OUR TOURING FOOTBALLERS.

Evening Post, Volume XLVI, Issue 19, 22 July 1893, Page 2 (Supplement)

OUR TOURING FOOTBALLERS.

AN INTERESTING LETTER. DETAILS OF THE TEAM'S MISFORTUNES. [By Ojts of thb Tkasi.] fSPKCIAL TO TOE EVE KINO POST.J Sidney, Bth July. On Tuesday Hio rpara mot 18 juniors' The football public exported that tlri 1 ) rombinatinn would at least give the New Zealandnrs n very tough game, as they defeated Queensland twice lust year, and also the New South AVales " rep " team. Thejuniors here are stronger than the seniors, their system of classifying 1 being different from our New Zealand system. If a player is not included in the first fifteen of of a team straight off, he will not consent to play for that club, and immediately gets 14 other players, and they form a club of their own, and enter for one of the junior competitions. The result is that many of the best men in Sydney are to be found in junior clubs. The game proved a veritable walk over for New Zealand, asonlyoncedur. ingthe gamowasplay near our line, and then only for a few moments. At the end of the game the score - board showed — New Zealand, 19 ; Juniors, nil. Bayly was the hero of the game, scoring two tries after magnificent runs, and also potting a goal from outside the centre flag — a regular beauty, the ball going fully 20 yards over the bar. Harper also dropped a goal from the field from a very difficult angle. During the game. King, of the Juniors, got a terrific bu&ter while attempting to stop McKenzie, and it was reported on Friday that he was dead. The report proved to be untrue, as on enquiry at the Hospital it was found that he was able to leave his bed. Harper also got hurt during the game In attempting to stop a rush he collided heavily with one of his opponents, the result being a broken nose and a nasty cut on the left cheek. Football as played here is not a patch on Now Zealand. Th* local forwards rarely tackle an opponent. They appear to leave that almost entirely to their backs. When they do tackle it is always round the neck. During the Junior match this style of •ollaring was "shown up " very severely by both Bayly and Lambie. The former ires tackled during one of his run* fully a dozen times, but as often at tackled so often did he put his opponents over his bead. Backs, as well as forwards, go for their men high. One thing they are good at here, and that is they can dribble if they get the ball in the open ; but when their •pponents start a dribble in return they are entirely at sea. They do not know how to cope with a forward rush ; New Zealand's forwards play has so far won every match. The forwards carry all before them by their combination and the smart way they get down on their opponents' backs, while in nearly every case they get possession of the ball in the "scrums." Once Stuart gets it he knows what to do with it. On Wednesday the New Zealand party Were entertained right royally by the Union S.S.Co. of N.Z. in a trip round the harbour. At 10.30 a steam launch, with some 60 persons on board, left the wharf and steamed np the harbour. A stop was made to enable the party to inspect the dry dock on Cockatoo Island. This great Work, together with its immense pumps and engines, excited considerable interest, and Several "snapshots" were taken by those of the party who had their cameras with them. Joining the launch after a fcalfbonr's stroll round the docks, we fonnd the tables ready— oysters galore. After doing justice to these, the band struck op, and several songs were sung by members of the party. Arriving at the head of Middle Harbour the party ascended the bridge to enjoy the scenery. Ou returning on deck, the tables -wore found to be loaded with good things, and, after doing ample justice to these, a number of toasts were proposed, and replied to by the management of both JT.B.W. and N.Z. Unions. Keturning to the wharf at I p.m., the party were taken aboard the Wairarapa by Captain Mclntosh and shown round. After giving three ringing good cheers for the U.S.S.Co. and their officials, tracks were made for the Imperial Hotel. At 5.40 two drags came round to take the party to the Btation, en route for Newcastle. The Sydney footballers assembled in strong force to give us a send-off. After a run of three and a-half hours we arrived at Newcastle, and were met by some hundreds of footballers. Clambering into a drag; we Were driven to the' Grand Hotel, where we {tut up during our stay. On Thursday morning at 11*30 the party were