RUGBY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 29 November 1924, Page 9

RUGBY.

THE ALL BLACKS. . TO-DAl r ’S MATCH. SOME REFLECTIONS, The eyes of the whole football world —and that covers a great deal besides every hole and corner of the British Empire—-will be on that little, spot in the British Isles where is being played .the match around which, to the football enthusiast, is woven more interest perhaps than any other match of the tour. Everyone wants the 1924 team to “recover the-ashes,” so to speak, and bring back in their belt the scalp which the 1905 team lost on their epoch-making tour. Everyone will wish that wireless were available to flash the result over the thousands of miles of air and ocean, so that it would‘ not be- necessary to wait several hours to know how the team had fared. There is no doubt that Wales will do her very darndest to retain the honour won by her great team of 1905, a team which it may be said was one of the greatest in football records and which contained a great set of scoring and defensive backs, worthy to be ranked with the best of any country.; Last season Welsh Rugby stock .was at a somewhat low. ebb, and her internationals did not fare well at the hands of the other Home teams. This year, however, there seems to be somewhat of a revival, and already a club team has given the All Blacks a very anxious time at Newport. The' Welsh are apparently confident of giving our men a great struggle and believe they can win. Undoubtedly it will be a struggle of the giants, hard and strenuously contested, a. match in which there will be no “beg pardons.” It will not be a drawing room game. One expects the hard game, as hard as they like, but enthusiasts the world over will hope that it is not marred by any unsporting tactics. . Talking of the .match; and recalling old times, J. O’Sullivan, one of the original All Blacks and who, it may be mentioned, played in a very large’ proportion of the matches in that great tour, said to a Star representative: “Yes, you may be sure that Wales will be out to win to-day?s match if it is at all possible; they will strain every nerve and omit nothing that is likely to give them the honour of lowering the colours of the present team. It may almost be said of the people of South Wales, as has been said of New Zealand,! that Rugby is part of their life. The Welsh miners come up from below in their thousands for a day off, and they make the most of the spell from chipping out the black ore.” Talking of the great crowd, he said everyone wore a huge leek, and they would flip it in the face of anyone they were meeting, especially if they belonged to the opposing side. The people, said Mr O’Sullivan, gave the team a great reception, but they were deadly keen that their men should win. It was a good humoured crowd, though taking the issue intensely seriously. Referring to the singing of their National Anthem by the vast assemblage, Mr O ’Sullivan rather scouted the idea that it had such a depressing effect on the team, though he agreed it was a wonderful sight to see Nicliolls turn and beat time like a conductor for the great choir, and that the volume of the chorus was tremendous.

Mr O ’Sullivan lias some papers, Welsh and English, with comments on and description of the Welsh match and others about the same date. He very kindly lent us these treasured leaves, and from them we cull the following comments, which will no doubt be read with very great interest:— COMMENTS BY “FORWARD” (In the Western Mail, 18/12/05). I $T Wales had an onerous duty to perform on Saturday, and, to the .intense delight of Welshmen all the world over, she proved equal to the task of inflicting the first defeat upon the world-famed New Zealand team. Other victories have been won in other years, and while they served to establish the supremacy of Welsh football in these islands, they pale into dimness in comparison with the great triumph of Saturday. Such a game had never been played before, and such a victory had never been won. It was virtually a contest for the Rugby championship of the world, and now that one can look back upon a result that was gratifying to Wales it requires no small amount of self-restraint to review the game in a. spirit of calmness, and thus take the proper prospective of the event. That Wales fully and thoroughly deserved to win is a point upon which there is universal agreement, and it. is satisfactory to know that the Colonials, keenly as they must have felt their defeat, were good sportsmen enough to acknowledge that they had at-last met a team superior to" their own.

It is doubtful whether there has ever been an occasion which so thrilled the whole country with intense emotion, and whatever may be said for or against the part played by football in the national life of Wales, there is no blinking the-fact-'that it exercises a remarkable fascination ' upon all classes of the people. Not only in the

