WELCOME, WARATAHS!

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 198, 22 August 1928, Page 15

WELCOME, WARATAHS!

N.S.W. RUGBY TEAM ARRIVES. hail from country of gqod SPORTS. PLAYING FOR THE GAME'S SHAKE.

(By PONTY.)

The eighth side sent to this country by the New South Wales Rugby football Union arrived in Auckland this morning, having disembarked at Wellington yesterday from the Ulinutroa. There have been three other representative teams from the Commonwealth in New Zealand, the Queenslanders of 1896 and the Australians of 1905 and 1913. The manager of the lastmentioned combination was Mr. C. E. Morgan (Sydney), who is generalissimo of the 1928 invaders. As far as personnel is concerned, the writer is very much afraid that the Cornstalks are well short of international standard, including as they do only three members of the Waratahs who toured the United Kingdom and France in 1927-28. They are S. J. Malcolm (skipper of the present tourists), C. H. Towers (who played at centre in all five internationals), and G. Bland (forward), Malcolm, the half-lack, displaced Meagher for the Scottish and English flutters. That the Welshmen can win any one of the four matches in the New Zealand cities (the Auckland provincial and three Tests) "Ponty" does not believe, but he can say with the greatest of certainty that in the process of defeat they will teach New Zealanders something in which they are not yet proficient—how to smile at defeat! One supposes that practice may ultimately make perfect in anything tinder the sun—the Sydneysiders up to the war period seldom knew what it meant to be on the victorious side. Between 1921 and 1926, however, they defeated New Zealand five times in international engagements. Hoped Cornstalks Would Win! At the Hotel Australia, Sydney, "Ponty," in the role of manager of the 1920 All Blacks, replying to Sir Henry Braddon's official welcoming speech, expressed a hope that the New South Welshmen would win the rubber. This friendly gesture lost nothing in the telling in New Zealand, and the writer had it on good authority at the time that the principal object of a civic reception to the unbeaten All Blacks on their return to Wellington was to give the manager an opportunity to get "on side," as it were.

To sportsmen the explanation was accepted without question, but to the not inconsiderable few who can see only a black jersey with one eye and a silver fern with the other the statement smacked of lese majeste. It was simply this: "That as the future of international Rugby in the Southern Hemisphere appeared to resolve itself into annual rublters between New South Wales and New Zealand, the fundamental basis was the element of a contest, which would be lacking if one side could win 59 out of 65 contests and draw two of the remaining half-dozen —as was New Zealand's record to that date in

Australia. Therefore, it was felt that following the tine showing of the Australians in the King's Cup in 1919, when they were the only side to lower the colours of the inter-services champions, it would be in the interest of the two countries if New South Wales for the first time in the rubber were to prove victorious at Sydney." It so happened that the New Zealanders won all the seven games on tour, including the three Tests, but next year New Zealand was defeated in the only Test (at Christchurch), and in 1922 the Cornstalks did score the rubber against the side captained by E. A. Bellies (who, like the fine sportsman he is, had condoned "Ponty's" lack of patriotism two winters earlier; and "Moke," by the way, was in the arena at Bradford when Billy Watson and Co. had dealt it out to the New Zealanders in 1919).

Taking a Licking. The outstanding impression of a glorious month (and unsurpassed hospitality ) was the very sporting manner in which the home fifteens took their lickings. How was it managed? The writer could hardly ask the reason, but fancies he discovered it. In the course of refereeing five of the 'Varsity and great public schools' games of the 1920 season, "Ponty" never once heard an appeal, a decision queried, nor a word of any description spoken on the field. At Sydney Grammar School and at The King's College the writer was entertained after the games there, and before taking his departure was conducted to the common room, where every player of both sides was taking tea. In this way the boys spent the best part of an hour together before leaving for home. One result of the practice was the early dissipation of any pangs of defeat or sense of soreness arising from the day's game. Another was the almost entire absence of any reference to the match at all. As there were then eight teams of the calibre of King's and Sacred Heart Colleges and Auckland and Mount Albert Grammar Schools competing weekly, the Sydney boys even at that early stage of their Rugger careers got plenty of practice in this art of losing. Seven of the captains and tlie secretary of the Sydney 'Varsity called at the New Zealanders' hotel to thank the manager and other members of the team for the interest taken in these New South Wales games—on a couple of occasions Captain Jim Tilyard gave the boys a few wrinkles. And finally the three referees who stepped out to control the All Black Tests found the teams lined up to give them at the beginning of the matches three

