FOOTBALL.

Grey River Argus, 2 July 1914, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

FASTEST THING ON TWO LEGS.

COHINCf NEW ZEALANERS

"The fastest thing on two legs" is the description applied to one of the five-eighths who is going to Sydney with the ' ' All Blanks. " His name is Black, so that he seems to be admirably fitted for his position. The other backs are described in the same breath as hares, greyhounds, etc., and Loveridge, Roberts, and Lynch, who toured California with the record-breaking combination last year, will do their best to repeat the performance in Australia this season. "Dick" Roberts was the star ball juggler^ of the team. He fools opponents by just feinting, while the ball seems to have a string on it, and several of the taeklers swear that it actually left his hands, or else they would have put him down. If anyone earned the title of hare it is "Dick" for he turns around in his , stride, anns the wrong way, and outdoes the best sidestepper we have seen. He scored 15 trise in American in 12 matches. M'Kenzie and Loveridge work excellently with Roberts; and both find openings in apparently hopeless positions. • They are sound and reliable in defence. Lynch is the bigest back of the team and at one time was very anxious to get into the forward division. Unlike Australians, who put a player into the pack as soon as he gets a fair size, the "All Blacks" keep Lynch on the wing. His pace, strength, weight, and resourcefulness gained him 16 tries (the highest total) in California, and he takes some stopping once on the move. Taylor, at half-back, is a reliable and sound feeder, and defender, built on the Freddie Wood lines — the ideal build for a half-back. There is another Avell-seeasoned player included in Ryan, at full-back, and Sydneyites will remember him as centre-threequarter ot" the 1910 combination. He won his pln<;c by a sterl-. ing display at, full. in the inter-Island game. J. O'Brien is an Auckland wind three-quarter who has earned 'a fine repuatioi) in local games, while Weston is new to representative footi i'l, but has thoroughly c-.t'iiil his ilur.?. Green, the second half bru'k is the player who was a vcw^ble rival of Freddie Roberts when t\\n origiuHl All Black half was' at his best. He is how on the West Coast, and his form is as good tis ever. New Zealand forwards are never lacking in weight, pace, and "Irish," and the present side semes to be no exception to the rule. In A. Downing, J. Graham, J. A. Bruce, and 11. Murray, the coming "All Blacks" possess men of splendid stature, such as has been characteristic of touring teams in the 'past. . .They all toured California, and Graham notched 25 goals on the tour. In M. Cain and P. Williams the side possesses two excellent pi nycrs of the George Tyler class.'- -TChis sexctte do not know what it is to go back, they are forwards, and go forward all the time. Th.eir:;^uneii^^^ray;:in :'<3alif^r- (- nia was a feature seldom seen, and their protection ef their backs made matters easy for the Tearguard. Downing wieghs : lsst., Bruce 14st., Graham and Murray 12^st., while Cain and Williams are abnormal men for their height, weighing l.Sst. each, and statured partieiilarly Avell for front row work. Among the new men, M'Neece, from .the southernmost point that Rugby is played in the world (Invercargill), is a giant, being 6ft. 2nd., and weighing lfist. . .