THE ALL BLACKS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 301, 14 September 1921, Page 6

THE ALL BLACKS

OLD-TIME TRAINING METHODS REVERTED TO /NEW-FANGLED IDEAS SCRAPPED i THE PROBABLE FIFTEEN "You can take it from me." remarked Mr. M. Hogan as ho paused in his work of massaging a-n All Black three-quarter, "that it’s no good swathing footballers in cottonwool and exercising them like a ‘bunch of invalids at a health sanatorium. What the boys want is good, healthy exercise for healthy men, and that’s what we’re giving them.” With that, the big trainer again applied himself to his task, and Thb Dominion reporter, who was at the Bay yesterday on a visit i to tho training quarters of the New Zealand team, turned to "Dorrib” Leslie, who has sola charge of tho work of preparing tho. All Blacks for the third Test. I The veteran trainer and oldtime walking champion had ideas equally pronounced. "Wo have,” he said, "scrapped all the new-fangled, fanciful methods of training. There are no electrical massage plants in this camp. lam using the eaoio methods that I used to knock myself into shajw a quarter of a century' ago, and they can bo -summed up as 'Real, good, sound preparation.’ "There is not a man among them who is not- perfectly fit and sound, excepting Algar. whose ankle is still a trifle weak; hut it should be all right by Saturday." “Good As the 1904 "The team that will meet the Springboks on Saturday will be the best fifteen we have put in the field this season. They all look like winners to me. Physically, the forwards are just as good as the 19(14 pack, and they were good enough to beat anything in the world. If they; don’t win on Saturday I will take my hat off to the Springboks for being real world-beaters."

Referring to the second Test, Mr. Leslie remarked that one hour’s training in the morning, followed by four hours treading the asphalt of a city, wound up with a dance nt night, was not going to turn out tit men. He added that when he took the present squad in haijd he found several of them muscle-bound and suffering from septic sores and bad knees. None of them had been properly trained What training they had received was for invalids —not fit men. If they had been given 'borough and sensible trailing from the start, the selectors would not have had to alter the team one iota in order to uphold the honour of New Zealand Rugby. / ,’ a ' Meanwhile the team ’« improving out of sight, and by to-morrow evening, when their period of active training will cease, they should be ready to take tho field well-nigh perfect, in point of physical fitness and general training. . All hands agree that Day's Bay r is the ideal situation for the purposes of the camp.

The Manager Interviewed.

Mr. Griffiths told the reporter that the team was practically picked now, but it would not be publicly announced until Friday afternoon. He expressed himself thoroughly satisfied, with the progress of the training operations and stated that New Zealand would be represented by her best team, and lie hoped that South Africa would also be. The All Blacks wore showing ever ho much better form and the:'r combination had improved very considerably. Members of . the team and every onelconcerned recognised that they were up against it and would fight to the last. Personally he was confident of the ultimate issue,, but if they were beaten they would have no excuse.

Day at the camp begins at seven o’clock—compulsory rising is enforced—when all hands have a canter or tno along the beach. Following this is a course of physical drill, and then comes a dip in the eea. From the sea they make their way to the training room (fitted with hot and cold showers), where Messrs. Leslie, Hogan, and Taylor rub fluvn itewn end nut tfyj?m on the massage table. Breakfast is the next order of the day, and it is succeeded by an hour’s Test.

The remainder of the forenoon is occupied with football practice—scrum work, combination, end tecties generally. Yesterday, M. Nicholls, Ifwerson, and M'Lean did some superb place-kicking, and a number of excellent goals were drop-kicked by Roberts. Before leaving the field the team spend seven minutes at medicine ball, which, for the benefit of the unitiated, consists of the rapid passing of a very large weighing about ten pounds from one player to another. , A Wet Canteen. 1

