AUSTRALIAN PACK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 204, 29 August 1934, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN PACK.

EXCELLENT SCRUMMAGERS

MANAGER'S VIEWS ON

REFEREEING

(By Telegraph.-—Fress Association.) WELLINGTON", this day

In tho course of an interview, F. D. Kilby, captain of the All Blacke, said that with the exception of the games at Orange and Newcastle, the team met very strong opposition a]] the way through the tour. The standard of Rugby was very high in Australia at the present time, and was a revelation to the tourists. The Australians were definitely on the "crest of the wave" so far as the Rugby Union game is conr cerned. They had had a particularly good club season, getting attendances at club matches twice as big as similar games in New Zealand.

The greatest thing the members of the New Zealand team had noticed ..was the*'improvement: in. Australia's loiv .wards.- Since their tour to' South Africa the Australians had- learned to become excellent scnimmagere. It was hard to account for New Zealand's falling off in serum work. In the second epell of the first Test they set about effecting an improvement, and the result was that in the second spell of the second Test they did everything but score; However, full credit must be given for the wonderful defence set up by Australia in that eecond spell, a defence which for 25 minutes never looked like crumpling. Kilby made special mention of L. Lewis, the Queensland five-eighth, and O. L. Bridle, A. J. Hodgson and E. M. Jessep forwards, as being some of the outstanding players met on the trip. Jessep, formerly of New Zealand (he was in the 1932 All Blacks in Australia), proved himself to be a fine leader of the Australian forwards, and kept them together splendidly when things were going against them.

-Mr. A. J. Geddes, manager of the New Zealand team,, in an interview, said Australian football had gone ahead by leaps and bounds. There was a big revival over there in the matter of attendances at matches. What impressed him more than anything else was the fine type of people behind the game over there. The standard of play was definitely high, and he, too, thought Australia had profited from the South African tour.

Commenting on the play, he eaid New Zealand had kept religiously to the promise made to play bright, open football, but it had been found that the Australians, in the three main matches, set themselves out to play the "wingforward" game, which New Zealand did not elect to reintroduce.

Illegal hooking on the part of the Australian hooker went heavily against New Zealand in the first Test, which Australia won 25—11. The tourists could not follow the rulings of the referees, except in the case of Mr. Barnes, who controlled both games at Brisbane. The team had had a wonderfully good time, and it was a happy family from •tart to finish. All had taken the decisions of the selection committee in the beet of «pirit.