THE ALL BLACKS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 2 October 1924, Page 5

THE ALL BLACKS

.TO-DAY'S. MATCH ’ KEEN: CONTEST EXPECTED. RECOLLECTIONS. QF 1905. Newport has been suggested as one of the hardest matches outside of the international fixtures, but after the result of the Swansea, match and remembering the fact .that. Wales were beaten in all the international matches last year, one feel's inclined to look with confidence to the result of the match. They - are. reputed, to have been the strongest of the "Welsh county teams. The message tomorrow morning will be awaited with the keenest interest. For two seasons Newport had a great record and were easily the best club team ■in the Homeland. It will be remembered that to celebrate the great record the admirers of- the team presented each of the members with a twenty guinea gold watch. The Scottish Union stepped in and disqualified Neil MacPherson, the captain, who was a Scottish international. The corresponding match on the 1905 tour is referred to in contemporary reports as one of the fastest and- most attractive matches plaved on the tour. The All Blacks were: Wallace, Harper, Deans, Thomson, Stead, .Mynotb, Roberts, Casey, Tyler, O’Sullivan, Cunningham , McDonald, Glenti) Seeling and Gilbert. The. Newport team contained a fair-sprinkling of internationals, notably T. H. Vile and Cliff Pritchard. The scores were: Ne>y Zealand 6 points (a try by Harper; arid a penalty goal dropped by Wallace) to Newport 3 (a penalty kicked by R. B. Griffiths). A comment made by the Cardiff Western Mail ; at the time reads somewhat diverting ; to the modern colonial. The remarks were: “It is striking testimony to tlie high standard of Welsh football efficiency that in the three matches “ already played on Welsh soil the colonial® have only crossed the. line four times.

. . . Tlio6e who imagippd the colonials to be possessed of supernatural powers must be convinced by this time that they have feet'of clay after all.. Their play on Saturday -was not above the ordinary club standard of the leading Welsh teams. , . is.nothing to be said in praise of the New Zealand back play, because there was nothing sew and nothing to be compared with the Welsh teams who held a leading place in Rugby for many years past.’"