A FOOTBALL ECLIPSE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 16, 18 July 1907, Page 6

A FOOTBALL ECLIPSE.

Many persons who had hoped for a quiet hour or two by the fireside last night to eat and digest the tariff had even more bitter food to masticate Through the city spiead tho news of the rout of tho "All Blacks" on Sydney's field. Warriors whose names were once Borr.eihirjg to make the nations tiemblc wcro ber'ton — "demoralised," "dinorganised," the ele.-tiic cable says. The silver fern le->f was trailed in the dust, and the proud invaders of tho Commonwealth were compelled to cry enough. The sweeping march of the New Zealanders through the Rugby fields of Great Britain had led the people here to believe that their champions would never again havo to taste the gall and wormwood of defeat, and thereiorc when they read that "tho New South Welshmen swarmed all over" tho redoubtable "All Blacks" they were rilled with incredulous, amazement. The detail* were so contrary'to expectations "that eoino enthusiasts mu6t have hoped for a correction to come through to-day announcing that tho names New South* Wales end New Zealand had been inadvertently transpofed. But tho first news is true. "In the second &pell, the Now South Wales territory was virtually a desert," and the cable despalcher also picturesquefy indicates that the "devil," who has a reputation for looking after his own, wrs lacking in the ranks of the visitors. Once it was New Zealand tliat played like a machine; now it was New South Wales. ~ However, the end of the campaign has not yet come — "what though the field be lost, all is not lost." It L> easy, if it was necessary, to submit excuses for the colony's representatives. It is reported that -'owing to slight injuries and other causes a number of changeo ' were mado in the New Zealand team, but, with one exception, the New South Wales team was the same as played last Saturday." Tho local men were wide awake, and they caught the invaders slightly napping. Tlie account shows that tho Australians 1 played with a "now or never" dash, and the forwards almost invariably secured possession of the ball, thus effectually blocking the New Zealand backs, among whom there were only three "stars" on the day — Roberts, Wallace, and Hunter. In any case it is not a surprising event fur New Zealanders to be beaten on Australian territory in the second of tho series of games with New South Wales. In 1893 the invaders M'ero rebuffed to the tune of 23 points to 5, and in 1897 they were vanquished by 26 points to 3, and these were the only checks received iv the tours. Even the all-conquering team that went abroad a couple of years ago merely managed to make a draw — 8 points all — with New South Wales in the second game. Thcive considerations may console the inhabitants of those islands, but they need not discount the victory of our brethren over the seas. The slaughter of the New Zealnnders for one day should bring about a glorious resurrection and should put fresh life into Australian football. FSteadilv it hns been improving, and this Litest success will give it another strong fillip.