"TOO GOOD FOR US"

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 70, 24 March 1938, Page 14

"TOO GOOD FOR US"

THE SPRINGBOKS

NO CAUSE FOR PANIC

"Too-much has been, said already," remarked Mr. J. N. Millard, chairman of the management committee of. the Wellington Bugby Union/when indicating to delegates at the union's annual meeting last night that he did not' propose to. say much about the Sprinkbok team's visit. "However, I do not think that the' fact that they came through the country rand practically 'Wiped us off;: the. field should put us in a panic." There-were those who, apparently, regarded New Zealand football, after the, final Test had been ■ played, as being at a low. ebb, but Mr. Millard said that he did not subscribe to, .that view. In his opinion some teams New Zealand had put into the field in Australia were weaker than last year's team. As showing how' opinion was changed by results, he mentioned how, after the first Test last year,, "we reckoned that the New Zealand'team was the greatest we had ever had." He was prepared to admit that the Springbpk team ■of "last year1 was the best he had' ever, seen come to this country.

"We did not have the men in the country to beat them," he Ridded. "They were .Jioo good for us, and'we should admit'it. We should be prepared to take a -beating when we get it."

As for' the;-system of trials adopted for' the .selection/of the New Zealand team, Mr. Millard said that it was wrong- He thought that in future they should see that the best footballers in New Zealand /were not "played to death" a'little^bit before a tour as they were:last^fyear. It was ridiculous for players:to^lejasked to play up to four games in'&bout a. week. He gathered that; the Zealand Rugby Union had realised that, and he did not think the s^tem would be repeated* Merition of ;.the amount of work entailed in'handling the big matches in Wellington'was' made tfy Mr. Millard,, and he spoke appreciatively of thji manner in which all the voluntary helpers' had worked .on the two big occasions.