received as guests of the city by the genial Mayor of Newcastle, Mr. Moore. These proceedings at an end the party dispersed, some to inspect the coal-mines, some the shipping, others the town. At 1.30 all met at the Grand, and at ?..30 a drag arrived to convey the team to the field of action. Newcastle footballers expected' i their Wps. to do bet ter than their Sydney brethern bad done, and a glance at the team as they took the field convinced one that Newcastle had pinned its faith to a fine lot of men. They were by far the heaviest team the New Zealanders had so far met. On the line the New Zealand team looked like dwarfs clad in their black uniforms alongside of the Newcastle men in white. The ■rune had scarcely commenced ere Shannon scored, and then Jervis potted a goal— 9 points to nil at the end of the first spell. The Newcastle forwards made things decidedly lively duiing the font 20 minutes -of the second spell, and the New Zealand liaoks were kept on the defensive for a considerable time. At last Newcastle got a free kick for obstruction by McKenzie, and Appleby (late of Christchurch) sent it over the bar. This reverse roused the Slacks properly, and tboy played up with great determination. Shannon scored again after a fine run from the centre of the field. %ayly also got in, after a bit; of grand px&nng between Butland, Good, and himself. Speight scored from r dribble, and a piece of very tricky line-play by Butland ana Mclntosh enabled Lambie to score. During the laßt 15 minutes of $he game, the N.Z. team appeared to c"t '_ whenever they liked,, WCGjj,- the' captain of the local tguS^r^et with a nasty mishap "'rraig'"ih6 last five minutes of the game. In attempting to stop Good, he collided heavily with Molone, the collision cutting Wood's head open. During the gamo, Molntosh, of the N.Z. team also got hurt. On Friday the players had a d«y off, 'and went round seeing the Bights of Sydney. The team to meet N.S.W. to-day (Saturday) has been picked. It is not nearly as strong on paper as the one which played last Saturday. Wynyard and Harper (backs), and Hiroa and Mclntosh (forwards), are' standing out, owing to injuries 'received, while Lambie, Ellison, MoKenzie, 3md Butland are more or less cripples. The grounds over here are very bard, and the players' knees suffer very severely. Neither IHlison nor Wynyard was able to play against Newcastle or the 18 Juniors, being damaged to such an extent against N.S.W. On the previous Saturday. Wilson's play at full-back over here fairly brings down the house. He plays with great judgment and coolness, and is a great favourite with the spectators, who Save picked up his nickname of " Baby." Bayley is regarded as New Zealand's most dangerous three quarter. He has scored so far in every match except agaiust Paramatta, while bis defensive play is a treat to witness. Jervis has also shown up pro minently. Butland and Gage are the pick of the halves ; the former makes some magnificent openings for his three-quarters, and his passing is simply grand. Gage shews op more in defensive play, and punting. Lambie is the best of the forwards. He has scored in threo out of four matches played, and is always on the ball. His play in the front rank of the scrum is really first-rate ; and between him and Cocicroft, tlioy rarely allow tli*»ir opponents to get possession of the ball. Stuart is very good in the centre, and works the ball in such a manner as to at times completely nonplus bis opponents. Murray, Mclntosh, and Oockroft do some grand tackling, and rarely fail to bring their opponents down, as the trio tackle low and very hard. Hiroa and Speight show up prominently on the line-out and in the loose. Murray has had particularly hard lines in the matter of scoring, having crossed his opponents' line so less than four times during the tour, and on each occasion the tries have been disallowed. Ellison and McKenzie have been playing on the wing. Both have done some grand work, bnt McKenzie spoils his play by continually getting off-side. At least ten free kicks are given against him to one by the rest of the team. Abbott, the N.S.W. crack centre three-quarter, from whom we expected so much, has so far done nothing. He was completely smothered by the forward play of the' Slacks, while Jervis and Bayly respectively brought him down on the only occasion ' when he did get under way. The teamß over here appear to go to pieces during the last 20 minutes of the game. It is then that the Blacks do most of