Black & Blue - The First Test of 1908

Sean Fagan of RL1908.com
This article is an excerpt from Pioneers of Rugby League.

Albert Baskerville - played for New Zealand against Australia in the first ever rugby league test between the two countries.

The selection panel for the first Australian rugby league team showed how much say the senior players now had. These players, already assured of a place in the team, would choose the rest.

This was a response to one of the major grievances the players held against the NSWRU selection system. Still, for a number of reasons the League system was not perfect.

Giltinan took one of the places on the selection panel, alongside Hennessy, Burdon, Lutge and, as Queensland selector, Mickey Dore.

The NSWRL was determined to involve the Queenslanders in the Australian team, even though no League matches had yet been played in Brisbane. Along with Dore, two other Queensland players were named in the team: winger Doug McLean and front rower Bob Tubman. Burdon
stood down due to a cut hand and missed the match, while Hennessy
was elected captain.

Albert Baskerville agreed to make himself available in the New
Zealand team as a winger. Harold Rowe, a fast and experienced
three-quarter, was chosen as the reserve back, which suggests that
Baskerville wanted to play, rather than there being a run of injuries
forcing him to take the field. Jum Turtill, playing fullback, was the
New Zealand captain.

Australia: C. Hedley (Glebe), D. McLean (Qld), J. Devereux (N.S.), H. H. Messenger (E.S.), F. Cheadle (Newt.), A. Rosenfeld (E.S.), M. Dore (Qld), R. Graves (Balm.), A. Hennessy (S.S.), J. Rosewell (S.S.), T. McCabe (Glebe), D. Lutge (N.S.), R. Tubman (Qld).

New Zealand: Turtill, Baskerville, Wrigley, Kelly, Tyler, Barber, R. Wynyard, Mackrell, Pearce, Trevarthen, Cross, Johnston, Byrne.

Yet again the League had perfect weather for one of its most important
days of the season. On Saturday May 9 over 20,000 patrons were at
the Agricultural Ground to witness a ‘stirring and strenuous game.’

Just before 3.15p.m. Australia, wearing the light blue jerseys of NSW
(emblazoned with a large ‘A’ and a kangaroo), ‘filed onto the enclosure,
the men were greeted with a roar of welcome.’ The Kiwis, in all black uniforms followed.

After the New Zealanders performed their war-cry, ‘Black and Blue rapidly raced into position for the start of play. A shrill pipe of the umpire’s whistle, then Johnston, the colossal New Zealander kicked-off, and the fray began. Right from the start it could be seen that the piratical-looking New Zealanders were out for keeps in deadly earnest. Their forwards attacked like tigers, keeping the thin blue line battling for dear life, just on its own. It was only by superhuman battling and a fair share of luck that our boys prevented New Zealand from scoring in the first few minutes.’

Hennessy received a ‘nasty stinker over the eye, the result of a blow,
and had to be carried off the field.’ The touch judge reported Johnston as the ‘culprit’ and he was asked to leave the field by the referee (the New Zealander was later exonerated). Jones took Hennessy’s place while he received treatment, Messenger became captain. Hennessy did not know he had been replaced and returned to the play, for a time Australia had 14 players to the visitors’ 12.

‘The Blacks’ then attacked the Australian line, using a dribbling
rush with the ball at their feet. Byrne picked the ball up for the New
Zealanders and he passed it to Wynyard who scored the first try of the match. Shortly afterwards, Baskerville got a pass from Wynyard, and
‘with a splendid run, beat Hedley badly’ to claim New Zealand’s second
try.

Baskerville, ‘who was sprinting in fine form,’ nearly scored again a
few minutes after, but was brought down by a try-saving tackle from
Devereux. New Zealand were not to be denied though, as they spread
the ball to Wynyard who raced across to score their third try (and lead
11–0). Messenger had three attempts at goal as the first-half neared its
end, landing one from a Devereux ‘fair catch.’

Australia came back hard in the second half, with Messenger featuring strongly in general play; at one point he shook off three tacklers before
successfully punt kicking the ball downfield, even though he was facing his own goal line.

The Sydney Sportsman reported on Australia’s comeback, ‘The Blues forwards rushed the leather down field, Graves securing, and had the mortification of being held up on the line. Dinny Lutge soon after made amends for this by scoring the first try for his side, after a bumping run.’ Messenger missed the conversion attempt of Australia’s first rugby league Test try.

‘The Blues, playing with great heart, kept “knocking at the door,” and another try was soon forthcoming — Rosenfeld following on a ball kicked over the line scored.’ Messenger converted the try and the New Zealanders were now only ahead 11–10.

. This article is an excerpt from Pioneers of Rugby League.

With time fast running out the crowd reached ever pitch. New Zealand were penalised for shepherding, but Messenger yet again failed with the kick (his eleventh goal attempt, with just two successes).

Minutes later, Messenger took a fair catch on the half-way mark which gave him another shot. He missed. However, the referee ruled that one of the New Zealand forwards had baulked Messenger, (clapping his hands and yelling ‘fearful exclamations in Maori’), and gave him another kick. Messenger missed again. The whistle then immediately sounded for full-time, giving New Zealand a one point victory.