ALL BLACKS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 23 July 1924, Page 5

ALL BLACKS.

BACK FROM SYDNEY. STANDARD OF PLAY. FINANCIAL SUCCESS. (BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, July 22. The All Blacks arrived from Sydney by the Manuka to-night. “There is no doubt that Rugby is coming back in Sydney,” said Mr E. A. Little, manager of the team. “At the beginning of the season it seemed as though a lean year was going to be experienced in the code,” remarked Mr Little, “but many of the old supporters who had dropped out of affairs again took an active part, and thanks to their experience and weight there was. an accession of strength in the administration. Public interest in the game was renewed, and the whole outlook was changed. The increasing popularity of the game was shown bv the standard of play, and the great attendances at the matches in which the AH Blacks played. The visit of the All Blacks undoubtedly served to stimulate* public interest and to strengthen the position. The game was attracting a good class of supporters.” That Rugby was taking a new lease of life in Sydney was also the opinion of B. E. O. Baddeley. He considered that the team which opposed .the All Blacks in the tests was the best that had been available since the war. Many of the players had considerable representative experience, and the new players were of a good type. Interest in the game was very keen, and the standard of play was better than it had been for some time.

Referring to the first test, Baddeley said the All Blacks"did not seem to he a,hie to get going against the highlytrained New South Wales combination. The tact that the members of the team did not know one another's play was an important factor in the game, and a rearrangement of the pack for the second test made a great improvement in the scrum work. There was no doubt that the trip had effected a great improvement iii the team. After the first match New South Wales were not able to hold the All Blacks’ forwards. The general opinion in New South Wales was that the All Blacks were at leastequal to any New Zealand team which had visited Sydney since the war. The New South Wales players considered that M. Brownlee was the best forward in the team, and that Lucas and Cooke were the best backs. The All Black team against Auckland to-morrow is as follows: Pull-back—Nepia. Three-quarters—Lucas, Brown. Hart. Five-eighths—Baddeley and McGregor. Half—Mill. Rover—Parker. Forwards —Irvine, McCleary, Masters, M. Brownlee, C. Brownlee, Richardson, Cupples. SYDNEY, July 22. The All Blacks’ tour was a financial success. The takings amounted to £4OIB. The ground expenses were about £B9O and the players' expenses and the expenses of the tour about £ISOO, making a net profit of £1602. The Rugby Union owed about £930 at the commencement of the season, and that deficit has been wiped out.