MAORIS AT AUCKLAND

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 49, 26 August 1935, Page 4

MAORIS AT AUCKLAND

CRITICISM OF REPORT.

BRIGHTER

Considerable surprise at the tone of m the report published ■ today of the BE Rugby match,at Auckland on Saturday of between the Maori touring team and '*• Auckland's representatives was ex- °^ pressed by Messrs. W. J. Wallace (co- p' manager of the Maori team) and Mr. m J. Murphy upon .their return from se Auckland today. . Both had been asso- c ciated with the team throughout the s( entire tour, but that'did hot sway them ai in any comments which they made on si the performances of the team. Admittedly, when the ball is thrown about, ci they stated, there is , occasional mis- p handling, but the, Maoris must have n the game open. They play an unortho : b dox game,' and it is that which gives ti them so great an appeal to the foot- J balling public. At Auckland on Satur- si day afternoon there was no mistaking f; the fact that the Maoris pleased the o crowd; in fact, not a few of their move- o ments thrilled the onlookers. More- p over, the game; in which the Auckland v forwards played really well, was ac- v cepted generally as being of the kind 3 to win much favour in Auckland. It v was a much more attractive spectacle o than the recent Rarifurly. Shield match, ij in'which. Auckland lost'the trophy to t Canterbury, and for that reason alone r it was calculated to do much good for v the game there. There was an £800 • "gate," which, considering a strong c counter-attraction, was really good. Messrs. Wallace and Murphy offered the following section of a report from the "Auckland Star" as giving a reliable indication of what Saturday's game was 'like:—".'"■-. ...' ■ , : "With all the vivacity and brilliance that the Maori footballer can'command, George Nepia's team of Rugby champions '"defeated Auckland by 14 points ' to 10 at Eden Park. Twelve thousand ". spectators were thrilled and kept cheer- * ing wildly as the fortunes of the teams j changed!quickly. There was action in . every movement, and the gay, spectaa cular style of-the Maoris as they threw " the ball about in a manner seldom ;' seen won the admiration of the crowd. It was a picturesque .game in many ;' ways. There was the colourful George ' Nepia, most famous of all full-backs, ' playing brilliantly and revealing ■J flashes of his.greatness. He was given a fine ovation as he limped off the field ten minutes after the start of the [1 second spell, ah old knee injury hava ing let him down. It was an exhibition l" of football that Auckland will rememn ber.". •■ : . : 8 Before disbanding the Maori team c had a meeting" and at this Mr. A. y Baker,- newly-appointed chairman of * the Auckland Rugby Union, congratuQ lated the Maoris upon the attractive a display-they had given and indicated *- that it meant a great deal to the game ? in Auckland. "He meant "every word 5,; of it, too," said Mr: Wallace.