THE LESSON OF THE PRELIMINARY

Feilding Star, Volume 2, Issue 288, 18 July 1924, Page 4

THE LESSON OF THE PRELIMINARY

.'To-day iho All Blacks, after their preliminary canter on the hard grounds of Sydney, are leaving that hospitable city on'the voyage back to their home country. The Aiiek'landers are training hard to give them a good game'next Wednesday, while in Palmerston the officials are finding much evidence of excitement over a wide range of country in anticipation of the Anal match' to he played on the Showgrounds to-morrow week. The critics' are still analysing the All Blacks as they: were tried out in the foui- games in Sydney. There is one very important phase of their play that we think is not emphasised sufficiently. That is the weakness in .place kicking. It is a sad as well as •'a/bad reflection upon the playing qualities of 2vaw Zealand generally that so •'few'tries arc converted. It may b4%id at a conservative estimate, that about 10 points were lost during the/four matches. There were too few" threes kicked over, the bar into the major five. 'This lack of skill of skill":in \place kick is a national weakness, emphasised by the poor showing of our star exponents of th» ,game "'during the tfour matches. It. is .evident wo need, urgently -some specialists in • such, valuable kicking.