CABLE NEWS.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 92, 16 October 1905, Page 5

CABLE NEWS.

[BT EUECTRIO TELEGRAPH. — COPYRIGHT.] THE NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALL TEAM. MATCH AGAINST NORTHUMBERLAND. THIRTY-ONE POINTS TO NIL, [press association.] LONDON, 14th October. Though the weather was extremely boisterous for the matcli at North Shields to-day between the New Zealand footballers and a team representing Northumberland, the match was witnessed by about ten thousand people. It was anticipated that Northumberland would make a good showing, but this prediction was not realised, the visitors winning by 31 points to nil. Immediately after the kick-off Gillett (Canterbury) scored a try, followed after a comparatively brief interval by, a try each to Cunningham (Auckland) and Deans (Canterbury). High wind spoilt each attempt to place the ball over the bar. Hunter (Taranaki), who is in great form, secured three tries in most brilliant fashion, and two of them were converted, the score standing at half-time-New Zealand ... ... ... 22 Northumberland ... i« 0 Despite the big lead of their opporents, the local men played up well in tho second spell, and gave a much better display than in the first half. Still they could not break through the New Zealand defence, but the visitors did not manage to score as freely. Hunter, who played a great game throughout, got across the line twice, and Harper (Canterbury) also secured a try, but the attempts at goal in each instance failed ', the wind destroying the marksmanship. The whistle sounded with the score — New Zealand 31 , Northumberland ... fct . 0 The Premier received the following cablegram from the High Commissioner: — "New Zealand football team beat Northumberland by thirty-one points to nil — two goals and seven tries. Seeling, Harper, Deans, GiMt, and Roberts scored one each ; Hunter, four. Strong wind and wet." A strong wind and wet conditions, as reported in the High Commissioner's message, did not prevent New Zealand gaining another emphatic win. The record is now — 9 matches, 341 points Dor, 7 against, as compared with the Maori team's five wins out of 9 matches, with 39 points for, 19 against. Northumberland had only four successes in the county matches last season, but got two representatives into the England team that was beaten by Ireland by 17 to 3. These were the full-back, Stanger-Leathes, and Simpson three-quarter. Stanger-Leathes came to New Zealand with Bedell-Siv-right's team, but yielded place to the New Zealander -O'Brien in the important matches. Matched last season against the champion county, Durham, Northumberland was beaton only by penalty goals. Northumberland was beaten by Lancashire and Cheshire, drew with Yorkshire, and beat Cumberland. With ( all this success, there is room flor .the New Zealanders to experiment without much risk, and the appearance of tho full-back (Gillett's) name aomng the try-getters is probably proof that the combination is being occasionally varied. There should be no lack of understudies. When one reads of 8000 being present at & Home international match, the fact that 10,000 braved the weather to see New Zealand play Northumberland argues a good deal of interest by the Home public m the tour. The variance between the Press Association and the High Commissioner as to scorers' names is inexplicable. It is clear that Hunter is still the star. The fall in the ratio of goal-getting may be due to the high wind or to the possible absence of Wallace.