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Gisborne Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 11404, 3 January 1931, Page 10

CRICKET BAT LORE. AN HOUR. with" MR “BOR” CROCKETT. Green lighter.than the green of the laughing sea. many motorists have Been it, set in the bowl of the hills like ah immense emerald, as they wound down the . valley road, six miles from Daylesford. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of trees cluster together oh the' 23 acres near the creek. Each has the towering symmetry which makes the true English bat willow one of the most beautiful of trees. Flecks of silver scurry across tho : silver backs of countless leaves uppermost. Rut of the many who have marvelled, at the beauty ot those trees few have known that their wood, shaped by Mr. R. M. (“Boh”) Crockett, greatest ot cricket umpires, has provided hats which have been used and praised by ihe leading batsmen of England and Australia. .. ..... , r , Sitting in’the batroom at the M elbourne CHck(jt ground, Mr Crock exttold me the history of the trees, and explained ’’ :o m 0 sotne °f mysteries of the batmakers craft. Now •and amain he illustrated a point with one of scores of hats which boro the autographs of champions, and sometimes—there is no more modest, no better loved celebrity in the game, than “Bob” Crockett—he burned over words of praise earned by his craftsmanship. “Yes, it’s wonderful how they crow in the Daylesford soil and climate,” said -Air Crockett. “A Government expert agreed with us that there was not a blemish ,on them. They are growing in a rich, sandy loam. But'let me begin at the beginning. About 20 years aego, at my request, Air V. S. Ransford, the father of Air Vernon Ransford, the international cricketer, bought a consignment of true English bat willows from Essex. Although, according to Baron Von Alueller, there are 156 species of willows, and bats are made from eight or nine species, there is only one best bat willow. My brother. Air J-. Crockett, who is an apilarist at Daylesford, tended them. Year by year we planted more. I believe' that now Daylesford is the otily-place in Australia where English bat willows are grown in any great number. About,ten years ago I made mv first bats from these trees.

three oilings are needed. New bats frequently receive very harsh treatment at* the nets and on concrete pitches. At the nets everybody is •going for . yorkers and half-pitchers, and frequently they strike across the ball. This is a fatal stroke,, which is certain to break the edges of the bat. On concrete pitches players block by pushing the bat forward without lifting it, with the result that the ball frequently strikes the shoulder, and may carry the shoulder away. That reminds me that, slight blemishes on the hat. where a bud has been cut are no detriment to the hat All makers, however, avoid knots. Neither is yellow a blemish. Discolorations do' not impair the strength or the driving power of a bat.

“May I give one word of advice? Light hats are- needed for fast play behind the wicket. But it takes a good player to execute strokes behind the wicket safely. For that reason it- is not. necessary for most players to have a very light bat. For the player - -who "depends - mainly ■•' on' driving a- heavy- bat is an advantage,' because it gives added power to his drive.”—L. T. Luxfon, in Melbourne Argus. AUSTRALIANS BEST? POST AVAR XT. ARMSTRONG, CAPTAIN. Picking a world's eleven to play Mars seems to be a very popular pastime for rainy days, writes Arthur Mailev, in the Sydney Sun. I'was recently asked by a corres-' pondent what I thought was the best team of all times. Not being - sufficiently familiar with the giants of the last century, and some who shone in the beginning of this century, T would feel safer if I confined my selection to Australian players contemporary with my own Test career. If asked to pick an Australian post war -team to play a Test Match in Australia, I would choose—AVarwick Armstrong (captain), AV. M. AVoodfull, Bardsley, Bradman,' Macartney, Kippax, Jack Gregory, J. Af. Tavlor, McDonald. Grimmett and Oldfield. If the Test- was played in England I would prefer Ponsford to Taylor. Here is a team almost complete in every department. ATHLETICS top' liners. ROTHERT AND SIMPSON. By the latest American mail comes the news that on the closing day of the Amateur Athletic Union Convention, the Sullivan Memorial Committee thinned down the 165 candidates for the Sullivan Memorial Gold Cup to ten outstanding amateurs in different branches of sport. The ten names chosen will he submitted to nation-wide tribunal of prominent persons interested in athletics, who. will decide which of the ten is to receive the trophy—awarded this year for the first time, on conditions in which true amateurism is emphasised.

