BRILLIANT ALL BLACKS.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 168, 17 July 1924, Page 7

BRILLIANT ALL BLACKS.

THIRTY POINTS BETTER TEAM. EECOED OF THE TOUR. ASPECTS FOR DISCUSSION. After a sensational defeat in their first match, the All Blacks have put a brilliant finish on their preliminary canter in Australia, and have justified the critics who predicted that they are likely to develop into an even greater side than was the original All Blacks of 1905. In their opening game, when they were yet in a large measure a collection of units, they were split up, segregated, and just beaten by the stalwarts of New South Wales—and then the deluge. To be beaten 20 to 16 in their first international game, and then to turn the tables on their opponents by 21 to 5 in the second game, and then by 38 to 8, they must have satisfied even the most bloodthirsty New Zealand partisans. One can imagine the flutter which will be caused among the ranks of the Rugby players in Britain by the news, and the early rush there will be to training quarters for counsel and condition. A Hurdle for Auckland. There are many phases of the games in Australia and after that will be keenly and eagerly discussed in New Zealand. In Auckland, for instance, it will be remembered, that the next appearance of the All Blacks i≤ to be in this city next Wednesday. Last year, in the flush of victory against the Hawke'e Bay team, there were many who openly maintained that Auckland would, beat the rest of New Zealand. It might be mentioned that a parallel statement was common in Napier a fortnight previously, when Hawke's Bay had inllicted a decisive defeat on Auckland, and that eventually the partisans of the two provinces mingled their drinks and declared to the world that the backs o£ Auckland and the forwards of Hawke's Bay would make mincemeat of the rest of New Zealand. Which recalls the joyous days of 1005, when Thames claimed the championship of the world. It came about thus. The All Blacks of that period, before setting out on the British tour which gained them the name ol being the greatest team in Rugby history, were beaten by a Wellington provincial team. Later, Auckland beat Wellington. Thames beat Auckland, and on that made the modest claim of the world championship. But to get back to this year, Auckland will have the opportunity next week of beating the All Blacks. It may be argued by those who are less Auckland than New Zealand that, having taken some of , the best of the Auckland backs | out of last year's team, and been allowed to sharpen their axe on New South Wales, until they are more than a 30-points better side than when they were first selected, the All Blacks have been favoured. It gives Auckland something to beat. The Players Discussed. Returning again to the All Blacks, features of their Australian trip which have pleased all followers of the game have been the manner in which their team play has developed, and the line impressions made by Cooke and Porter, both of whom have been placed by Australian critics among the great, players of the game. Porter's success is especially pleasing, in view of the fact that ha was under the closest surveillance as a wing forward, and has earned the regard instead of the hostility of a Rugby crowd which, has little patience with the old type of wing forward. Lucas also l:as justified the high opinion held of him in Auckland, while experience as full-back appeears to make Nepia another great player in that position. Hart appears to have lost lustre, and been outshone to some extent by Svenson, and Brown's promise is good news. To all outward appearance Mill is in danger of being displaced by Dalley as the star half-back of the party. Then there is the matter of the captaincy of the team. Badeley, who went over its ■skipper for the trip, was injured in the first test, and did not again play. lz is understood locally that iJie iciury was a bruised thigh, and has no connection with the "football <nee" which had troubled him until rectified by operation, so that there is no danger of hie having to forego the British tour. Mark NiehoTls, who filled his position in the field, acted as field captain, aiul appears 'to have given satisfaction as such, in addition to playing right up to requirements. Nicholls may get *he . a;>tainc-y for the tour. Harvey's troubl" with tonsilitis, which kept him out c.f the field for the trip, is also matter for discussion, as he is the reserve Ixk of the team, and his dropping out may mean a place for either Williams, of Otago, or ; Righton, of Auckland. Record of the Trip. The record of the tour from a playing point of view has been a good one in ! every respect but that of goal-kicking, for ' out of 30 tries scored only ten were con- . verted, and only one penalty goal was I kicked. After Nepia, who is considered • the goal-kicker of the party, had proved i uncertain, Richardson, White, and then ; Nicholls were tried. The last-named i proved most successful, and he landed ■ five out of the eleven goals, while Nepia t kicked four, and Richardson and White one each. The match record is: — ) First Test, lost 16 to 20 > Metropolitan, won 38 w 5 , Second Test, won 21 to 5 Third Test, won 3S to 8 i Total 113 to 3S 1 The record of the 1905 All Blacks was: ' First Test, won 19 to 0 c Metropolitan, won 2 -J to 3 3 Second Test, drawn S to 8 ' Total 49 to 11 f The try-getters of the tour just concluded are: Lucas G, Svenson 5, Hart 3, Masters 3, Porter 3, Cooke 2, Brown 2, Cupples 2, Muiiro 2, White 1, Irvine 1. ' The win in the last test was the big--1 gest recorded in the series of games bef twecn New Zealand and New South 1 Wales the highest previous score made " by the winning team being the 38 to 11 f by which New Zealand won last year in "j the third test in Wellington. I