TEAM ENTERTAINED

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 147, 18 December 1924, Page 8

TEAM ENTERTAINED

KING GEORGE. PLEASED WTH. NEPIA.

(DNITtD PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPIRIOHT.)

(ABSTRALIAN-NEIT ZEALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION.) LONDON, lGth December.

King George sat with Sir Jiinies iVllen at last Saturday's mutch, at which His Majesty revealed that he possessed a

complete knowledge of Rugby. He picked out individual All Blacks, and was -particularly taken with the physique and fine play of Nepia. Sir James and Lady Allen gave a reception and dance in honour of the All' Blacks at the Great Central Hotel. Fifteen hundred guests were present, including most of the resident New Zealanders, officials of the Rugby Union, .captains of the London teams, arid -many notable players. - Prominent members of the British Olympic Association,' including Earl Cadogan, chairman of the council. Viscount Canipden, treasurer, and Briga-dier-General R. J. Kentish, secretary, entertained several of the All Blacks at luncheon.

General Kentish described the All ■Blabks as.evangels of the Rugby world. They behaved like angels on and off the field, ;he said, and their extraordinary prowess amazed everybody. There had been over much criticism and too little eulogy, but for all that the finer side of the All Blacks had attracted thousands everywhere. They had not lost ,one iota of their fair name, which was .worth' all the victories in the world. Mr. S. S. Dean said he had refused -to reply to criticism, as it would not bonefit Rugby, and the least said the soonest mended.