the making or a bat

“My knowledge? That was solfncquired from knowing and handling the best of hats for a lifetime, and in later years, from -talks with the great batmakers of England. I can see the finished hat in my mind’s eye as soon as J begin making it. tfhe first step is to. saw the willow tree less than an inch, above the ground. The wood at the bottom of the trunk is the strongest, ■ because it-has to bear the weight o! the branches and. the force of the wind. Twelve feet up, where the limbs begin, the wood is brittle and soft. Next the trunk is split into pieces about -27 inches long and three inches thick across the centre. They am called ‘clefts.’ From an average trunk 20 inches in diameter one obtains three or four lengths and each length ontains about 12 clefts. After the cleft has been chopped into something like bat shape with a tomahawk,. it is lined hotn ends to prevent its splitting. Then ltis placed in an airy shed to season for 12 months. “Now comes the true test or the batmaker’s skill—the shaping. With a drawing knife the cleft is gradually shaped to the form of a bat 41m. ;wido ; and 24- inches long. Then the 'bat is placed into a powerful press, Which exerts a pressure of one ton to compress and harden the soft wood. After the edges have been hammered work- is begun on the handle. ■ The handle is made of 16 pieces of cane from the South Sea Islands, squared up. and glued and clamped together, with about three strips of rubber inserted between the cane to take part, of- the ,shock .when the ball : strikes"the "blade. . Then' cutting the blade one makes an exact fit- for the handle' "to the fraction of an inch. The fit is so close that- even before the two-portions are glued together it is almost impossible to pull the handle from the blade. Balancing is one of the last-operations, and is certainly the most Bats are of no particular weight. Everything depends on the balance or the ‘feel? One bat mav be heavier than another, but it may feel lighter The batmaker must have a- very delicate and correct sense of balance, for a few shavings removed from some sections may make a remarkable difference in the ‘feel.’

It will come as a pleasant surprise to many to know that both Harlow Rothert and George Simpson, two of the three Americans who arrive here soon, are included. The others are R. T. (Bobby) Jones, world champion golfer : Clarence do Mar, veteran marathon runner; Helene Afaddison, of Seattle, the youthful, swimming sensation; Barney Beflinger, '"all-round -track and field athlete, of the University of Pennsylvania; Ray Ruddy, star swimmer of Columbia University : T. Hitchcock, .Tun., captain of the American international polo- team; Helen AVills, champion tennis player; and Afiss Stella AVnlsh, recordbreaking girl sprinter from Cleveland. With Rohtert and Simpson, those remaining eight make up a distinguished group of America’s firstrank amateurs.

WORLD SPRINT RECORD

THE SOURCE OF. DRIVING • POWER.

At Washington, on November 17, the Amateur Athletic Union. Convention recognised officially the record sprint of Frank Wykoff, of the University of Southern California. On May 10 last Wykoff covered the 100 yards, without starting blocks or favorable wind, in 9 4-10 .sec.- The only other 9.4 effort that has ever appeared on the hooks is one turned in by George Simpson, who visits New Zealand next month. Simpson’s record was thrown out because of ill's use of starting blocks. Wykoff’s time of 9.4 will he submitted now to the Amateur Athletic Federation for -recognition its a world record.

