THE SPRINGBOKS

Evening Star, Issue 17731, 4 August 1921, Page 3

THE SPRINGBOKS

EASY WIN OYER SOUTH CANTER-

BURY.

[From Ora Special Coeeespoxdekt.]

TIMARU, August 5. The Springboks had a very easy task to defeat South. Canterbury at 'Timaru today; in fact, they ran up the largest score they have registered so far in New Zealand, and incidentally raised their total figures to over the century. There was a large attendance, fully 10,000 spectators, and an interested visitor was Lord Jeilicoe, who spoke a few words to each of the South Africans as they filed on to the field. Aa a display of football the game was not a success. The _ Springholes did not put their best team into the •field, but .they, were altogether too good for South Canterbury. They particularly dominated the final spell, and the game ended: Springboks South Canterbury 5

The Timaru men started with great dash, and for the first ten minutes held the upper hand, but after that they were never in the hunt, Their forwards played a good bustling game, and hooked the ball in the scrum quite as often as the visitors, and that is about all that can be said in favor of the side. Their tackling was execrable, and Van Heerden in particular they permitted to run through them more than once, where any decent tackling would have ended his career almost as soon as it started. Their line kicking was quite good, but as far as combined work or passing were concerned they were hopelessly at sea. The much-vauntcd Storey, New Zealand wing three-quarter, was seldom in evidence, except for an occasional good tackle; and it appeared as though he were looking after himself for the test match on Saturday week. Cannitch, at full-back, was fairly safe, but made some very bad mistakes. H. Scott, on the left wing, did much good work on both attack and defence, but the rest of the backs did not raise any great enthusiasm. Of the forwards, the only conspicuous ono was A. Scott, who _ grafted hard all through and whose kicking was a big help to the side. Weather conditions were good, and the opposition was weak, and it was therefore thought that the Springboks would open up the game and make it spectacular and fast. , Fast it certainly was at times, but by no means spectacular, except for occasional incidents. Much has been heard of their preference for the inside the line game, but they gave few instances of ft, and played the line throughout the greater part of the_ afternoon. Great interest was taken in the appearance of the, crack wing three-quar-ter, Van Heerden, who showed to bo very fast and is possessed of an effective sidestep which will make him a man to bo watched closely in the test matches. G. P. Merkel, who played in Christchurch last Saturday, was at the top of his form, and made no mistakes in kicking, fielding, or tackling. Clarkson, in centre, was the best back on the ground, and the other two three-quarters, Weepener and Zeller, were both very solid. Townsend played scrum-half, and a first-class one he made, being very solid on defence and exceedingly nippy on attack, a noticeable feature of his play being the manner in which he opened up passing rushes from all sorts of difficult positions. Sendin, the second half, despite his very light weight {9st 71b) proved himself a thoroughly capable footballer. His play was always bright, his movements were'unexpected, and he backed up his fellow-backs in most approved style, with the result that ho scored twice for that reason alone. He is evidently a natural footballer, who uses his head as well aa his body. Du Plessis stood out by himself amongst the forwards, and used his weight and speed to the utmost advantage. Harry and “ Boy ” Morkel were always noticeable. Kruger did a lot of good work, particularly on the line-outs. The team worked with perfect harmony, and if it had cared to exert itself the score could easily have been much larger. The visitors’ play, however, was mostly on orthodox lines, with little originality; and granting even that they were not over-exerting themselves they did not strike one as the combination that would beat the All Blacks. CRITICISM OF UNION. CATERING FOR ONE CLASS. The president of the New Zealand Football Rugby Union wrote to the City Council last evening asking it to co-operate in preventing sale in the streets of unofficial programmes of the coming matches with the South African team. It was agreed not to feiie permits for the sale of unofficial programmes. Before the resolution was put the deputy-mayor expressed the opinion that the New Zealand Rugby Union was not playing the game; it was out to make all the money it could. It was simply catering for one class altogether. From what one could hear at the present time it was now several hundred pounds short. VEHICULAR TRAFFIC PROHIBITED. The application of the Otago Rugby Football Union for the temporary closing to vehicular traffic of Ferguson, Bums, M’Glashan, and Samuel streets (all in the vicinity of the Carisbrook Ground) between the hours of 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the 10th and 13th., was granted by the City Council at its meeting last evening- , . SPELLING NO GUIDE. TRICKS OF THE DUTCH TONGUE. Say 11 Sass ” abruptly. It is the Trans-vaal-Dutch equivalent' of De Kock, the name of the clever flying half-back of the Springboks’ team. “Vilgie” is De Villiers, and “Kryer” is Kruger, grandson of Oom Paul of famous memory. These are just a few examples of pronunciation which places one at a disadvantage when first meeting the South Africans. Then there are further complications. J. Michau (“Meekow”), the resourceful half-back, is always, for instance, referred to as “Mannetjes.” It means “little man,” afld noth the team it is something more than a nickname. It has taken the place of “Michau,” Naturally the attempts at address by the- average New Zealander afford much quiet amusement to our visitors. The captain’s name, Pienaar, has proved a big stumbling block to many, tiie classic example of ill-success being achieved by a certain mayor at a reception who referred to him on several occasions as “Mr Pioneer”! The pronunciation should not present difficulties. It is “ Peenar.”

