NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALLERS AT HOME.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 136, 6 December 1905, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALLERS AT HOME.

♦■ SOMERSET AND DEVONPORT-AL- ' BION MATCHES. Against Somerset on 21st October, at Taunton, New Zealand was represented by: — Full-back, Gillett; three-quarters, Wallace, Harper, Booth; five-eighths, Deans, Mynott ; half, Stead ; forwards, Casey, Tyler, Glenn, O'Sullivan, Nicholson, Corbett, Seeling ; winger, Gallaher. Won by 22 to 0. Against Devonport-Albion New Zealand was represented by: — Full-back, Gillett; three-quarters, Thomson, Stead, Smith ; five-eighths, Hunter, Mynott ; half, Roberts; forwards, Tyler, Glasgow, Cunningham, Nicholson, O'Sullivan, Seeling, Johnston ; winger, Qallaher. Won by 21 to 3 (a penalty goal). Some writers {though by no means all) are of opinion that Now Zealand's play in >the Somerset match was the weakest yet shown. But it is to be noted that a mighty triumvirate, Smith, Hunter, and Roberts, were absent from the- backs, and Cunningham from the forwards, the lock apparently being Glenn. Also, Devon-port-Albion is crodited with having made a much better fight than the score indicates. Wallace and Deans were absent !on this occasion. The versatility of Stead as five-eighths, half, and centre threequarters will bo noted. In the Devonport Albion match the trygetters and goal scorers on the New Zealand side wero: — Thomson, tiy; Gillett, goal, 6. Thomson, try, 3. Seeling, try ; Gillett, goal, 5. Nicholson, try, 3. Gallahor, try; Cunningham, goal, 5. i DEVONPORT-ALBION MATCH. The Devonport-Albion ma-teh was regarded as the nearest thing to a test the visitors had met. Over 20,000 people assembled at Dovonport to see them meet England's crack club, and the gato was £637. According to the Daily Telegraph, "while they fully deserved victory, they owed their success to speed and stamina rather than to superiority in combinaton." This tendency to belittle the Now Zea-, landers' combination and the precision of their passing is still widespread, though with regard to every match there are still to be found Homo critics who incidentally give both the combination and the passing highest praise. In tho first ten minutes Thomson scored a try after bo- , wildeiing passing, of which it is said that the home hide was caught napping before it had sottled down to the gamo. Gillett majorised, and with 5 points to face, Devonport-Albion held their opponents for the rest of tho first half. In the second half tho home defence broke down, and New Zealand took full advantage. Lato in tho game Albion broke away, Roberts was penalised, and Spiers kicked the penalty goal, while ju&t at tho finish it seems that Albion nearly got in. The Telegraph snys that up to a point Albion did much to vinidcate the reputation of English football. Their forwards "repeatedly controlled tho scrummages and so gave their backs plenty ofl chances. Albion's measure of success served to bring out the fine qualities of New Zealand's defence. Although necessarily only recent followers of the New Zealanders 1 methods, the Albion boldly adopted the colonials' formation. Dean and Bateman, filling the positions of '•five-eighths," acquitted themselves with conspicuous .success, and as half-back, Jago, on the whole, wus the master of his opponent, Roberts. For a time the Albion's- combination reached a very high standard, and on two occasions Jago and Dean fairly broke through the New Zea- . landers' defence. ' Lack of Jbuee.6^ com.-

pared with tliat possessed by the New Zealanders, however, prevented these fine efforts resulting in a score. Certainly on the general balance of the game the Devonport men should at least have Equalised before tho interval. So far there was nothing in the play, apart from the amazing speed of Smith, in which the Albion did not appear to quite aa much advantage as their opponents. Change oi) ends brought with it a very different slate of affairs, the home side tiring and being thoroughly outplayed. Ihe New Zealand forwards broke up the scrummages almost as they liked, and passed between one another in bewildering fashion. The Albion palpably weakening after the strain of some particularly strenuous tackling, the colonials came out in splendid form and once more demonstrated the exceptional quality ot their scoring ability against exhausted opponents. Near the line the New Zealanders not only strove with tremendous determination, but time after time got the ball out to the best-placed of their men in delightful style. Indeed, this