible Ray team was playing away from its home town. The local team had the "Magpies" hemmed on their line, and the formidable Bay team was exerting every nerve and sinew to clear. Sacks on the mill, and a scrum on the very Bay line. In went the ball, and the Bay hookers—both All Blacks—got it. It came out cleanly to Mill, the great half-back, and he was round the blind-side of the scrum in a flash. There was no Porter on that side of the scrum. He drew the Wellington wing and gave Falwasser room. Falwasser made no race of it. Careering down on Walters. the Wellington full-back, he gave a snappy punt over the custodian's head, and was after the ball in a flash. The ball bounced ideally for the flying winger, and he took it in his strire there was nothing in front of him but the far distant line, eighty yards away. But Falwasser did it easily. As he ran round under the posts. the nearest man to him was over the half-way line, and the crowd was roaring its approval of the dazzling winger.

Again, the fine try scored by Albert Jackson, the New Zealand University and Wellington Representative wing for Victoria College some few years ago now. It was a bleak day, with a driving southerly wind. 'Varsity were defending for dear life on their own goal, with the driving wind and rain in their faces. Penned in on their line, it was all they could do to put the ball out of play when they did get it. At last, in desperation, Jackson got the ball on the wing and ran. He seemed to have no room to work in, but he made it. With his long raking stride he set off down field. Several times his opponents with tackles staggered him, but his high stepping run made him a difficult man to bring down. Each time he somehow kept his feet and kept on. From behind his own goal-line to the other end of the field—a one hundred and ten yards' run, but Jackson did it. And when with himself over the enemy's line, Jackson, who was unfortunately short-sighted, thought an opponent was on him, he passed to Aitken, the 'Varsity skipper, who had kept with him, and it was he who actually forced the ball. One of the finest tries ever scored on any park.

Again, in the Test match New Zealand - Britain, in 1930, the try scored by the All Black skipper in the second spell. He scored two tries that day, but the second was a gem. Receiving the ball in a melee near the British goal. Porter seemed to be absolutely surrounded by players, opponents and allies alike. There did not look to be one chance in a hundred of a try there. But Porter thought otherwise. Side-stepping like a back, bullocking like a packman, and "selling dummies" to seeming eager Britishers, Porter seemed to be impossible to bring down. He got to within a yard of the goal-line, and that was enough. With a smashing dive he burst past Bassett, the British custodian, and had scored what was probably the try of his life.

These tries can be multiplied again and again— always someone has one better in his mind: Doug. Mackay's try against Athletic last year when he beat man after man in his spectacular run down the line; Jack Ruru's magnificent burst, when he crashed over in Bassett's arms in 1930 for the Maoris; but there it is—perhaps you have another one, too?