POPULAR TEAM

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 266, 7 August 1934, Page 11

POPULAR TEAM

All Blacks in Sydney MODEST, HAPPY PARTY By E. N. Greatorcx. Sydney, July 31-. The All Blacks have been iu Australia only two days, but already they have made themselves popular off the field. We have no doubt that they will be just as popular on the field, for those in charge have promised that the team will play the "open” game, and that is wtiat Aust-Aiiians like. The All Blacks are popular because they are a modest, happy crowd ot lads, who have come here with one ambition—and that is to play good lootball. Passengers oil the Maunganui landed in Sydney to sing the praises of the tourists, who made a great impression on the ship. Before leaving the Steamer one old lady told Mr. Arthur Geddes, manager of the team, that she had never previously met footballers. “Do you know, she said, 1 always thought that footballers were rough individuals. The behaviour of your men has made me change my, opinion. If I were not an Australian I d say that I hope you win every match. As it is I will say that I hope you have a really enjoyable time.” The All Blacks take their football very seriously—much more seriously than the average Australian player. It will be football first and pleasure second with the New Zealanders—which, of course, is ■just as it should be. On the voyage from Wellington to Sydney the players kept themselves in nick with deep-breathing exercises, wrestling and deck sports. Mr. Geddes did not have to give them orders about training. On the contrary, the manager was worried because he thought some of the men were doing too much. He had to plead with Knight to_ stop wrestling one night and go to bed. Knight told him that he needed plenty of ’Work, as he was frightened of getting fat on the trI “Old hands” such as Knight, Max, Oliver, and Hore are just as eager as the newcomers to do well (probably they are thinking of the great trip next year) and competition for places in the Test games will be particularly keen. None of the players has forgotten that there is a tour of Great Britain offering next season. In "Massa” Johnston, masseur and baggageman, the players have a decided asset. He cares for the players like a mother cares for a child. •‘Massa kept busy on the voyage “rubbing down the men, and seeing that they, ate their fruit and vegetables like good boys. The team is not without its humourists. "Bill” Hadley is the wag of the team, but he has rivals in Knight, Holder, and “Johnny” Hore. Already Holder is up to his old trick of pretending that he is deaf. He did the same thing when he was over here iu 1932, and there was one Rugby Union enthusiast who did not for"ct it. At the reception to the All Blacks on the morning the Maunganui arrived Holder put his hand to his ear and pretended that he did not hear some remark this man made. “It might have worked once, but you can’t pull that one on me twice, said his intended victim. The only Maori, Ilawea Mataira, is one of the most popular of the team. Ho has shown no signs of being lonely or homesick, and having a thoroughly enjoyable time. Everyone in Sydney has heard that he is a great singer, and he is likely to be in great demand for smoke concerts and socials.

Mataira, like most of the team, was very disappointed with bin first view of Sydney Harbour. It was raining heavily when the ship reached port, and there was such a heavy fog over the harbour that it was difficult to see the shores on either side. , , .. .. The All Blacks jokingly asked me if A was the place called “Sunny N.S.n. It this is ‘Sunny N.S.W.,’ well give me New Zealand,” remarked “Bill” Hadley. -When Mr. Geddes announced at the reception to the team that the All Blacks would set out to play the style of football that was popular in Australia he was cheered to the echo. “Wc have no illusions about the standard of Rugby Union football in Australia at the present time.” said Mr. Geddes, “and we know that the games will be closely contested. . “Naturally, we are out to win, but, whether we win or lose, our hope is that Australians like our football. I think we have a really good side, for there is u blending of youth and experience, and we have weight and speed in the team. “Those of us who have been to Australia before as footballers know the job in front of us,” said Frank Kilby. "There was little difference between the two teams in 1932, and we expect Australia to be much stronger this year because ot the knowledge gained by the 1903 tour ot South Africa. . , , “It seems to me that the forwards to play for New South "Wales on Saturday will be a hefty crowd, and though our men are big they will not have things their own way. “Our chaps are in good condition, anti I do not think it will take us long to mould into a good team. Anyway, Australia can depend we will do our very best in every game.” At Orange the All Blacks earned the reputation of being the most reserved and quiet athletes ever to visit the town. Perhaps it was because they felt a little strange in new surroundings. One enthusiast who travelled in the motor-bus from Sydney to Orange with the team said that it seemed that the New Zealanders job was the winning of the “ashes’ and that they were not going to let anything interfere with it.