RUGBY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 22 November 1924, Page 9

RUGBY.

ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT

E. A. P. Wager.—The following extract from the Hawera Star of July 1(5, 1908, shows how the try was scored which won the game for Taranaki against Harding's British team in 1908: —"Then Mynott initiated a rush, in which nearly all the backs participated, and the ball went out- of bounds at' the twenty-five flag. From a long throw-in Hunter got the ball and passed to Dive, who, amid great excitement, bolted for the line, pursued by tyro Britishers. He was ab|e to keep liis lead and touched down. Cameron kicked the goal. There were still five minutes to go, and the spectators were in a .perfect uproar. The local men again assumed an advantageous position, when the whistle sounded. Score: Taranaki 5, British team 0.”

“One matter we all feel sore about,” writes Mr. VV. Dustin, senr., who is travelling with the Alb Blacks, “is the absence of a trainer. We want a trainer very badly, and my opinion is that if we do not get one we may go close to losing a match or two. The English Onion will not allow us any- < one to act as a coach, and X do not think it is a fair thing.” It is early to forecast, but I can’t see the All Blacks beating the English XV., who hold the Calcutta Cup (writes a Bulletin correspondent). With the finest forward the Cold Country has seen for many a day in Wakefield (Cambridge) to lead them, and a fast lot of backs, England should win on the All Blacks’ . Australian form. Scotland, too, with Grade (a. great centre), Liddell (the Olympic streaker) and “John” Wallace (if he is back in time from .South Africa), might beat them. A combined British XV would be most invincible these days. I Avould like the 1 see the Maorilanders against a French team. The Froggies (1 saw them in Paris) play a a-attliug game. Their backs were the fastest I had witnessed for years, but they lost their heads too often. In view of the great success achieved the following opinion of a would-be critic in Australia is very amusing. , He said : “I have the opinion that they require much more finesse in their play, as ’well as evolving some understood system, otherwise their present run of successes will soon end. They have many faults, both singly and collectively; that should be easily eradicated.” In his earlier days the late General Hentlerson, one time of New Zealand, was well known in the world of Rugby football as a • sound and hard-working international forward. In the fifteen at'Fettes, as captain of the Edinburgh University team, and afterwards in London where he joined Blackheath in the days of W. N.'Bolton, “Jimmy” Budd, and C. J. B. Marriott, he was always a valuable member of his side, and played for England in 1882-3-5. During the last two years .of his life he lived at Twickenham with Mr. Marriott, another well-known English forward of those days, and was often to be seen at the big matches on the Twickenham ground?! Both in the army and in football circles lie was a man of many friends, and his loss will be . widely mourned. : Opinion about the brutality of .sports. 'curiously inconsistent. Spaniards think football a brutal game, but they love bull-fighting, with its sickening mutilation of horses. ■ln some musings on life and education a writer in a Northern paper says: “Sport is the spiritual essence of young New Zealand. Its high priests are those who can smite and kick a projectile with, precision; its holy places are areas of- turf ruled and marked; and the fervour of fraternity binds those whose common identity is represented in a contest. We must, therefore see to it that the regiment has its sports team built up broadly from platoons and companies, and when these hold contest with the stranger we shall awaken the zeal of the sport on behalf compares with the Maori team that was these sports a comradeship originating with and bounded by the camp, which will serve as an inspiration to that vital comradeship in the field.”

ADMIRABLE UNSELFISHNESS, j "Writing in a home paper, E. W. Taylor, ex-English international, says: The New Zealanders did not display anything like their Hartlepool form, but this was undoubtedly brought about by the weather. There was a lot of misfielding and scrappy play. At Hartlepool the backs, when passing, never had to look for their man when transferring, but on Saturday I noticed that on many occasions the men seemed at a loss to know what to do with it. One of the finest features of their play is the smart following up and the quick way they get behind one of their own players who is collared with the ball. From my point of view', as an old half-back, I think the playing of a wing iSj to a certain extent, the means of making the game an open one, as the forward prevents the opposing half from playing off-side, and gives the scrum-half plenty of time to get the ball out of his five-eighths or threequarters. Of course, if the wingforward interferes with his opponents’ half-back in any way it is illegal, and I should penalise him every time. His I position, I think, is really most useful in protecting his own scrum-half. At the same time, I fully realise liow he can foil the effects of the opposing halves when necessary. Coming to the question of one half or scrum-half, if your forwards heel out as the New 7 Zealanders do from the back of the scrum,, it is only necessary to have one half. I think the splendid results achieved by the New Zealand team is not due to their individual brilliancy so much as to the unselfish manner in which they play to each other, as you hardly ever see a man collared with the ball in hi s possession. The question has been asked me how I think the present New 7 Zealand team compares with the Maori team that was over here some seventeen years ago. and against. which I played ? I can only say that the Maori team was a magnificent one, hut I do not think they played such scientific or brilliant football as the combination at present on tour. At the same time, it must not be forgotten that the Maori team of seventeen years ago had to meet teams considerably stronger than the average English team of to-day. NORTH MIDLANDS GAME. A sriecial article in the Daily Herald, by'“Double Blue.” deals with the success of 'the All Blacks. In the course of the article .the writer says: “Nothing succeeds like success, and perhaps that is one of the chief reasons why

