NEPIA'S "COME-BACK."

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 237, 7 October 1933, Page 2 (Supplement)

NEPIA'S "COME-BACK."

To nobody is the news of Ncpia's "come-back" more gratifying than to those English followers of tlie Rugby code who saw the "All Blacks" play during the 1924 tour at Home. "I saw every mJltch," writes an English critic, now domiciled in New Zealand, "and Nepia never played a bad game, while on many occasions lie was simply superb The more important the game the better he played. His tackling was deadly, his positional play clever in the extreme, and his kicking almost uncanny in its accuracy. Such was the glamour of his football personality that thousands, nay, tens of thousands of people who were not Rugby 'fans' went to sec liiin play. 'Let's go to the All Blades' match this afternoon." They do a war-cry and dance called a haka, and there's a Maori playing for them who's a marvel, so they say.' Such a remark was heard on more than one occasion."

Mention of George Ncpia's deadly tackling recalls an amusing incident that occurred during the New Zealanders' match against the West Midlands (at Gloucester, if memory serves aright). The West Midlands' captain was Tom Yoyce, the Gloucester and All England forward, a giant of a man and a great player. Voyce weighed nearly 17 stone, and he was all hard bone and muscle, but Nepia tackled him just as gallantly, and also as effectively, as he had any other player. Down came Voyce! As one pressman put it: "You could dam' near feci the earth shake." Voyce picked himself up, scratched his head, and looked at the flying figure of the Maori full-back. Surprise was written all over him. One could almost imagine him saying to himself, "Well, of all things! Downed by that little feller! Wait till we meet again."

A few minutes later a scrum broke, and both Nepia and Voycc were on the blind side, so far as the referee was concerned. George made a playful dash at "Tiny," and dodged him, grinning all over his face, but the big man flung himself full length at Nepia's ankles, and down came the Maori. Voyee, amazingly quick for a man of his height, and build, was first 011 his feet. lie pickcd Nepia up by the scat of his shorts and the back of his jersey, gave him a playful shake and dropped him. Then he ran off, laughing mightily. George sat 011 the turf for a minute, shaking with mirth, and the next second was on his feet once more. The most amusing part of it all was that Mr. Frecthy, the refereo, had not observed the little comedy at all, but, needless to say, the spectators 011 the "popular" side had done so, and there were roars of laughter.