Homeland, but in all the remote parts of the world where a few Welshmen are gathered together the news of Wales’ victory has been, or will be, received with unbounded joy. One can imagine every Cymro in New Zealand holding his head higher than ever, and declaring with greater gladness his pride of his race. These are days in which responsible men who have the future welfare of Britain at heart proclaim from the housetops that stay-at-home Britons are gradually losing their virility and grit upon which the greatness of the Empire has been founded, and the time had come when it was necessary to furnish some tangible proof to the contrary. We looked in vain for that evidence to England, Scotland and Ireland, and it seemed somewhat incongruous and lacking in the element of due proportion that the onus of that proof should have been east upon the little principality of Wales. It was a. great responsibility, and all the wQrld wondered whether Wales would prove; equal to the duty qf' vindicating the trust. Well, she has done it, and by her great achievement has proved that the time is not yet for relegating the Old Country to a museum as a crusted antiquity. The stubborness and virity of the Welsh Avere exemplified almost in an unparalleled degree in Saturday’s historic battle. It was the hardest, keenest and most \ugorous contest ever waged betAveen the two representative teams on the football field, and the triumph of Wales was due not only to those qualities I have named, but also to masterly strategy, intelligence and skill of the, highest order. These, were happily blended into one effective Avhole. But satisfactory as it is to plate things, what is uppermost in one’s mind all the time is the signal triumph ,of Wales in the .field. Who can ever forget the brilliant manoeuvre by the inimitable Owen which was the initiation of Wales’ winning try? Who among that vast throng Avill not remember as long as lie or she has a memory the scene of delirious joy and Avild. enthusiasm which followed the scoring of that try by Teddy Morgan?, It is interesting to recall, the fact that this manoeuvre by Owen of feinting to pass to Bush, on the blind side, and then passing the ball to Pritchard on the. other side, originated with Owen, who rehearsed it in the practice game played on Tuesday, when all the players except two turned out-and prepared the preliminaries of their plan of campaign. Orthodox tactics in attack would not have succeeded in piercing the wonderfully sound and determined defence of the New Zealanders, and the manoeuvre Avas, therefore, all the more creditable to the genius of Welsh football. The Colonials, according to Mr George Dixon, their manager* came over to the. Mother Country to learn smething, but that mission had been barren of results until Saturday, when -they were actually taught that something for which they had travelled so many' thousands of miles. ■’ r The Colonials , may probably win all their remaining matches, and while we may commiserate Avith them: that there is one blot on their escutcheon, we rejoice that, it was in Wales they met their Waerloo. '

Early Arrivals

Among the early arrivals were many of the old warriors of other days, and old internationals gathered, together in little groups and fought, their, battles over again. Of course, the one great theme was the prospect of victory or defeat for, “Gallant Little. Wales.” There Avas a universal feeling that the credit of British football had been entrusted to. Wales, and there was'every hope and every confidence that our gallant little country would prove equal to her responsibility. | High and Low Present.

All classes were represented in the vast throng Avhich surrounded the playing enclosure, and -this universality of representation Avas an eloquent testimony of the democracy and cosmopolitanism of sport. A special seat covered with green baize had been reserved for Mr Justice LaAvren.ce and his party near the press box, and . Heaven only. knoAvs lioav many and . what other distinguished personages Avere dotted here and- there. The enthusiastic Celts .of the and the other mining valleys of Wales poured into Cardiff in thousands throughout the whole morning, and crowded excursion trains steamed into the Great Western station from all parts of; England. Some hundreds of Welshmen and Englishmen travelled down from London, while many scores, if not hundreds, had come all the way from Scotland and Ireland. So many pressmen have never been seen on the Cardiff Arms Park before. They came from everywhere to represent all kinds of neAvspapers and magazines. Forty Thousand-Singers.

As the day wore on the crowd seemed to improve in temper, and they sang merrily and- with great gusto “The Boys of the Old Brigade” as the baud struck up that popular, swinging, chorus. This was varied Avith “Ton y Botel,” “Lead, Kindly Light,” and the far removed “Blue Bell.” Beneath this outward merriment, however, there ran an undercurrent of intense suppressed excitement, and it was a time now when the prospects of the match were discussed with bated breath.