“Maiiv people think that it is the handle which gives a bat its driving power. That is not so. It is the resilience of the willow which gives the power. Victor Trumper remarked once, when I was talking to him about this point, ‘So you have found that out.; I know .it but very few do/ J. A. G. McDonald .'.of the Melbourne Cricket Chib, who died at the end of the last century used to speak of what a handle he had, and what driving it- did. But I converted him' one day. I had a rough cleft, ■without a handle, and I told him to throw a hall down and hit it -with the cleft: He did so and he exclaim - led in astonishment, ‘I never telt it. I said, ‘Where does your handle come in now?’ He had to laugh. “It is absolutely impossible to Tiudde the life of a bat. It may last for'five years or for five., mmutes. Ben Warsop, who. was said; to be tbe wp judge of willow in, England, said to me once, ‘lf I could tell 'definite y that a hat was' going to- last I would charge twice the price for it. Ibis all proves that bats need the greatest care. For at least a fortnight or a month aii old hall only should lie used with a new bat. It is a pity that-cricketers do not remember that. •They may-go in and , make 50 runs with their-new bat, hut they will almost -certainly spoil the hat. The fcpe&l of the ball and tho strength of the batsman - cause a tremendous impPCt—it may amount to tons when a new' hall strikes' a- hat. The willow‘in a ilew bat is soft. The softer the willow the greater is the resiliency, and,, consequently, the driving power. The lighter impacts of an old hall are r ' a continuance, of- the mechanical pressing process, and they gradually harden.'the willow.

BOXINC

SLUMP IN AUSTRALIA

NEW ZEALAND GETTING THE BEST LADS.

SYDNEY, Dec. >0

CARE OF 'THE BAT

‘‘A-bak should •be oiled with raw linseed-oil.at'least once a week. But standing. a V bat, in oil—l. have seen hat? standing in a full oil-drum — ruins it; •• - a' spoonful' of- oil rubbed “along the hlad©. Next - morning when , the oil has' soaked,in spine;more can be rub-jbe-i t ‘ofi. v In the winter -only two -or

The matter of a possible slump in Australian boxing, owing to the engagement of our best boxers for a season in New Zealand, is engaging the attention of the Iccal heads of the game. . . Mr Griffith, manager of Stadiums, Ltd., and Mr Pat. McHugh, manager, of, Leichhardt Stadium, stated that they were determined to offset any move, to take.from Australia our best fighters. . ...... In the past, agents for -different •associations in New Zealand have had* a free run in Australia. \ In fact, Australia has .been giving New Zealand, while the reriDi'Ocity from across the Tasman has been comparatively meagre. Speaking on the subject, Mr Griffith said that he fully, realised that the time had arrived for actio.n. to he taken in . connection with this allimportant: matter. ‘ -

... Outdoor and Indoor Pastimes ...

WHEN BOXERS PASS ZENITH OF POWERS. DETERTORATION ' USUALLY IS RAPID. Readers of' “Rodney Stone” will remember Buekhorse, the okl pugilist, with his melancholy refrain, “Youth will he served.” In boxing, as in all oilier sports, a- man reaches his zenith and begins to decline. It is more difficult in boxing than in purely athletic sports, such as running, but easier than in games, to say when a man is at his best. Skill and physical .strength, qualities of the head, eye and hand, are blended in a great boxer as in no other form of sport, writes a special correspondent of the London “Observer'. , Inquiry into the question of age can usefully be made only in the case of heavy-weights, for with any fixed weight men tend to grow out of their class. The lighter the weight, the younger the men, as a. rule. Carpentier fought in practically every class, from bantam upwards, and Kid Lewis, at featherweight, light, welter, and middleweight, while Ttinney began as a middle-weight. It should be remembered that .the heavy-weight class includes all weights, as it is at catchweights and the men have no need to weigh in except to satisfy public curiosity.