their scoring. July 9th. Long ere this reaches you, you will have heard of the crushing defeat sustained by the Beps. at the handß of the N.S.W. team. As I predicted in my last, the team included too many light men, who doubtless are very good in the open game, but valueless so for as scrum work is concerned. After twenty minutes of the first spell had gone, it was patent to every footballer amongst the spectators that the match was over, and it was only a question of how many points N.S.W. woula put up. The Black forwards were completely done after half the first spell had gone, and there were only three men in that division who appeared* at all fit. The rest were clearly done, the strain of playing 6 games in 10 days having told its tele on even the strongest men of the team, and the fine backing up and taokling of the forwards Was conspicuous by its absence. In the ■crums, N.S.W. did as they liked, and as a natural consequence, the N.Z. team's tack division were simply useless. The backing up and taokling of N.S.W. was very like that exhibited by the Blacks on the previous Saturday. Wilson's exhibition at full-back, was something painful. He could neither pick up cleanly, nor could he fdok, his punts on one or two occasion* going buck towards his own goal, while his collaring was never worse. His play was responsible for at least three of the tries got during the gamo. Hi* fumbling, and

thus putting men on aids, enabled N.S.W. to run in right under the bar twice, while ou another occasion a mistake by him resulted in a score being obtained by N.S.W. B iyly, Jerrii, and Shannon played good defensive games, but they wera terribly hampered by their forwards failing to hold up the scrums. Gage and Goode were vi'iilc. The former appeared unable to get linkick, and when he did, it almost in- < niiibly went into touch. Good fumbled ••■ venl times very badly, but otherwise his ]■! iy was sound. Col)l>, of Nuwcastlo, N S W., full-back, played a magnificent ..- .lie, kicking and collaring to perfection. ( > i ut least a dozen occasions, his kioks i .mcd 55 to 60 yards for his side, while '< * luckling whs as good as could be wished fur. Abbott, centre three-quarter, showed liHt^ue colours. He's a " regular sneezer" when playing a winning gume. He ran in. d dodged splendidly, and kicked well at t' no.-', while his passing was magnificent Surman took the ball Bplendidly, and ran wi-11, but his exhibition otherwise was not first olass. Robert*, the other wing, was very dodgy and tricky, and played with g; eat dash. The N.S.W. forwards played like a book. Frazer, a 16} stone man, being their best. He is very fast, and a aplondid worker on the line and in the loose. He got over the N.Z. line twice. He was ably supported by Vecht, HiddleaUne, Menlon, and Henlon, the latter also K-tting two tries for N.S.W. The N.Z. t> .un were completely beaten. Especially wits this apparent during the first ten minutes of the second spell, during which time N.S.W. put on 15 points (3 goals). The grounds here are hard as boards, and the players cannot stand the same number of games upon them per week as they could iv New Zealand. In the evening, the N.S.W. footballers entertained their visitors at a banquet and smoke concert. The N.S.W. football public rolled up in great force, and the pi oceedings were of a very lively nature. Their enthusiasm over their men's win know no bounds, and cheer after cheer was givon for the N.S.W. captain. The sight on the Association Cricket Gioundwheu the referee sounded "no side," \\ us one that could never be forgotten by imyone who saw it. The cheering of the hjioctntors could be heard for at least a couple of miles on either side of the ground, and people who were witnessing the review of the N.S.W. volunteers some four miles away declare that they could hear the cheering during the courae of the game; .and a gentleman resident at the hotel where the team is stopping told the writer that although five miles away, he knew N.S.W. had won, by the cheering, whioh he could hear quite distinctly. The team leaves for Queensland on Wednesday next by one of tho A.A.S.N.'a steamers, and meets Queensland on the Saturday. At the banquet on Saturday evening, Mr. Campbell, ou behalf of the N.Z. team, presented Mr. H. Stockhom (Secretary of the N.S.W. Entertainment Committee), with a beautiful silver fern-leaf mounted on a plush stand, as a mark of their appreciation of the manner in which he has looked after their comfort during their stay here.