Without wanting to detract from the Welsh victory, Mr O’Sullivan said the team were sore arid somewhat stale, and this is confirmed by the cabled report in the Star of that time, which says “the team is sore and knocked about.” Smith, the flyer on the wing, was injured and could not play. The report adds that “the backs failed to take Boberts’ passes and their passing was wild, and this! was the only occasion when they failed to take passes on the wing. A Welsh back got over New Zealand’s line, but lost the ball. Again they got over, but the chance was lost through hard kicking. “Then,” says the Star report, “Boberts then tried runing on his own. He flashed away, put in a good run and passed to Wallace, who was pushed out a yard from the line. From the centre New Zealand got on brilliant rushes to right under the Welsh goal and a try seemed certain, but Bush saved, arid Deans spoiled a fine chance by passing forward.” Curiously enough in that report there is no mention of Deans crossing the line. Wales in that match packed seven like the All Blacks, but they had the four threequarters, and a Welsh critic on the result said that “this feature of the play won the match.” WELSH MATCHES. It will be remembered that Mr O’Sullivan sustained a broken collarbone in the Cardiff match, played ten days after the Wales’ match. He said that when he went off Gallaher took up a place as a front ranker, and he con-

side-rs lie did remarkably Avell in that position and Avas a capital hooker. THE DATES OF MATCHES.

In that tour the arrangement was quite different fo the present, the Welsh matches all being packed into the last fortnight and England' being on December 2. Probably the reason for putting the internationals so late in both tours is that the early part of the tour is right at the beginning of the Home season, but the 1905 arranging semes fairer: Scotland, Nov. 18; Ireland, November 25; England, Dec. 2; Wales, Dec. 16. The performance of the old team is made the more remarkable when it js realised that they had. two men less than the present. team ; and that at one period of the tour they played three matches in one Aveek, actually Blackheath, Oxford, Cambridge and Richmond from Saturday to the succeeding Saturday. ,"

NOTES ON THE 1905 MATCH. (Cardiff Western Mail.) Gn the day after the great match the Cardiff paper’ Avas largely made up o§ comments and report, one whole page being practically all football.: ‘ - The following extracts from different parts will be of interest:— . . In the- course of a sub-leader the paper pays a great compliment t 0 the All Blacks by. calling the victory “the greatest . achieved in the annals of Rugby football.”. .. ....... “The game must haA r e far-reaching influences on the futnire of Rugby in this country,” and hei adds a prophecy that Wales will outdistance all competitors, discduptiiig very much the play of'. English and Scottish internationals.; It 'looks very much as if success' Had quite turned the head of the -football writer of that paper, even after allowing for his natural pride in the victory. A very amusing ca'rtoon shoAvs “Taffy” as a soldier, with' a rifle labelled “Welsh Game,” and in separate trenches almost- disappeared: figures representing New Zealand, John Bull, Paddy and: McTavish. -- Hoav many were at the match seems to be a matter of doußt, for the paper states 40,000 in one part and 50,000 in a message referring to the opinion of some Germans avlio said “they never saw anything in their lives like the game, and that it reminded them of Rome in ancient days,” Probably a reference to the gladiators. < It will be of interest to note that the London Times says the match “resolved itself into a tremendous battle between; two sets of determined forwards, foir the game outside the scrimmage Avas comparatively little else than by-play.” The -Daily Telegraph said: “That the Welshmen deserved their Avin, and were on the day the better side cannot be disputed. Whether they are as good footballers as the New Zealanders have shoAvn themselves to be is another question, and, the Principality apart, would be answered by most good /judges'in. the negative. “Sporting Life” said that “on the day’s play a. draw would hay©: been- a fairer criterion of the players’ merits, for, although in the first portion ,of the game Wales had the whip hand, the wearers of the sih’er fern had cruel luck in not equalising the ‘ score in the second half through Wallace’s great effort.

“That run of Wallace’s,” says the News of the World, “Avhen things AA’ei'e at their worst 1 , Avas Avorthy of success.”

THE WAR CRY

. In view of. the remarks made about the war cry to-day, interest will be shoAvii in mention of the statement that “the Colonials gave utterance to their war cry, and the Welsh players looked on with amusement. The" Welshmen then follo\A r ed on Avith the chorus of “Hen Wlad fy Nhadau,” and the crowd joining in produced an immense A'olume of sound as the players took their positions.” THE WELSH TRY.. The scoring of the try is reported as 'follows-:' —“At last, their reward came. Dicky Owen, Avith a clever moA’ement, feinted to pass out on the blind side, but threAv to Pritchard on the inside, and he passed to Gabe, and the .Llanelly man, running grandly, passed to, Teddy Morgan, who took the ball at full run and bounded over the line amid a. scene which Avas perfectly indescribable.” No mention is made of the “disputed try” by Deans, but a paragraph reads: “A dangerous bit- of passing by the All Blacks took play to the Welsh line, but tli© pass Avas a forward one, and a scrum wa« prdered.” That-looks like the rush which seemed to many to end in a tay, i . *■ The Avriter, hoAvever, refers to “That attack of the New’ Zealanders in the second half down in the left-hand corner most assuredly deserved a try; but he qualifies it by stating that Wales should have scored again, and would have: been unfortunate in having.a draAv in a game in which they were the superior team. Criticising the New Zealand backs, “Pendra-gon” said: “Roberts Avas the best, with Hunter next. Deans Avas a great disappointment. He aa t us very slow, and was ahvays easily tackled, despite his great weight. McGregor and Wallace, on the wings, were given few chances,- and Avere quickly smothered by our hacks before they could get properly on the move. The NeAV Zealand Avere much heavier- than oiur men.