hearty cheors the well-deserving officials so seldom get at the end of a heated battle. This, then, is the manner of sportsmen Aucklanders will have the pleasure of seeing in action on Saturday. Taught thus to play the game for the game's sake, is it any wonder the Waratahs were the most popular team to ever visit the Old Country. For Mr. Stanley Dean, chairman of the N.Z.R.F.U. (and manager of that superhuman side, the :J024 All Blacks), to state that the All Blacks could have been as popular as the Waratahs, had they cared to lose a match or two, is the expression of a viewpoint which fails to recognise that Rugby can, thanks be, still be played for its own sake and not 'merely for the presentation of a more pleasing effect to the statistical register. »

The Glory of Defeat. Extracts from report of Waratahs' tour of United Kingdom and France: — The Scottish international (Scotland won 10—8) game will rank, probably, if Scottish opinion can be relied upon, as one of the greatest struggles ever seen on a Scottish field. To the players it wag a most enjoyable, sternlyfought contest. The Scottish forwards played magnificently, and for once the speed of our forwards was not noticeably superior. The former played a clean and scientific game; their heeling was beautiful. The Scottish backs on the day were really a treat to watch, and from the first moment gave us the j most unusual trouble. Apparently beaten, with the Scots leading 10 —5, the Waratahs made one of those great sustained rallies extending over a period of almost twenty minutes. Oiie try resulted, and then came that last glorious ten minutes of thrilling move and counter-move, and with the Scots almost entirely penned in their own half. We cannot complain that occasionally things just missed in that last great rally. Fortune once or twice had not favoured the Scot. Thoroughly satisfied, we felt at the end that on the day the better side had won, and won in such a fine way that we, at least, were prepared to give them all the laurels of victory. We left Scotland with regret. The atmosphere of their games, their wholehearted support of amateur Rugby could not but impress us, and, above all, they were such sporting gentlemen.

For the match, Waratahs v. England, the crowd was a record, and consequently also the gate. If the contemporary English critic can be believed, the contest (won by England, 18—11) was a classic. Movement after movement unceasingly; forward rushes and speeding three-quarters. England had the advantage behind in speed. This produced for them two tries; forward rushes, two. The first three tries were converted with uncanny accuracy. With thirty minutes of play left, England led, 18—5. Then began, perhaps, the greatest effort made by your team in international fixtures. For these thirty minuteß they literally stormed and stormed the English defence. Forward attacks mingled with back attacks. Time and again the line seemed to be at the mercy of the Waratahs, the defence having been beaten by perhaps eight or ten men handling. Then would appear from nowhere a speedy English three-quarter or a übiquitous forward and save magnificently. Twice in this period we scored. Never did that defence, so grand, relax. To score we had to beat it down again and again. But never did it break, and that is why England won. They were a better side, and we cannot speak too highly of the glorious way in which they played and the courageous way in which they fought their fight so resolutely to the end and won. The Rugby Union dinner at night was characterised by the greatest spirit of amity and congeniality. Eight members of the Rev. Matthew Mullineux's team were present. Admiral Rovds, in his speech, said: "The greatest band of sportsmen that has ever visited us." Rule of the Road. For our own part (the signatories were E. Gordon Shaw, manager, and A. 1 C. Wallace, captain) we did our sincere best to observe and follow the etiquette » on the field and the civic manners in ' public places, as might be in vogue ir ' whatever locality we might from tinw i to time be. If we found that souk 1 r J ling of the game was not in accordt ance with what we had been accustomed - to in our own State, then we fell ii , with, our hosts' interpretation without r demur. To speak metaphorically, right - over the longer course of 30,000 miles wt b endeavoured to ascertain and observt r the "rule of the road" as prescribed by > the proper authority. This attitude was easily preserved - owing to the unfailing loyalty shown i by the players to the manager and capt tain, and consequently to one another

Rev. Mullineux, who skippered the 1899 British team to Australia, is a New Zealand Military Cross holder, and is executive officer of the New Zealand War Graves Commission at Boulogne.