"NEW ZEALANDERS AVENGED AT LAST."

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12482, 19 April 1906, Page 8

"NEW ZEALANDERS AVENGED AT LAST."

DEFEAT OF THE WELSHMEN.

(FROM OCR OWN CORRESrOXDENT.)

LONDON, March 17

With reference to tbe defeat by Ireland of the Welsh team which boat the New Zoalanders, a well-known football writer, 'Touch Judge" says:—"While congratulating the Irish fifteen on their great- triumph at Belfast on Saturday, one cannot help feeling a little eorry for the Welshmen. After being the only side to overcome the New Zealander*, and subsequently beating England and Scotland, it was very _.sappointing to como to grief in their last engagement, in which the chances seemed all in their favour. Their defeat, however, has marred everything—just that beastly little _y in the ointment. In insisting at tho time that the New ZeaLandoifl did not. *how their true form in their game with Wales, and that they wore, despite their defeat, as good, if not. hotter, than tho Holsh fifteen, 1 roused the ire of several of my readers, but the roundness of my judgment has now been demonstrated. Neither against England nor against Scotland o.id the Welsh fifteen give satifltaction, though they won, and on Saturday they were well beaten by the <=ide that coiiid do no more than give the New Zealandere a severe shaking up. "These are hard facts for my friends, and I have no desiro to dwell upon tlicm. Still, in a way, it \& pleasant to find one's estimate or the New Zealandere confirmed in this manner. Such superb football ao tho colonials showed at Ulackheath and Inverleith has not been reproduced in any of our Home Internationals. I Htill hold to my expressed conviction that had the New Zealanders met Wales in Norember, when they were on the top of their form, they would have won."'

Ireland's victory over Wales at Belfast on Saturday was a brilliant one, and it is described as being a great triumph for Irish forward play. Tho result was one goal and two tries to two tries, or 11 points to 6. The Irish fonrards played as only Irish forwards can; they broke up from the scrummage like lightning, swept round on the Welsh backs, and in the fierce rushes and deadly tackling gave Wales no quarter. Basil Maclear, when he was not forging ahead, seemed everywhere spoiling the Welsh backs; the tackling of the Irish three-quarters was generally superb, and Thrift and Maclear made many splendid movements in attack. It is observed by ono who was present that if ever a 6ide was beaten on its merits Wales was on Saturday. Before tho game was long under way tho Welsh forwards wero bewildered by the pace of the Irishmen who, when they were not wheeling the scrummago, were breaking up quickly and keeping on the ball. For the most part ireland was content to play the great fame which English forwards in the lighties always found efficacious. They went on with the ball, ignoring all the wonderful theories of heeling, and lefo the backs to take care of themselves, as good backs can commonly do behind this type of forward work. The victory of the Irishmen was made the more remarkable because of the illluck that overtook them in the matter of injuries; both half-backs were damaged—Purdon went off the field before the interval, and in the last quarter of an hour Caddell had to retire. Thus Ireland was severely handicapped, but these misfortunes gave extra stimulus to the side, and the Welshmen found their thirteen opponents more than their match. "It is not too much to say that Wales was outplayed," says one critic, " and Belfast was again the Sedan of the side as it was two seasons before." Whether ,it' was the wonderful pace of the Irish forwards or whether the Welshmen had not shaken off the effects of its bad crossing two days before, it has to be laid down that the Welshmen utterly failed to display the dash and precision common to Welsh fifteens. _ne Irishmen finished in tremendous style; their tackling was superb to the end, and the forwards never slackened for a moment, in spite of the odds, but went through , several scrummages."