After this the men are all rubbed down and massaged, and then comes dinner The afternoons are mostly given over to cricket, in, which North plays South—the old rivalry to ever sustained-and long walks. In the evening players requiring massage are again turned over to Mr Leslie, and his assistants, and at seven o’clock the players commence to go to bed. At 9 o’clock lights are out. In between whiles cards and other parlour games are indulged in. Incidentally it is interesting to note that there is a, wet canteen on the premises kept under lock and key and under strict supervision. Twice during the day after certain periods of training the players are allowed one long beer. As for‘spirits, there are none in the caffip. Flcklnfl the Team. Touching the personnel of the fifteen to meet the Springboks it will probably be found that Kingston will be fullback, Steel and Ford the two wings. There is bound to be a difficulty over tho selection of the centre-three-quarter, but no great surprise would be occasioned if Siddells is chosen for tho position. Ifwerson and Fe.i are both bound.to take the field, presumably as first and second five-eighths respectively, with Roberts as half. Donald may not be in the final selection, and his place as wing-forward may be .taken by Bellis. Fogarty and Duncan are regarded as certainties for tho front rankers, with Moffitt as lock. M'Lean, AV est, Richardson, and Fletcher will, it is thought, comprise the remaining forwards. The team at present in training comprises the following:— Backs—Kingston (Taranaki) and Siddells (Wellington), Steele (West Coast), Ifwerson (Auckland), Ford (Canterbury), Markham (Wellington), Algar (Wellington), Roberts (Wellington), 11. E. Nicholls (Wellington), Al. Nicholls (Wellington), Fea (Otago). Forwards—Bellis (Wanganui), Donald (AVairarapa), M'Lean (Bay of Plenty), Fletcher (Auckland), Moffitt (Wellington), Fogarty (Taranaki), West (Wanganui), Richardson (Otago), Duncan (Otago), and Turnbull (Otago). PREPARING FOR SATURDAY TWO EXTRA STANDS ERECTED NEW EXITS ARRANGED In view of the final .Springboks-New Zealand Test match, hotels, private hotels, and boardinghouses are receiving telegrams every hour of the day and night bespeaking accommodation, and

there is no room for doubt that Wellington will be a congested city at the week-end. The Rugby Union is providing two extra temporary stands on the western (Rintoul Street) side of the Athletic Park, at either end of the main stand. The new stand at the northern end of the permanent one will ■eat 265 people, and the one at tho southern end 397—a total of 662 altogether These stands are solidly built (under th® eye of the City Council s building inspector, Mr. Drummond). The seats are all numbered on tho back boards in white characters, 16 inches being tho spaco allotted for each seat. In addition to tho extra stands, rows of forms three or four deep are Hieing placed on the flat in front of the northern and southern terraces. The western bank is bound to be crowded. Here and there the exposure to the weather of trie mixed clay and rotten rock has caused a miniature slip, ho that patrons of this part of tho ground will have to exercise their judgment in taking up positions on these narrow terraces. New exits are being provided on both sides of tho ground. A big double gate is being made to the south of the southernmost new stand, which should be used by all those who are located in that stand or along the southern terraces. Two now gates will ho available at the northern end of the ground (Rintoul Street), and a big exit gate is being provided on the western side of the ground, which should ’he used by the people using the bank. If the weather is fine it is confidently anticipated that the attendance will prove a record for New Zealand. . When the ground was visited yesterday the barren patches were being treated to a sousing by a revolving sprinkler attached to a long length of hose. It was a commentary on the dry state of the weather to witness a football ground being watered jn September! The Springboks and New Zealand teams will dine together nt the Grand Hotel at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Tho Mayor and-Mrs. Wright are to visit to New Zealand representatives in their quarters at Day’s Bay to-morrow afternoon

MEETING OF LOCAL UNION TWO SHIELD CHALLENGES ACCEPTED. The management committee of • the Wellington Rugby Union met last evening. There were present: Messrs. W. J. Hard ham, V.C. (in the chair), E. Perry, F A. Laws, H. M'Leod, G. F. Jackson, E. H. Ward, W. W. Cook, and J. N. Millard. ■_ B. F. Daly applied for reinstatement, stating that he liad played senior Rugby in Auckland in 1917, and in the ■following season he had gone over to tho League game, playing two matches — The application was forwarded to the New Zealand Union for its favourable consideration. Several requests were «ranted, tor grounds' and permission to hold friendly games. . c ■ The secretary reported that the following telegram had been received from the chairman of the Southland Union. "Congratulations on regaining log of wood.’ 'Southland sorry, but pleased to lose to good sports;” The Auckland /Rugby Union wrote asking that the return match, Auckland v. Wellington, to be played at Wellington, September 21. be treated as a Ranfurly Shield contest.—The request was acceded to, subject to the consent of the New Zealand Union. In response to a request from the Otago Union, it was agreed that if Wellington should retain the Shield after meeting Auckland, the Otago representatives be also given an opportunity' of competing for the trophy. lhe match against Otago is set down for Septembef 24. The arrangement is subject to the consent of the New Zealana Union. . , , ' The secretary reported, that arrangements had been made for the provision of ladies’ cloak rooms at the Athletic Park on the day of the Test match ot the south end of the grandstand, and at the caretaker’s house.