-As bo begins to ago a boxer deteriorates in endurance and in speed. Muscular strength, as tested in weight-lifting or on a. strength machine, does not decrease until after 32 or so, and then very slowly. Wrestlers often remain in the first class until 40 or oven 60. AATiether it is' the loss of endurance or of speed that affects a man first depends on the type of boxer. A man who relies on fighting and a capacity to give and take punishment will naturally be worn out much sooner than one who relies upon boxing skill. As a rule, it is the legs which give way first, though sometimes heavy punishment will make a man what is called •“punchdrunk,” when it is unsafe for him to continue in the. ring if he values his sanity or his life. Joe Grim, the man with the iron jaw, and Harry Lewis suffered in this way. and there have boon many others. A man is seldom as good again after a really desperate contest in which he is fully extended. The Jackson-Slavin fight was an example of this. Neither man was ever any use afterwards, and Jackson, the winner, died within a. feuyears. Recently, we have seen how Alilligan practically retired after his gruelling fight with Walker at the Albert Hall. Jack London, in his novel, “The Amllev of the Afoon,' speaks of this condition as “losing one’s silk,” and the phrase lias passed into American boxing slang. But age will bring about the same loss of elasticity as over-exertion, though if a man. is careful the time may be long deferred.

THE AGONY MOMENT.

Muscular speed begins to go at quite as early an age ns endurance, probably earlier. But actual quickness of hand and eye is by no means the principal factor in making a boxer; fast. ..The ..power of instant decision, the knowledge and anticipation of an opponent’s intention, the judgment of distance are what count. Every motorist knows what is called “the agony moment,” in. which collisions are caused or averetd. Long experience enables a boxer to shorten this “agony moment” so that for practical purposes he may he faster at 30 than he was at- 20, though a merely mechanical test might show the opposite. A similar difference between speed on the track and in the game itself has often been noted on. the football field, though not to the same extent. Driscoll, was an example of the speed which conies mainly- from skill, and he retained his powers Tintil close on 40 years of age. Wilde, whose speed depended on sheer physical. quickness, finished very much sooner. Pedlar Palmer until well over 40 was extremely fast for a. round or two.

Generally, a boxer is at his best somewhere about 27. , Taking the champions of the world since glovefighting was introduced, John L. Sullivan (whose world’s championship ■is always disputed)/ won . it at the age of 24 and dost to Corbett at 34. Corbett held the championship from 26 to 31, Fitzsimmons from 35 . to 37, Jeffries from 24 to 30 (retired), Burns -from 25 to 28,. Johnson from 30 to 37, Dempsey frcm 24 v to 31, Tunnev from 28 to 31 (retired) -and the'-present claimant, to the championship, Max Schmelling, is 25. Willard’s age is not known. Thus the average of the ages at which the heavyweight; championship of the world has been- won is 26.7, and it has been lost ortiie holder has retired at an average/of 32.3. It must be remembered, however, that these ages are raised by the inclusion of Fitzsimmons, who-.-wa.s a freak, and Johnson, who was a negro, and negroes as a- rule last longer than white men. . r The ages !of the. champions of the old prize-ring work out much the same, but there' is a good deal of doubt both as. to. ages and titles. It may- be noted that' the, Tipton- Slasher was nearly 40 when he was beaten by Tom Sayers, who was himself "34, -as against his opponent s 26 when he fought Hconan.. -'Most of. Jem Maces’s best fights took place when hb'%is turned 30, anti lie was well pasri-450 when he was

