FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 294, 9 December 1905, Page 12

FOOTBALL.

Mr. A. J. Tapper, an Aucklander who has just returned from a visit to the Old Country, says that the New Zealand footbaWers are the talk of the United Kingdom, and in London the amount of interest taken in the tour of the colonials is amazing. Mr Tapper considers the footballers' visit to England is the best advertisement the colony has had yet.

Swansea, for seven years the champion team of Wales, were defeated by Cardiff by 14 points to tl-ree just before the last mail left. The Swansea team has shown signs of senile decay this year. Previously they had not tasted defeat since the beginning of the season before last.

The Wales correspondent of the London "Sportsman" writes that the probable line of action of the Welsh tarn against the New Zealanders will be to "smash up their front line with eight hustling forwards."

"You know," said Smiff in a husky voice, "they 'aye 15 reserves. Supposin' —only supposin', you know—they was ter start an Association team ter fill in their spare time."

It is interesting to know that the i. Stuart who played in the three-quarter line for West of Scotland against New Zealand at Glasgow is none other than the J. Stuart who played for the Pirates Club in Dunedin a season or two ago. He is brother to Donald Stuart, picked to go home, but unable to go owing to heart affliction.

The colonials have played three internationals and have won the lot The native team which went home played three—against England, Ireland and Wales. No fixture was arranged against Scotland. The match against England was lost by one goal and four tries, that against Wales lost by one goal and two tries, while that against Ireland was won by four goals and one try to one goal and one try.

As showing the interest which is being taken in the engagements of the New Zealanders in England, it may be mentioned that quite a representative crowd went from Wales to Gloucester, and the play was keenly noted. There was nothing but admiration for the colonials, and their visit to Wales will be all the more eagerly looked forward to. lhey will meet different stuff iv Wales, and it now appears likely as if the last five matches will be the most interesting dnd arouse the greatest interest of the tour, says a critic.

The doings of the New Zealanders art., as might be expected, arousing considerable interest in Northern -Union circles. When the colonials played Gloucester a deputation from at least one Northern Union club was sent down to spy out the land with the object, of course, of seeing if it was possible tc make a "deal," and bring some of the New Zealand talent into the professional union. From what we know and hear of the New Zealanders* aims and feelings, says the "Athletic News," there is not the slightest prospect of any enterprise of this sort being successful. Tlie immense crowds which are attracted by the New Zealand players should show the Rugby Union officials what the popularity of the game would be were it played seriously.

What confounded the New Zealanders' latest, victims, says an English critic on the Somerset match, was their übiquity and combination. Not combination as commonly understood, but the marvellous understanding and gift of knowing what would happen which never left one of the "All Blacks" without support. To their opponents they seemed to spring from the ground when least expected. Wherever the ball was passed there was a New Zealander ready to accept it, and not only ready but able to do something. It was tl'is facility for taking the ball which impressed one more than the passing itself, for their transfers looked rather tame,, but a never-ending chain of players seemed ti take up the running, and this would circumvent the sturdiest defence There was little inability to gather the oval, every man could pick it up cleanly from the turf and start passing under the most unlikely conditions, thus opening out the game in a fashion delightful to the spectators, but bewildering to opponents unaccustomed to such tactics. This perfection in gathering the ball made the New Zealanders comparatively independent whether they got it from tho scrummage or not, knocking on the head the accepted orthodox procedure of feeding the backs which obtains in the home countries. The star artist among a whole company of experts was Wallace, whose pace and magnificent gathering was a big asset on a day when they did not have matters by any means all their own way. Gallahex, their win-* forward, was pulled up more often than in former matches, and the strict manner in which Mr. Davies held the impetuous "All Blacks" back was not altogether to their liking, and they were inclined to question some of his decisions. Last month, writes Sandow in the "Weekly Despatch," there landed in England fifteen young New Zealanders. While taking a half-languid interest in their arrival, the British public were inclined to extend a patronising greeting to these men, whose sporting enthusiasm had brought them many thousands of miles from the other end of the world. In the slang of the day, it was felt to be very "sporting of them," especially as they could not hope to "make much of a show" against the English clubs. The first match was played, and the result created a sensation throughout the country, for the New Zealanders not only beat one of the very strongest teams, but beat them badly. In all subsequent matches they have shown the same astonishing superiority. They have not only beaten the Englishman at his own game; they have thrashed him at it. Metaphorically speaking, they have wiped the: floor with the English Rugby foobtail, player. • Naturally the

question has arisen, "Why do the New Zealanders win?" How is it that for the whole hour and twenty minutes that the game lasts they can play with an energy that never tires and never relaxes? I think the reason is not far to seek. It is a matter of physique. In the first place, the splendid climate of New Zealand is peculiarly suitable for the proper development of the AngloSaxon. The air and the climate are perfection. Again, New Zealanders are a. more primitive community than the British. The New Zea lander has few of these "advantages of civilisation." He has still to think of his body, for the need of good muscles and sinews is obvious to him every day. If the Londoner feels fatigued after he has walked a mile he can take a 'bus or a hansom. The New Zealander cannot allow himself to be tired; he possesses few artificial aids to assist his strength or lack of strength. He is forced by the competition for existence to pay attention to his body. That he does give it the necessary attention I can vouch for. Nowhere have I found more ardent adherents to the cause of physical culture. RUGBY RE-HNISCENCES. THE INFANCY OF NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALL. MATCHES. (Prom Our Special correspondent.) LONDON, October 27. Mr W. W. Robinson, formerly of Auckland, and now residing in this country, has commenced a series of articles in the "Pall Mall Gazette" on the introduction and development of Rugby football in New Zealand. His reminiscences are racy and amusing, and New Zealanders, especially the older generation of Auckland footballers, will doubtless follow them with interest. The crude football of the early days in the colony forms an amusing contrast to the highly scientific and finished football which the New Zealand team are exhibiting to such perfection just now in England.

