FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 140, 7 March 1908, Page 13

FOOTBALL.

; J / Tho British' touring team will consist of ■ 23 members. -. ;( ■ :■■■■ The v record of " tho professional "All . Blacks"' was as. follows 34;- won, . 18; i lost, 14;: drawn,.,,2; points . for, 411; . 1 ' against,' 292. '•' '. '' , . ' . Tho confereneo' and annual meeting of the ' Nfiw. Zealand-Referees' ■ Association will bo. .■ ■ held in Auckland this year! on' April 17'aiid '■}■■■,'-V\ ;>■ '. v :' - 1 . A. -C. Palmer, tho ex-Otago University three-quarter .'back;* who now plays - for'Lon- ' - -don Hospital, Ms- stated by a-Homo-critic to -- bq - tho ..most -improved -.wing throo-quai ter ■ playing in -London,' and ono of. tho hardest / ■'if;'•,,,.backs-16' tacklo 'at 'present--, playing; English •. -.v.,-.- .ii-li"'. 0 ; ; J .'' . team i ' j 1 : will.be-E. j.- 'jackett; t-lio mtornntional Corni . wall and Leicester full-back; It. Gibbs, Ralph £ Thomas,;: and J. rL; Williams, tho Caidiil ■i i r.'V-three-quarters ;Vand R..'K. 'Greeh,'!'-.the Neath ; .' ;. ';. forward, ,of tho . Swansea tcam r and two .other bwansea : forwards, D. Griffiths and-E. Morgan, are also hkely .to ■ accfipt.-. C.: Pritchard and J..PJones,'of Pontypool, R. Greeni(Ncath),...ana T. V H. Vilo and ff J Mai tin {Newport* had f . ', not' mado up. their "minds.when the latest' j • • • ;. mail.left, i : v --"'i>-.'.:':' ' ■: v Says; tho'/'Mormng Post': —"The English : Union not only owes New-Zealand a visit, . • •but'tho trip - may strengthen the hands- of :■ - ■ „.tho:-. New: Zealand Union, which has mado : -Buch ; a'splendid fight in. tho preservation of rthe 'amateurism.of' Rugby: ' After tho final'.- - guests '• from- tho Dominion the New Zealand /Union : will bo-in-some need to help to restrain the '?" from renewing tho attempt to capture tho Rugby game. It is •'. . .. felt 'that' the. VeryVbest help that can b'o | / -given' to New .'Zealand.' will ()o by ipractically 'i• t showing tho splendour / of the Mother Coun- . - . : try's. llugby.' This iis tho • view of England and Wales,- bo that though Scotland will not v countonanco,tho tour—and Scotland is backed . by -Ireland—the English and "Welsh Unions ' ' Will be!'able: to muster a representative sido ■ i '"v for : the visit; Much could; be said for both rvvthe:English and' Scottish viows of tho situa- '.' , *tion; : but ; everyone is regretting that the ' '7:f6ur/;H^6mo'unions :'could " iipt...mutually 'agree ?; on iomo general'.' in regard-'v-'vV' - tours^if-Scotland; feels'that .the-, colonials are - ' ! milch' nearer . professionalism than is gene- . \ rally known, and this is its main reason for ■ \ refusing to help England in the organisation , . ." of 'thp team." • rThe British-team,vwhicli'is di? 9 in.May, ■■■■■■■."■ . ; will bo the -third English comoination to tour- - New:-' Zealand. - In . 1888, ..Stoddart's. ..■.'"■•-.:,:.-.team,.i-which-.,was xaptained by R. L. Seddon; and which taught colonials the value of systematic ■> short; passing - and heeling out , ' scrum, - won thirteen out of, nine-, teen . matches; played. against thd provnlces. ' : Auckland and Taranaki won a match apiece,. . and-' -Auckland, Otago,: Wellington, , and .. .-.- ■■Wanganui i .drew.-with.-, tho vvisitors. - No ; .-. match was played -against-;a New-Zealand S : representativo ; ;<t6a'irt,. ■• but >.the ■ Englishmen, 'defeatod South Island by, a/narrow margin • twice.Tho British : team> which visited our ; ; shores under of, Mr.- 13. R. ■ Bedel-Sivnght was :heaton by New Zealand "■ (9 pomts to 3), Auckland (13. points to nil),, and >in ■ an informal' match rwith : Rotorua . : :i t ,;Natives. (8> points to .6), 'drew ,with Taranaki Manawatu,-and secured ivictories against : Canterbury, ::South Canterbury,- and '.West^ land (5 points to 3), and Otago and South- - ... • • land (14 points to 8). ■ -. i-1 .