LEAGUE TOURISTS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 145, 20 June 1924, Page 8

LEAGUE TOURISTS

AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALLERS

PLAY AFFECTED BY^ GROUNDS

AND RULINGS.

Having completed a series of matches in the Dominion the Australian 'Varsities' League football representatives arrived from the South this, morning and joined the , Maheno for Sydney, shortly after. 11 o'clock. In conversation with a; "Post" reporter, the captain of the team (Mr. H.- G. Finn) said that air the games on the .'tour, had been, hard; but a.friendly spirit had prevailed throughout. The form of the team had been- affected to some extent by the heavy state of the grounds on which ;the matches had been played, and.in consequence the display given- by the visitors had gen^ erally not reached that ■ which is usual on the harder Australian; grounds. They were essentially.a team ior fast grounds, the players, especially the backs, being rather dn the.light side. The change in tactics consequent upon . the heavy grounds. had a spoiling effect upon the team's performance. . "-■■'■■:.;: Regarding the standard of play in New Zealand, the visiting- captain said that there was a considerable improvement since . the .visit of an Australian . League team two years ago. One mat-^ ter concerning which there was an opening for discussion with the Australian authorities was the question of rulings on certain points.' It had been' found during the ' tour that, the '"rulings,as given in Australia, tended ■to keep the game more open than was the case in New Zealand.', The experiencel, on this tour has been, that the referee's rulings have, caused more frequent, stoppages than is usual in Australia.

The captain spoke very highly of the hospitality which had .been extended to the team, both in Christchurch and in Auckland. The members of .the party had thoroughly enjoyed the trip, and they were leaving New Zealand with the happiest of recollections. . ■ \