the All Blacks go on from victory to victory. Then, again, they have the tradition of that great New Zealand side of 1905 to uphold them. Like their pre-war brothei-s, they are wonderful specimens of superb manhood, from the 19-year-old full-back Nepia to the brothers Brownlie, massive giants at forward. Perhaps Cooke, at fiveeighths, is the outstanding player of the tour so far. His deadly handling and uncanny opportunism make him a. genius. He is one of those people who can seize the hundredth chance and turn it into success.. In a battle of speed his extraordinary pace and stamina will get him there a fraction before his opponent, but it is those little fractions that mean so much to a player of Cooke’s mentality and imply so much danger to the opposition.” The following are excerpts from the London reports on the Birmingham match, in which the AH Blacks beat North Midlands by 40 points to 3 The Daily Mail: The team who represented North Midlands on the Aston Villa ground at Birmingham were badly beaten, but at least they went down fighting, for although their line was ten times crossed they gave the All Blacks’ defence more trouble than the other sides who have made a better showing as suggested by the score. In nx> previous match of the tour has Nepia at full-back been kept so busy, not even against Newport. Once again the majority of the All Blacks did really big things. The Daily Telegraph: I did not think that the New Zealanders were quite at their best. They were more haphadard than usual in their pass giving, but their quickness of recovery always atoned for an initial error. In their hack division they missed Nicholls, to say nothing of Porter. ' The running in rear of the scrummage was not so straight as it is wont to bo, with a result that neither Steel nor Svenson got sufficient room in - which to manoeuvre. Cooke played well and Dailey was 'again resourceful. Nepia, always reliable, did one thing excellently. There was a counter-attack by the North Midlands forwards, and Nepia gathered the ball at their feet. He dived to do so, and, rising, broke through them He then broke through the back division, still running straight as the proverbial dart. On reaching the full-back he tossed the ball to Stewart, who scored. THE ALL BLACKS. The outbursts of rabid denunciation the play of the team which -were cabled out, culled from several papers, have not cut much ice out here and were generally regarded as by no means representative of the opinion of those qualified to write for the followers of Rugby in Great Britain. It is very much to be regretted that even a few papers indulged in such remarks. They have been overwhelmingly refuted by later criticism from leading sporting and daily papers, by spectators, and above all, by the report of the work of a prominent Irish referee. It- is interesting to read, that British ex-Rugby players “were charmed with the play of both teams, ’ showing that the London County men put up a good keen struggle. The statement of the Athlietio. News, that “many players are of opinion thatjnd more brilfiajijfc form. has. been shown in {lie United Kingdom by any team” :s specially good to hear, and indicates that so far from getting stale, the team is getting better and more combined as they go along. No doubt they play a hard game—their weight, strength, speed and condition makes it certain that they maintain the reputation for vigorous play of the New Zealanders,» and the teams they meet should see.to it they are in perfect training and condition, and so meet them in that respect on level terms. Writing of the team after the Swansea match, in which the All Blacks scored kin overwhelming victory, the Daily Mail, said :—“Players of the weight and strength of C. G. Porter—again the most valuable man on the side—M. Brownlie and J. Steel cannot be brought down when collared above the waist. . . The All Blacks shook off such well meant attentions as a mastiff might good-humouredly shake off a playful ffox terrier pup.” The Field said they are “<a vigorous, determined side, intent on bustling their opponents.” That was after the Gloucester match in the mud, when New Zealand had a big struggle to win.