foolishly persuaded to try to. give Charlie. Mitchell, then in. his prime, over a quarter of a century in years. The light took place, J. think, in Glasgow, and Mace did well to last about five rounds. Good judges have, however, told mo that Fitzsimmons at 47 was all over Iron Hague, then champion of England, in a very strenuous four-rounds exhibition at Sheffield. Hague, however, was never in Fitzsimmons’ class. The Dixie Kid, a negro welter weight, was lighting in first-class company whpn well over 40, and possibly 50, years old, but his ago was never really known. RAPID DECLINE, . ' As a rule in boxing, when a man begirds to deteriorate through age the process is very rapid. A boxer may-fall from the .first to. the third class within a year. The expressive Americanism is “on the toboggan.” This rapid falling-off would appear to be' partly due to the fact that eye and hand often do not fail in equal degree, and a man is hopelessly let down through their failure to synchronise. The same thing may be observed in a man’s hatting, or shooting at game. By adopting a' slower style in cricket or shooting form may often to a large extent he recovered, but this is, of course, impossible in boxing. ' Very good tales of contests beween ago and youth may be found in Conan Doyle’s story, “Tho Croxley Master,” and the account of the fight between Crab Wilson and Champion Harrison in “Rodney Stone,” also in Jack London’s “A Piece of Steak,” and Ernest Hemingway’s “Fifty Grand.” The results of both of Conan Doyle’s fights are, however, unduly influenced by the necessities of his stories. Heroes, in fiction, are hard to beat. Both the other stories are terrible in their realism. v It is an unfortunate thing for pro- . fessionals in all athletic sports that their maximum earning capacity is reached at so youthful an age, and passes so quickly. There is no sport where this has such tragic consequences as in boxing, and there is much to he said for the suggestion that, a certain amount of all purses should compulsorily he set aside for an old age pension fund for boxers. It is unlikely, however, to be adopted, especially while the sport remains in its present, chaotic state. TURF CUP SURPRISES. SUCCESSFUL OUTSIDERS. NELSON’S TIME RECORD. FIRST OF THREE VICTORIES. Writing a couple of days before Motere’s 'sensational win in the recent Auckland Cup, “Phaeton” had this to say in the Auckland Herald: When surprise victories in the Auckland Cup are under discussion, Nelson's first success in 1885 is certain to he'quickly cited. Nelson had won Derby honors, hut his form at four year old and at the opening stage of his .five-year-old career was not greatly above the moderate standard. and, with an opinion existing that he would probably find beyond his capacity a journey extending to two miles and . a-qunrter, the -then handieapper, Mr .1. 0. Evert, allotted him an impost 251 b below weight for age.

Stonyhurst, a- three-year-old son of King of Clubs, who hailed from the same stable- as Nelson, hut who was held, in a. separate interest, was the ruling favorite. The fact that in tho preceding month lie had won th C-J.C. Derby and • Canterbury Cup (served completely to overshadow Nelson's claims to support. Nelson came- right out of his shell that day for he had the race-practically won seven furlongs from home, and, with his head in the air, he reduced nhs then existing record for two miles and a-quarter to 4min, A solid dividend was- attached to his victory, the totalisator tickets on the cup race that year being fixed at £2. Eight years afterwards Nelson’s three-year-okl son Pegasus brought off a. pronounced surprise. As in Nelson’s, year, a C.J.C. Derby and Canterbury Cup winner ruled a very strong favorite. This was Skirmisher, a. son of Vanguard, who carried the colors of Mr J. B. Reid. Pegasus would probably not Have started in the cup but for his stable companion, The Workman, going amiss, hut he won his race in good style, •while Skirmisher failed to gain a place.

PINFJRE’S LARGE DIVIDEND

In 1891 there was a complete rout of the favorite division, and it was left -to .a pronounced outsider Pinfiro, who carried the colors of the late Mr W. Walters, to bring off a surprise victory. Tho field had travelled hut a short distance before Pinfire assumed tho lead, and, holding his posifton throughout, ho ran homo an easy winner in front of Coalscuttle and The -Dreamer. There was only ono of tho field hacked for less money than Pinfire, who paid a very, large dividend. The victory registered by the King Quanal mare Anita in ’95 was noteworthy. Although a ‘clever little mare, there was. no reason to accept her as a stayer 'and her position as an outsider seemed to he in every way justified. Luck, no "doubt, played a strong part in Anita’s success. Three horses, fell at the critical stage including The Possible, who ruled favorite, • : Anita - was bred. and owned by Messrs Robert and Richard Du-