splendid finish to their attacks formed quite the feature oil the New Zealanders' play. This quality the Albion lacked. One writer says that Albion lost severely because they broke down at a critical juncture, and because the New Zealanders are opportunists of an exceptional order. Albion cannot drive. home attacks with the finish the New Zealanders show. According to the Express, New Zealand forwards were a bit superior in light packs, and, in a sense, better in the loose, 'iheir backs put in one amazing round of combination, in which the ball simply flew from hand. The second try, scored by Thomson, was the outcome of lightning passes and phenomenal pace, the visitors leaving the home defenders standing. Ihe third score,- by Mynott, was also "* flash like its fellows. Gillett kicked a goal. The Albion then pressed by brilliant forward pay, but Zealand returned, and Tyler and Gallaher scored magnificent tries. Then Roberts was penalised, and Spiers kicked a penalty goal for Albion, who were vastly cheered for their success. Despite the apparent one-sideness of the game, there was not eighteen .points difference in the play. Ihe colonials owe their success to the wonderful play of their backs, backed up by Uallaher, whose winging tactics did not please the crowd. He was at all times interfering with Jago, and m&re than once treated tho little player rather roughly. Hunter gave another wonderful display, and, with Smith and Thompson, wjs ever on the move. Gillett was very weak at full-back, and on th,e day's play HHicrap was his superior. (Another critic gives Gillett praise.) Irwin never played a finer game, and, with Deanj, let nothing pass. that could possibly bo stopped. Bateman gave about as fine a display as one could witness, and Jago's work was indeed wonderful. Spiers led his men .with rare judgemnt, and Williams was also -splendid. The Albion's display was marvellously good, and they were going more strongly at the finish than the colonials, and after kicking their goal might easily have added a couple of tries. They gave the colonials all they desired, and no club in England is "kely to extend the visitors more fully." Ihe Express is also responsible for the rather striking admission :— "Albion havo done as well as they expected. Thov thought they could hold the New Zea, landers to 20 points, and they have don 6 it." "Westward Ho" in the Morning Leader;— " The New Zealanders availed themselves of every chance that was not a real opening, while on the other hand, notably with Deans and Jago in the first half, Campbell in the second, Albion failed when the colonial defence was clearly outwitted. Until the moment that their strength gave out, Albion's exposition compared more than favourably with that of their rivals, and in no phase except that capacity for scoring and devilry of the forwards were the colonials superior. The combination of Albion in the first half reached a very high standard, and at half Jago was better than Roberts. Deans was the best of the double set of five-eighths. At three-quarter, Smith, the flier, carried off the honours, Stead acting as a fine pivot in this department. The New Zealanders had the advantage as an attacking division, but as defenders Irwin, Howking, and Moir were splendid. Lillicrap played grandly at back, and the Albion pack performed magnificently against a whirling set of humanity." S. M. J. Woods : — Some of their passing is quite crude. Still, the pace of the players counteracts this, and it is generally one of their own side who gets the ball." E. J. Vivyan (International) : — " Hun, ter is certainly thei.r star artist, but Stead and Smith are also very clever. Every man is a trier, and this is the cause of their success." THE SOMERSET MATCH. The Standard's special correspondent, writing after the Somerset match, says : —"It will, indeed, be truly astounding if tho visitors, when not quite at tho top of their form, do not on some occasion suffer defeat. No reason at present exists for supposing that any particular side will earn the distinction such an achievement would bring, but some of the New Zealanders have suffered slight injuries, and others feel bad' offects from the climate. . . . These little untoward incidents have so far only served to bring out all the more plainly New Zealand's wonderful strength, and Saturday furnished a case in point. The extent to which illness bothered them would not seem serious from the way the men played, and, despite the absence of two of their most brilliant, exponents of tho game, they gave a "display in dash certainly quite equal to their usual high standard."