ALL BLACK TOUR OPENING

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21577, 13 September 1935, Page 18

ALL BLACK TOUR OPENING

MATCH WITH CORNWALL* DEVON TOMORROW

To-morrcW the All Blacks openi tt» 1835-36 tour «f Great Britain with a match against the combined OwnSoevon team, at Devonport This will be the hardest opening match an AU Black team has had to face in Great Britahvand tremendous amoant of interest will be aroused in New Zealand by the fixtureThe 1924-25 tour of Great Britam by an All Black team opened with a match against Devon, at Devopnort, while Cornwall was played separately as the second match of the tour. The All Blacks beat Devon in a sternlycontested game by 11 points to nil, and although the Devon forwards had to play for the greater part of the second half against a high wind and heavy rain, the All Blacks scored only try /«« Jg'tag Incidentlly, too, the AU Blacks did not score until half an hour after toe match started. Svenson tod the honour of scoring the first try. n The All Blacks beat CornwaU four days later by 29 points to 0. The weather was perfect for that match, and the CornwaU side could not withstand the AU Blacks' short passing 'game. _ .. Not Strong Counties

No one would suggest that either Devon or CornwaU are leading English Rugby counties, but the standard of forward play in both counties is high, and it can be readUy imagined that between the two a fairly formidable back line could be constructed. • Devon draws many good players from the naval barracks in the county, and the record of tha Devon forwards for many years has been-outstanding. ' There are many details that have to be taken-into account, when reviewing the chances of a visiting team in its first match. After a long sea voyage players are not in perfect condition, and it has already been reported by cablegram that all members of the team put on weight during the voyage. Then, too, the visitors have their first experience of thm scrum work of another country and of strange referees. These axe very small points, but in the eggregats with many others equally small place the visiting team at a big disadvan.tage. It is interesting to note that cablegram news from England since the AU Blacks arrived states that they have been training more seriously than any other visiting team. Perhaps this is because the team realises that matches in the early part of this tour will be much harder than was the case 11 years ago. The All Blacks will have been ie training at Newton Abbot for a week before ibis match after some splendid sightseeing and entertainment in London.

Match Next Thursday A more difficult match than tbt first will be the second against Midland Counties at Coventry. Tttis combined side will be drawn tram North Midlands and Warwickshire and will include a fair sprinkling of international players, ft cannot be iegarded as a first class match, however, and it would not be surprising to see the All Blacks, who will be playing into form after the first match, put up a very big score. Handicap of Hospitality Hospitality will be a handicap. Both in London and at Newton Abbot the 1924-25 All Blacks were received most cordially. In Newton Abbot the members of the team were mr.le honorary members of the Golf Club, the Liberal Club, the Constitutional Club, the Courtenay Club, the Bowling Club, and the Independent Labour Party Club!

The following is the complete itinerary of the All Blacks' tour:—

September 14—v. Devon and Cornwall, at Devonport September 19—v. Midland Counties, at Coventry. September 21—v. Yorkshire and Cum- , berland, at Bradford. September 25—v. Abertaiery and Cross Keys, at AbertiUery. September 28—v. Swansea, at Swansea. October 3—v. Gloucestershire and Somerset, at Bristol. October s—v. Lancashire and Cheshire, at Birkenhead. October 9—v. Northumberland aod x Durham, at Gosfocth. October 12—v. South of Scotland, at .Hawick. October 15—v. Glasgow and Edta- . burgh, at Glasgow. October 19—v. Combined Services, a* Aldershot Sw %t~ v - Uanelly, at Uaneßy. October 26-v. Cardiff, at Cardiff; October 31—v. Newport, at Newport November 2-v. Loadci CounSSat Twickenham. ov f?c^Jd7 v * ° xfOTd Uni * erstt^ November 9—v. Hampshire and Sussex, in Hampshire. < "W e L l^ v V. c^brfd * e Unr«srsity, at Cambridge. November l&-v Leicestershire as* East Midlands, at Leicester. NW #SL£e£ *** * Scofla^ l°- v V Dlster . «* Belfast December 7-v. Ireland, at DuS/ DCC af S.&£ Neatk «« *««* TwS£w 2 ir v - ales . Cardiff. Jan g *~ v - England, at Twieken-.

slow 'bwler »£??* w «wkkahire EnglishT s «» » ties before J" possibllith e W ww* of ners®. first game „P° w i? »t In his Md i£ a *? nd * for « runs in *We conunlad v » remar£ Ws county * wickets for g*?» crtvMSV °*. Binnin-