der, two of tho best sportsmen Auckland has ever known, and the.victory, of tho black and gold colors was received with marked enthusiasm, A THREE-YEAR-OLD’S VICTORY It was a, popular prediction in 1896 that a. brace of three-year-olds, St. Paul and Daystar, would fight out the finish, and they started almost equal favorites. A three-year-okl was destined to lead the field home, hut it was not one of the favorites. Nestor,who was quite overlooked, disposed of the opposition in attract ; ve style, and he won easily. Nestor subsequently defeated 'St. Paul and Daystar in the Great Northern Derby, which, went to_ support the view that under an impost 131 b below weight-for-age he was a ‘good thing’ in the Auckland Cup. In 1897 popular opinion was in favor of Sib, Paid, 9.0, with Daystar, 8.10, and Waiuku, 9,7, the other two most fancied. However, the winner turned rip in Antares, 7.11, who beat St. Paul, by half a. length. St. Paul really lost the race at the starting point. When the starter despatched the field St. Paul and Waiuku were engaged in worrying each other, and when the pair got going they were separated from the field by a gap of some lengths. That St. Paul would have been the winner had he jumped off properly was a very general opinion, and the circumstances surrounding-' his : defeat and the victory that came to Antares once again revealed the glorious uncertainty of racing. ■ In 1898 there was another surprise. Uhlan, a five-year-old by Cuirassier, who had ■ been racing in. hack company, was withoiit any credentials entitling him to serious consideration. However, from the rise of the barrier he was always in the lead and, notwithstanding all challenges, he romped home an easy winner. Uhlan subsequently furnished another proof that his Auckland Cup victory was no fluke, for on the third day he won the A.R.C. Handicap under 121 b additional.

SUCCESS OF BLUEJACKET

In the following year another outsider, Bluejacket, scored. The son of St. Leger had displayed indifferent form in the preceding season, and ho was. awarded the handy impost of 7.9. Several c'ircumsinnces combined to place Bluejacket with, the outside division, chief of which was a doubt existing as to his soundness. The brown horse, however, answered all demands, and-be heat two good favorites in Explosion and Record R oign,. The Auckland Cup of 1916 furnished a striking illustration of how a horse regarded as a forlorn hope can bring off a factory. Depredation had displayed such pronounced unsoundness that his inclusion among the starters was regarded as extremely doubtful. However, his trainer, R. Barlow, never slackened in his efforts to got. his horse to the post and he had the satisfaction of seeing him romp over the opposition in the concluding stages. Tn the field of 15 Depredation was elovtenth in order of favoritism, and his followers handled a comforting dividend.

When investors were ace to face with the Auckland Cup of 1917, the Messrs Riddiford. who had- a double string to their how in .the shape of Menelaus and Johnny Walker, were popularly considered to hold the key to the position and the bracket always stood out as the popular selection. A surprise proved to he in store-and the favorite division suffered a complete rout. The chief actor in the surprise was Fiery Cross, ’a five-year-old gelding by Glenapp, whose staying power was extensively questioned. Fiery Cross completely confounded the critics, for he encompassed the two miles in good time and finished attractively.

MALAGA’S .WIN-IN 1921

When the field lined up in i92i Vagabond and Trespass was -the favorite selection. Once again the unexpected happened, .for Malaga, one of the greatest- outsiders, led the field home and the favorites were unplaced. Malaga, n four-year old gelding hv Boniform, carried only 6.11.

Tn 1926 Te Moanui. Ms sic. To Kara and Count Cnvour formed the favorite division. Another surn-.se of the pronounced order went into the records. Tanadees, who figured ninth in the order of betting, romped home in front of Count Cnvour and Te Monanui. Jn 1928 Count Cavour, Orairix, Laughing Prince and Hoylake was the order of favoritism, but th t only one of tho quartette named to gain a place was Laughing Prince and the winner turned up in Corimix. A. feature- of the contest was that the horses who filled first and second places were bred in Australia.