The fact that Dutch is preferred—and jealously so in some instances—in conversation by most of the team, helps the realisation how truly national in character are our visitors. In temperament, too, they present differences. Home Hfd is a more solid institution with the Dutch. South Africa is a country where the evening meal in the burghers’ homes invariably concludes with family prayers, read from a huge Bible, and where, after the nightly retirement of the parents, the period during which the sons and daughters may remain up is .regulated by tho burning of the “up sit” candle—there is no need to remind visiting swains of the passing of time by the shutting off of the gasmeter. Thus, although none of our visitors are the sons of burghers—a burgher is an outback “cockie,” otherwise known as a “boer”—an example can be given of how vivid is the parental tie. One of the biggest forwards on tho journey from Wellington was in the throes of mal do mer. “'’lt'll do mo good. But, Oh! I want mofna, moma”! (mother) he repeatedly groaned. Reference was made to the “up sit” candle. We would call it tho “ sit up ” candle. The form of reverse expression is a peculiarity of the Dutch, particularly the Transvaal Dutch, language. On Saturday advice was shouted by Springboks on the line to the Green players to “take the field up the ball”! Many members of the team are the sons of wealthy fanners— J. Michau is a big landowner—and there are professional men, ’University students, and civil servant*. ' Hany of them hold, university de-

grees. Although their travelling expenses are paid, they aro not given an allowance. The intellectual calibre is particularly high. C. Du P, Meyer, a student of Shellenboach University, apart from his ordinary scholastic attainments, speaks six or seven native languages quite fluently. He Is even an adept at the Bushmen’s language, which is surely the quaintest language on earth. It simply a succession of clicks. J. Olivier (“ Olnfier } is also a student at Shellenbosch, 1. Kruger is a Bachelor of Science, and was a university lecturer, He is now servant, and is a keen debater, i- 1Pienaar is a master at a high school. A. Van Heerden is the son of a clergyman, and J. D. De Villiors is a public servant. In the public service _in South Africa two years aro given during which an employee must bo proficient in both Dutch and English. There has been no attempt to force the English language upon the Dutch—such an act would be bitterly resisted. In Natal, however, many ol the descendants of the Dutch settlers speak nothing but English. There are h™ Natal men in the pairty who do not speak Dutch. One of these Is W. Townsend, who won the bantam-weight boxing championship in a services tournament m London. Townsend is of Welsh extraction. There is another boxer in the team. This is W. Sendin, who is the amateur fly-weight champion of his province. Ho was chosen to go to the Olympic Games, but was prevented through breaking a bone jn nis hand. Ho served in the Air Force during the war. v. Discussing with a ‘Sun (Christchurch), representative the national 1 political sen iment in South Africa, a member of the team said that it was very marked, but be thousht intermarriages would eventually break it down. He thought the visit to New Zealand would help to a bettor understanding of the Imperial idea. The nationalist problem was big, but thegreatest South Africa had to face was the attitude of the natives. Some of the native races since the war had become arrogant and unmanageable. The natives who served in France in labor battalions had spread a gospel of equality. Photographs were shown by them of white (French)' women in their company. Collisions between whites and blacks were becoming frequent. The recent affray, when several hundred natives were shot and hundreds more wounded, resulted from a movement by a sect to occupy lands and enforce tribute from neighboring farmers. The natives were led by a black who was a Master of Arts at Oxford. He spat in the face of the officer sent to parley with them. Prior to the attack on the natives the white women and children in the district were collected and strongly guarded. It was a serious time. The Basutos are a great source of danger. They are a warlike race,-'and in a rebellion could use machine and field guns.