MAORIS LOSE

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 November 1926, Page 3

MAORIS LOSE

.GLOUCESTER’S NARROW .WIN. (Australian cud N.Z. Cable Association.) lO. At, Rugby, Gloucestershire 3 beat Maoris niL MATCHES IN CANADA LONDON, November 9. Arrangements have been completed for the .Maori footballers to return via Vancouver, to play three matches there. They sail by the Tahiti, arriving at Auckland on February 28.

DARK FERNS ON TOUR.

ARRIVAL IN FRANCE.

(By “Moko Moko, 1926 All Black.)

(Special to “Star.”)

The population of Marseilles is over three quarters of a million and the diversity of colour especially in the costumes of those who swarm the docks is charming in its picturesqueness. You need a dictionary of national dress to distinguish the many garbs that are in evidence, and the casts of features—the national types—are more confusing still. But to return to our muttons. On the evening of our arrival an official dinner of welcome was accorded us. Speeches by M. Otave Lery-Laurent and others were translated into English by a Mr Muhr who did the vice versa turn with those of Messrs Parata and Harris. While we are in France, we sha>i have the services of this fluent linguist. Mr Muhr, at our disposal —officially of course; we know a fair number of things to ask for ourselves. By the way, the menu card had seven items on its single sheet, and we had to acknowledge that book French is somewhat behind the times when you read a hotel bill of fare. However, we had some veal and cold fowl and an ice named after us. They called it a bomb—and tney were right. There’s fruit in abundance on every French table,, though tea is not usual as a beverage in the Midi. The papers have frequent reference to our boys. Here is what the games paper “The Sports,” wrote of our walking and general uniform:

“Clad uniformly in black coat bordered with silver braid and grey pantaloons, these athletes lend grace to any assembly they make part of, though their costume'is not just what most of us had expected to gaze upon.” Evidently the papers have been picturing our fellows as feathered, tattooed” matted and tikied. What a disappointment! But Macaulay’s New Zealander* has not yet sat on London Bridge to view the ruins of St. Paul’s.

On the fourth of September we were entertained at the Ode’on Vaudeville, and though the language was all too idiomatic for most of us, we managed to see the funny side of the French joke. There were some clever tumbling turns with the invariable strong man figuring and the nimble-toed danseuses of Maud Allen characteristics and oh So Gallic in their verve and vivacity! The French are extremely enthusiastic in all matters athletic, and the revival, which is quite post-war, has nob lost any of its original zest for these nervy people of the Mediterranean. Marseilles is very proud of itself as a port and as a city. The obliterator at the Post Office cancels letters with the slogan :

“Marseilles, Port of the Orient. Has Sea, Sun, and Blue Skies.”

Standing out clearly on. the envelope it is a very good “boost” sign for a place which has something worth praising. Other coasts have ports and seas, but none can compare their skies with the blue of the Mediterranean littoral. The Federation of Athletics is a strong body in this town, with splendid buildings as clubrooms and a very fine ground. We attended their annual sports and saw some good sprinting and fair jumping. The places of interest are numerous here : Cathedral, Port d’Aix, Gantini Fountain, Trans-bordeur Bridge, Palais Lonchamp, and a host of others. The docks always draw us during free times, their cosmopolitan life never failing to attract. The singleness of racial type in New , Zealand makes one parochial. It’s a great big world this, of ours! We had an excursion to the island of the Chateau d‘lf, and recalled our “Monte Cristo.’ Perhaps the most enjoyable of our motor trips was to Toulon, the great naval base of France. Leaving at 7.30 a.m. we passed through very pretty plough-lands with every foot of the fertile soil planted in vines and tomatoes. We had lunch at the Hotel Lorraine in Toulon and then went out iu launches to see the base and the magnificent new dockyards. At 5 p.m. we were billed to practice in Toulon Park. Practice it was not, but a spectacle staged by the Toulon Rugby Union for about two thousand spectators who paid their three francs a head (about 4gd) to see us do a few stunts—nothing serious you may be sure. The onlookers were as enthusiastic as if the thing were real and a party of Toulon residents presented Barclay and Bell with a bouquet a piece after the proceedings. The Toulon Union—they call themselves ‘Rugby Club’ handed each of us a souvenir calendar of their season games of 1926-27. They have first and second grade matches and the first round begins September 12 and goes on to November 7. Rugby is flourishing here-. We returned to Marseilles at 9.30 p.m. by a different route.

Every Monday and Friday, a four page edition of “The Sports” is published in Marseilles, its columns covering matter relating to motorbicycling, pedestrianism, hydro-avia-tion, push- bicycling, motor-racing, boxing, and, of course, football. The issue of Friday, September 10, 1926, had many screeds about the “Maoris ruggers,” and the opening match was advertised for 16 o’clock as the first game in Europe. We were . to be matched against the Olympics. A very fine group photograph of the tourists was to be seen on the front page. "Above the picture was a back view of the party with large numbers in white showing on the backs of their jerseys, Messrs Parata and Harris making up the thirty. Voluminous notes on our training appear from time to time. Read ■ this : “There is an end aimed at in everything the Maoris do in their practices. The eye of the master, Monsieur Parata. watches everything in order that this end may be achieved. He must have good physical condition and the requisite mental attitude in each of his players. Captain Barclay, and Vice-Captain Bell share the actual direction of the training of their comrades, and beyond these three no one ntters. a word no one makes a remark; discipline is rigid when these men from fta Boa® Sake fih® practice field..

Barclay takes the pack; Bell has to do with the rear lines. On one part of the ground the forwards (avants) take part in the scrum (melee), the axis of which is a Reverend, named Matene. The backs pass in three, sometimes M. Parata intervenes, rarely indeed, but implacably, and the movement must be done all over again from the spot at which it was initiated.” And •so on for columns! • These Frenchmen are,'taking their football seriously, and the crowds at our practices are large and vociferous. One of the issues of Les Sports had as. a support for its title; “Sport must come before particular hobbies and above all before individual ambitions.” The French are struggling hard to build up a manhood the stamina of which was so seriously weakened by the long World