FIRST AUCKLAND CUP

BATTER NOT ON RECORDS

INTERESTING PAST HISTORY

According to the records, Templeton, a four-year-old gelding by Traducer, from the Malton mare Belle of the Isle, and ' carrying the colors of Mr F. W. Dolamain, figures as •the - first winner of the Auckland Cup from the. time that the Auckland Racing Club assumed full control of Eller si io in 1874. However, as a matter of fact, the first Auckland Cup |at Etlelr'stio under the A.R.C. from the period named was run in the previous season, on. May 26, 1874, says “Phaeton.” The added money was £IOO, with sweepstakes, of £lO eaclt, and the distance was a mile and a half. There were four contestants, and the race resulted in a victory for Mr Jas. Watt’s Batter, a fcmr-year-old hay mare by Ravensworth from the Sir Hercules mare Pancake.

•.The flags, have usually been 'found flying at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, hut on that clay in 1875 the hunting was not hoisted, the A.R-.C. Committee having decided to hold ‘ the meeting on Ist and 2nd January, .1876. However, in the succeeding

season the Summer Meeting was extended to three days, with, the Auckland Cup fixed for Boxing Day. Two Auckand Cups were therefore run in 1876, Mr W. Walters’s Kingfisher and Mr J. Watt’s Ariel being the respective winners. A similar happening was recorded in , 1888. The Summer Meeting of 1887-S8 opened on . Boxing Day, but the Auckland Cup figured on the programme for New Year’s Day. Nelson won the race on New Year’s Day, 1888, and Loehiel: that, on Boxing Day, 1888. SON-IN-LAW’S STALLION. STUD DUTY IN HAWKE’S BAY. A valuable acquisition to the bloodstock •' of New Zealand has been secured in England by Mr Ralph .Holden, of Te Mahanga, Hawkes Bay, who has purchased for his Mana Stud the stallion Siegfried. Bred by Lord Howard de Walden in 1925, Siegfried is a bay horse by Soh-in-Law from Fire Mist, by Sunstar, and his purchase for the Dominion, is interesting because he will be the first son of Son-in-Law to come here. Siegfried is to be shipped from England by the Ruahine next week, and will reach- his new home early in the new year. ' Son-m-Law has a great record as a sire in England, where his progeny have won races worth well over £200,000. His progeny include Compdy King, Bucks Hussar and Scamp. Straitlace won £24,131, and was sold as a brood mare at the Hulton sale for 17,000 guineas. Son-in-Law was a great stayer, and is a sire of stayers. His influence has been marked in the stud records in England, where he is highly prized. As a winner at a mile and a half, Siegfried seems to have inherited stamina from his sire, and he may also transmit it to his progeny when he gets his opportunity at the stud. Siegfried will commence his stud career this year, and the advent of a horse of his breeding will no doubt bo welcomed by breeders. Siegfried’s best performance on the race track in England was to win the Bessborough Handicap, worth £1695, one and a half miles, at Ascot in June of 1929, beating a field of twentyfive. HORSE MALADY. AN EPIDEMIC TX INDIA. CALCUTTA, Dec. 17. Australian and English racehorses engaged in the King-Emperor’s Cup, the Viceroy’s Cup and other classic events, and polo ponies of leading teams in India taking part in the Indian championships and cavalry chargers are all infected by an epidemic of coughing which has broken out in Calcutta. The interruption of their training in already causing considerable inconvenience, and it is possible that Calcutta’s Christmas sporting festival will be seriously hit. The Calcutta Light Horse parade has been cancelled and possibly the opening of the paperchase of the club season may be delayed. Some horses have got the malady in a bronchitis form and there is great disquiet among the racing stables. According to the well-known Sydney veterinary surgeon. Mr Roy Stewart, the epidemic is probably a form of influenza, which is likely to cause coughing, bronchitis, swollen legs sfnd inflammation of the eyes. Several years ago there was a somewhat- similar epidemic among racehorses in Sydney. The ailment was known. as pink-eye, which is a form of influenza, and many horses wore affected. RUGBY rugby improvement. TRIBUTE TO NEW: ZEALAND. * AVAKEHAM’S BOOK ON GAME. Most followers of the Rugby game in this country freely admit that Stoddart’s English team, which toured the Dominion in 1888, really taught the New Zealanders how to play Rugby. It is very pleasing to learn that New Zealand has repaid this debt- with interest, as Captain I-I. B. T. AVakelmm, the well-known Rugby ’football correspondent- of the “Morning Post”, in his now practical hook on Rugger, “Twickenham Calling,” generously admits. “It is really from Gallagher’s time that the great improvements and speedingup of the game in this country have come about,”- he says.

