NEW ZEALAND'S BIG TOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 88, 13 April 1935, Page 26

NEW ZEALAND'S BIG TOUR

Budgets of news coming to hand from the Home countries contain many references to the coming invasion by the All Blacks. The season now closing has been regarded as one of preparation for the New Zealand team's visit, and a very close study has been made of performances. Here in New Zealand a new season is beginning, and it will be until the end of July, one of solid preparation, for the big tour. The Home countries are expecting to find the All Blacks once again a formidable proposition, and the thorough search for them between now and the middle of June should result in a side being chosen that will be every bit as strong as Home opinion is expecting it to be.

Although it was left for Scotland to win the Rugby international championship for Ireland by their defeat of England at Murreyfield, Irishmen are considered to be worthy of. the honours which have thus fallen to them after 36 years -Waiting. At the beginning of the season; the championship seemed to rest between Wales and England, but England has proved to be a disappointment to "Astral" ("N§ws-Chronicle"). He does not quite agree that the English forwards lost the game at Murrayfifeld. A pack that gets the ball in the proportion of four to one is surely doing its job pretty well, but if the back-row men had added to this a little more cooperation to those behind them when the* ball came loose, there would have been a different tale to tell.

PLAYERS OF NOTE.

A few reputations have been made, and Boughton, after i'many, years of being ignored, has established himself at full-back. ' England can rely on him for some time to come. Leyland, another newcomer, has justified the selectors, but Heaton's failure was so bad at Edinburgh as to be unaccountable. Scotland have reason to be proud of Shaw,* Murdoch, Marshall, and Fyfe and their heroic forwards, and Ireland have undoubtedly discovered a coming outside-half in Hewitt, while their magnificent forwards should be good enough to hold their own next season with the New Zealanders. ■

"Apart from this," continues "Astral," "our prospects against the coming invaders are very far from hopeful. It is an. old adage that attack is the best defence. • The Irish, who are nothing if not paradoxical, have

changed all that. They have made their defence the best form of attack. Not only have they smothered all the opposition efforts, but they have in the process managed to score more tries than any-other international side of the season. They have crossed the line six times and have only had-two tries registered' against them. Yet in the main their playing policy was based on defence."

By Howard Marshall ("Daily Telegraph") the Irish forwards are regarded as a tremendously, lively lot, while G. Morgan and V. Hewitt shape excellently at half-back. The critic proceeds: "I admire the Irish dash and determination, then, but I do not admire their skill. They are destructive players, and although it is.good to see their forwards in full cry, smothering and tackling and mauling and rushing, it would be better! still io see them working to a plan based on real scrummaging. Smashing and bashing have their virtues in Rugby football. They are at least a stage better than witless apathy.

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