Writing of the wing-forward. The Feld says that “Porter combined the work of a h'alf and a forward : now 7 he was seen out w 7 ith the backs and anon on the line with the forwards, and again' shoving in the scrum.”. The same paper is also very complimentary of the w 7 ork of Nepia and his wonderful kicking and ability to get out of awkward positions. In view 7 of the wonderful series of brilliant victories, it v is interesting and perhaps amusing to read in The Field of September IS, after the first match, that critics generally are reserved in opinions, and that “the visitors have been damned with faint praise. There are hopes that the New Zealanders may prove to be much better than they seem. The fact of playing together often may bring a great improvement. All that can be said at present is that the omens are not favourable. ’ ’

Talking to Mr. Donald (father of the All Black), who was here this week judging iat the show 7 , a Star representative found him as one might expect, enthusiastic over the success of the

team, and incidentally very pleased that his son had fulfilled the expectations of Wiairarapa and of all who knew 7 him before he left. Mr. Donald said that letters from his son stated that the forwards had, after some trouble and the practice of much ingenuity, evolved a way of getting over the “loose head” wbieli worried them at first, and al#o beat the front rankers. This naturally concerned his son, .for he is well known as one of the team’s selected hookers. This opinion is borne out by results in later matches. The alteration made in the

London Counties match of putting Parker on the wing in the threequarter line has been suggested by some old players a<s meaning the playing, of an extra- three-quarter to overcome the speed of the opposing winger, Millar, who was re[>orted as scoring twice in the corner in the course of a few 7 minutes. The four three-quarters played by English teams must tend to be a handicap against the three line, except that New 7 Zealand teams play an extra inside back.

WONDERFUL ALL BLACKS

SWANSEA OVERWHELMED

One can Use many superlatives in ‘describing the brilliant, all-round play of the New Zealand Rugby team at

Swansea. For the first time they showed their true form, and this form can be. compared with that of the best shown, by any colonial combination for many years past. Their advantage over the Welsh club, whpse forwards had cracked under the onslaught of the All Blacks, was overwhelming. New Zealand finally won a one-sided, though most instructive and entertaining, game by 39 points to 3. With this result Swansea can console 'themselves with the fact that they are the first team to score against the formidable combination, even if it was only a penally goal. A Rugby Machine. —On recent form Swansea are a good team, and had worked hard for this ordeal with the now proved wonder side.

On Saturday they were up against men which in every department of the game were superior, and in addition possessed that pace and brain which will carry them through their tour most successfully. From Nepia, at full-beck, to their forwards there was not a "riaw in attack or defence. You could not compare the sides, so vast w r as the Colonials’ superiority. In addition to converting four of the nine tries scored, Nicholls cleverly dropped a goal. Swansea raised the hopes of some 50,000 spectators during the early period of the game, when their forwards played most determinedly. Then the Rugby machine began to work, and the Welshmen were helpless against the uncanny accuracy of the New Zealanders.

Backs’ Object Lesson.—Conditions veer favourable for the All Blacks to prove themselves. They have playing on various mud-heaps, with the result that the real merit of the side was undoubtedly not realised. Nepia was a_ wonder at back, his suie kicking and faultless tackling being brilliant, while Porter at half showed great pace and was invariably in the picture when big things happened. The backs never hesitated, and usually made ground straight away, thenspeed and clever pa. f>'.ng being features of a highly spectacular exhibition of Rugby football. Apart from spasmodic dashes, it was not difficult to discern that Swansea had given up hope during the later stages of this very one-sided contest.

' MORE COMMENT

BEFORE THE SWANSEA MATCH

ALL BLACKS IN WALES

(Home Paper.) Swansea Prepare Warm Welcome. — Every Welsh Rugby team will try to emulate their national side’s performance in 1905 when facing the Wew Zealand Rugby team this season, and the Swansea players have been in special training for to-day’s big match on the St. Helen’s ground. The “All Whites” are strong in every department and, moreover, have the advantage not enjoyed by the counties so far met by the tourists of being a team instead of a collection of men from different clubs. A continuance of the wet weather may give Swansea a narrow victory, as their forwards, led by Dr. Bertram, the Irish international, are a powerful lot. Only a dry turf will enable the Al; Blacks to show their best form. AN OLD PHOTO. A most interesting photo ivas shown to us by Mr G. Ryan, which gives the members of the three Star teams of 1896, 'in which year they w-on all three championships. Besides fiis worthy self, he was practically the founder of the Club, can be seen in the photo many old timers whom one has known, or of whom one has read,or whom one lias 'Seen In “play."' ' r Tt'Ls\a relic of the good old days of Rugby when play was at a very high standard.