ALL BLACKS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 31 October 1924, Page 6

ALL BLACKS.

WONDERFUL RECEPTION EVER Y- J WHERE. « ; ] 1 COMMENTS BY DISTRICT NEWS- ' PAPERS. j All the papers received from Home : from the district where were played ; the first few matches of the tour, show that on all hands the team were given a welcome "such as any team might be proud of by the municipal authorities, the sports bodies, and the people generally. All appeared to unite to vie with one another in showering kindness and hospitality on the men from overseas. Many no doubt had personal recollections of the first All Black;, ethers had read of their doings, and to many also the fact of their having kinsmen ever the. seas would make a bond that urged them to unite in the welcome. FROM NEWTON TO CAMBORNE. The Western Morning News says that “the tourists were driven, singing through the streets of Newton, in charabancs, arid although the time of their departure was hot generally known, the streets were crowded with people visiting the market and the races, and. there was much hand waving and shouting of farewells.” The team travelled to Camborne in a saloon to which was attached a dining car, luncheon being served during the: journey. They embarked on the up platform, . and the carriages were joined to the Cornwall train leaving at 11.18. . THE WELCOME. At Camborne, the reception was absolutely whole-hearted, ~ and various speakers gave expression to the feelings of goodwill. CORNWALL AND DOMINIONS. Extending a hearty welcome, vj. the visiters ori behalf of the town and county, says the News, Mr Trerise said in no part of the United Kingdom would they he received with more sincerity, because of the close connection j between Cornwall arid the Dominions. 11l the* early days of colonization, Cornishfnen were pioneers; wherever there was any mining they were to be found, as to-day. This close connection contributed to the Spirit of friendship i and brotherhood which so magnificently displayed itself during the war. ; During recent: years of industrial depression quite a large number of young men had . migrated from Cornwall to New Zealand, whose officials in Londpn always treated the county sympathetically. They all hoped for a good spr: ting gariie on the morrow, and that whoever won. all would be si ill'better friends, if possible, afterwards. M,r 0. E. Tyack, speaking for the traders of the town and district, said the Old Country ivas largely dependent for her trade upon the Colonies; ilieir prosperity was theirs. Mr C. J. Cooke remarked that whether Cornwall won oir lost the match, they recognised the All Blacks as jollv good comrades. THE MATCH. The sariie paper, in its comments oil the play, had many interesting things to say. Inter alia, they said on the day after the match:— “The Cornishmeri. were inferior to their opponents at all stages of the game, arid particularly was this the case in the department behind the scrum. The forwards put up a very fair game, arid did their best, often being equal to the opposing pack, but the outsiders were absolutely outclassed. “They seemed bewildered by the swift and short passing movements of opposition, and .not one of them showed any great merit, except Ham, the full back, who did excellently, fielding, tackling, ahd kicking in excellent style, and being never found wanting. He was the redeeming feature of the back division. “The other men appeared to be not only slow in comparison with the New Zealanders, but altogether lackirig in initiative, and about the only occasion during the match when there was anything like a passing movement it was altogether too mechanical; no ground was gained, and the effort came to ari ©nd. with a wild transfer, which went to touch. “As the score indicates, practically all the attacking was done by the visitors. Very rarely indeed were the home men dangerous, and only once did they look like scoring. This was oj l in. the second half when a magnificent touch-finder by Ham, who “ad marked near the centre line, put the. Cornishmen in a fine position and a very stern struggle ensued in the visitors’ quarter. Excitement ran high; the home men were encouraged by the shouts of the crowd, but the All Blacks’ resistance was exceedingly stubborn. They had an intensely hard job to keep the home side out, but the defence prevailed, and instead of the hopes of the spectators chang “sed there wag a lightning Sven son obtained possession near Wt° W v ?°.- ran through the Cornish back division with ease, passed to Ne^ e y T hei i by Ham > and the New Zealand half-hack then raced over who Wlt k Jago , iu attendance, ! fw fn + J’ I wa . s enable to catch the fleet-footed colonial. It was a magnificent piece of work. a Ze , alander s’ forwards were f ° fc ’ Wh ° gofc through a great °1 7 lgo .™ Us work, and they found thl u l l r t6 if l u- ht 1 ° P ? osed t° them - But honoS then L carried off the weT wif * ] t h day - P ] ayer did 3 When i he y sot on the move, which was pretty frequently, there was <?®pwall. There Tfcl mechamcal about their actions. i thews’* S T na thG tim «. in? P * SSI "S> accurate giv+d ta l nng of the hall, were a under,tU ltneSS - was perfect understanding among them Thev wWa o 6 fi Y?- eigb ths formation ?itL eas . Cornwall relied on the four three-quarter system* “Although the All Blacks did not claim a victory by such a large marSS a vPf th tVl Predecessors of 19 years I one of + °7 V the substantial SifnJ -j" t 0 ni1 ’ aTld hheir ext m hhc matters of initiative, fast movements, and swift and accur! 4 alUreS.”" 6 appreci4te ‘> MUTUAL RESPECT. ALL BLACKS AND CORNISH TEAM AT DINNER. „ t ! 1 , 6 7 nvitatiori of Cornwall Rugby Football Lnion, the All Blacks, the Lornish team, members of the County Rugby Committee, and officials of ™,i r US v C \ U)S . and representatives of public bodies in the district partook dmner at the Commercial Hotel, Camborne, Mr F. J. Gardenner, vice! president of the union, presiding. Mr Percy Holman, hon. secretary of Oomu all Rugby Union, proposed “The Eew Zealand team,” remarking that such a hard, clean, well-fought game as had been witnessed that day between England and her colonies bound the Empire together—an aim which they should always set before them. iVlr C. Porter (captain), responding, said the members of the New Zealand

tearii were young, and realised that they would have to improve if they wished to be successful. The visitors had found that football in England had reached a very high standard, and that they were not going to have such an apparently easy time as their predecessors had in 1905. He hoped the match that day pleased everyone. They tried to fight it in the best sporting spirit, and he was glad to see that both sides conducted themselves iu a manner which was going to help Rugby football along. It pleased him to see riresent Mr W. Davey, of Redruth, who was one of England’* representatives in the Anglo-Welsh team which visited New Zealand in 1908.

Submitting “The Cornish fifteen,” Captain Clifford Thomas congratulated them on their excellent work that day. He thought they did magnificently against a team of great skill, tremendous training, wonderful organisation, and withal conspicuous sportsmanship. If beaten very badly Cornwall did not mind that, for they ptit up a good' fight.

Mr J. Richards, iri acknowledgment, referred to Cornwall as merely “a colony of England,” and said they did as well as they could against a team from a country where Rugby was its national game. The Duchy were rather at a disadvantage, as with the exception of a trial match this was their first game for the season. * RUGBY IMPROVED.

An indirect tribute has been paid to the team in many quarters by references to the improvement iri the Rugby standard. At Camborne (Cornwall), welcoming the All Blacks, an official of the Rugby Union said, reports the Cornish Post: “Most of us remember the visit of the AIL Blacks in 1905, and the fine exhibition of Rugby they gave us at that time. Since' then Rugby in England has greatly improved, and the visitors will observe this fact as they play county and international matches.”