Mr Robinson claims to have "practically introduced the Rugby g_me into the province of Auckland." When he landed in tbe colony some thirty-seven years ago the Rugby game was apparently unknown there.

"My earliest recollection of football in the colony," he says, "was in 1868, when one day I went to the Auckland Domain, a public recreation ground, where there was a Sunday-school feast or something of the sort going on, and I remember seeing a small black football punted about by a crowd of all sorts, sexes, and sizes. I have no doubt the schoolboys, and possibly the soldiers, played, but I never saw them. In 1869 H.Ms. Rosario was lying in Ancleland Harbour, and the late Mr F. Whitaker, an old Westminster boy, arranged a match with, I think, Captain Moore. The rules under which this match was played were of the nondescript sort, no off-side, no picking up, no holding, but shoving over anywhere, anyone, and anyhow. The sailors brought the goal-posts and the ball from the ship. It poured -with rain, and I was never able to find out which side won."

After this game a club was formed, a round ball got from Melbourne, and in a return match with the Rosario team Auckland achieved her first football victory. W. L. Rees, the Gisborne barrister and ex-MJELR., who is a cousin of W. G. Grace, was captain, and assisted by the Whitakers, George Dunnett, the Hendersons, John Marshall, James Coatcs, and others, formed tbe team, which played a sort of Association game mixed with Melbourne rules.

"As there was a shortness of players in the above match," says Mr Robinson, "the man who acted as coachman, and handed round the soup at one of the houses of a leading citizen, was coerced into playing by his young masters, so the good lady of the house lost her drive, and there was no one to -wait at table. When reprimanded, the Irish serving-man replied: 'Sure, the young gintlemin said they wud rather go wid°out their dinner than be bate by the Rosarios.' This substitute afterwards turned out a good mile runner, and the keenness of all showed promise of a future success. At this time the Thames goldfield was turning out a lot of gold, and the Coromandel miners, most of them Irishmen, were anxious for a match, so sent a challenge to play for £200. They wanted one hundred players on each side, and to kick from one goldfield to the other. I need only add this match did not come off."

The first match in which Mr Robinson personally took part was a game between Auckland and the Thames Goldfields in 1870. He was living at the Thames at the time, and on the Saturday morning a friend asked him if he could play football. He confessed- to having played Rugby in England, but said he was out of practice and had no football dress. "Oh, you are keen enough at short runs at cricket," said his friend, "so 1 expect you to be out at Tararu at three o'dock."

Mr Robinson tells the story thus: "' All right," I said, and proceeded forthwith to look up a pair of old cricketing trousers., the thickest jersel I possessed, bought a cloth cap at the nearest hat store, sbrolled out to the ground, and there lazily took stodc of the players. Most of our side had been chosen from shirts and Efold studs, collars, some even waistcoats, watchchains, and light boots, v.ithout a ves-ige of bar or buiton. 'What a licking we shall get,' I muttered to myself; 'these fellows can never have seen a football.' We were four or live men short, so 1 was asked to walk round among the onlookers •arid fill up the vacancies. 1 got two Irishmen, a Cornishman, a policeman oil duty, and a busiiman in a scarlet ?tiirz and a slouch hat. These "emergencies' looked as hard as nails, and so they proved. We then went to the captain of the other side to inquire what rules they played under, and found that 'hey kicked between two flags underneath a tape; there was no off- ide, but you could run with the ball live yards and then bounce it and catch it This was a Melbourne rule. i asked our captain where I was to play. 'Oh anywhere about here,' said he, indicating a sort of t.hres-quarter position, which put mc in mind of the up-country captain in Australia, who, in setting his cricket field, said, "JNow, scatter round, boys.' In front of our goal was a mound, and as we never changed ends we found it very useful. The game was drawn. Several times we nearly had a free fight; the Irishmen would trip and back, and when remonstrated with, replied, 'Share, it was a nate thrip entoirely.'"

According to the rules under which the match was played carrying tne ban was prohibited. The ball was tossed about in the air from hand to nanu amidst a dense cluster of players, and it was the attempt on the part of one

of the players to carry the ball which nearly led to a general fr_c_s, . In the following-year Auckland and the Goldfields again played a drawn game, and this time one man was knocked -insensible, another had two ribs .broken, a third lost some of his ' teeth, and a fourth had to be taken to the hospital suffering from a kick in the groin!

Mr Robinson visited Auckland soon afterwards and "drafted Rugby rules from memory," with the help of Mr Dunnett, (the brothers Wnitaker, and others. These were supplemented by an old lillywhite's Guide of 1865, and the coaching was done by Mr Robinson. The first match between Auckland and the Thames under Rugby rules was played in 1872, with ten men aside.