THE 1924 ALL. BLACKS

“Then came the 1924 All .Blacks,” writes Captain Wakeham, who was at ono time a- well-known member of the Harlequins, “to play thirty matches and to.win them all. They clearly showed us that if Rugby had improved in the Home Counties, it certainly had not gone backwards in the Dominions', and with their seven • forwards and additional outside, they soon showed up a few gaps in the Home methods of play. Their gyeat features were the. speed of movement of their outsides, arid, possibly more important still, their straight rurinihg. .

“They relied a great deal on the man whom they call the five-eights, who is, to all intents .and purposes, and. extra outside-half with special duties. Whereas, the Homo halves am primarily, ‘feeders’ to their, centres, who in turn feed the wings, the special duty of the five-oigths is to pierce,' the defence at tlip- same time remembering that he must run straight. He.is not supposed-to ho a scoring man, but lie ..is the man who makes the scoring opportunities. ITnlesss he can ■ periodically pierce the defence, running straight, arid beat, perhaps, two of tlio defenders, lie is considered a failure.. Actually, they havo - two five-eighths on tbo field, for they do not uso the term ‘ontside-hal V. , ■ Both, these men. are gap-makers, first and foremost.

pF iHaRR NIcHoLLS,.

“Tlio All Blacks', in these two positions, Bad two' very useful' men, but

the better of them, and the real, genius of, the.side, was. Mprk NmV oils, who, although He himself, only scored once, paved the way for a very large number of the 106 -trie, which they scored during their tour. “Their;extra man outside the scrum was, at any rate in the big matches, their captain, Porter, who acted as a kind of cross between, the wmgforward and scrum-half, as we see them. Never actually going down in the scrum, he was always to be found in its proximity, often putting the ball in, . but primarily acting as a spoiler, and a very efficient one, too. Our scrum-halves found his attentions very difficult to deal with, and he was also a great expert at covering his own • scrum-half, . Mill-. Sometimes his methods approached very nearly to what is. called obstruction over here, but he undoubtedly was a very useful performer for his side.

INTENSIVE TEAM WORK

“Another thing which the New Zealanders’ play showed,” continues Captain Wakeham, “was the intensive team work, and ah extraordinary power of suddenly altering their 'line of attack. Playing so much together —and here a touring side is invariably at a great advantage over an international side—they seemed instinctively to know always where to find each other at any given moment, and their backing-up; was wonderful. Add to these powers the fact that they possessed two or three forwards who. wore irresistible anywhere near the line, and it is not very difficult to find the cause of their successes. But although the English side went down before them at Twickenham on January 3, 1925, by 17 points to 11, it was only after a very desperate arid termendously exciting game, in which a littleluck might easily have turned the scale. Twice Gibbs, in spite of a heavy collisori with Nepia, got away to punt ahead, and each time, but for the awkward bounce of the hall, his tremendous ‘speed would almost certainly have led to a score. But some very strong pressure by the visitors for- the last ton minutes of the first half, and the first twenty minutes of the second half, during which their magnificent team work was much in evidence, proved the deciding factor, and, as it happened, put the issue beyond • doiibt. They undoubtedly rfiade a great impression over here, arid caused us all to think very seriously about- our game and mir methods.”