A par which will be read with interest is given in the comments:—“Mr Dick Seddon, the New Zealand PremUr, proved himseif to be a man of imperialistic knowledge when he gave as his parting message to the New Zealand team ‘Look out for Wales.-’.”

It is interesting to read some very good advice tendered to the team by the referee (a Yorkshireman) after the match with Lancashire, in which he had administered a caution owing to some little feeling being shown. He said that referees went on the field to deal with Rugby Union games, and if teams did not put out payers to play Rugby Union that was not the referee’s fault. That day’s game had given him very little satisfaction; for some reason or other it never seemed to “go.” Incidents that had been spoken of were due to players getting a little too warm, and were really nothing, but after having seen the New Zealanders play three times lie asked them to make the result of more importance than the game. They were an undefeated side, but they had harder tasks in front of them than those already performed, and without making any suggestion that there had been bad spirit or bad feeling, he asked them to regard the game as always more important than the result. It.is a good sound maxim fo 1 * all teams and all players. • The win over London Counties is all the more creditable when it is remembered that is to all intents an purposes an All England side. The London Counties team in football is almost similar to the Marylebone Club in cricket —anv player of repute up and down Eneland can he a member of either team, provided he succeeds in potting his name on the membership roll.

The All Blacks as reviewed by “The Tramp,” football writer in Sydnev Sunday Times: “Even if the All

Blacks, at present carrying all before them in England, are not as great a combination as their famous predecessors of 1905, they are making a great name for themselves. The team now in England has defeated the opposition so convincingly in the majority of, its contests 'that it Avould appear to hhve quite a good chance of going through the tour without.'-defeat'.'". The ‘originals’ lost the match with Wales; but Welsh Rugby is not now nearly as strong as it Avas, mainly through the raids of Rugby League agents on the star players. Rugby football in England_ generally has 1 undoubtedly dropped in standard; still the performances of the team emphasise the fact that the 1924 All Blacks are a much superior side than they were given credit for m Australia, and also in the Old Land, Avhere the pessimists were early at Ayork. They niay suffer through ‘staleqess’ towards the end of the tour'; but it is going to take a hot combined side to doAvn them, unless injuries put the' stars out of action.”

It may be remarked that the list of score’s 'for the All Blacks in. their - matches at Home is published at intervals in this journal for Avhat it is AA’orth. It: has to-be remembered that the fact that a certain player has scored more tries . than another means very little. It is due to good team Avork genei ally that a man gets the chance to score a try, and as much credit as °*ten. due to the hookers, say as scorer. In a team like -yf. All Blacks the wing three-quarter r--1!.n 1 !. as to/do Avhen he gets the ball but to run the line—-the open- , ing has been made’ by the insides A London corresooiident records that when Newport was leading the All It-?i S .t^ iree minutes to go one \yelsh spectator, who had secured for h ] n V?eif a good seat on the roof of one x ? became so excited that he fell.from his perch on the heads of the people below. But the enthusiasm was -running so high ; that' none of the parties . concerned seemed to suffer any injury. ‘ It- will* be good news to Neiv Zealanders to learn that there is a prospect of the team playing a match with, the London Scottish. Scots : are particularly prominent in the Rubgy gamm London. > and the London Scottish nave four teams playing regularly. \

SOMERSET AND LEICESTER

MATCHES

CHRISTCHURCH MEN’S VIEWS

“I saiv tlie All Blacks v. Somerset match,” said Mr. C. H. (Bert) Harrison, for many years secretary of the Sydenham* Football Club, who has just returned from a Visit to England. “It Avaa played under the usual conditions—rain—and the ground practically under 1 water. I saiv the boys afterwards at * hotel. The, match itself was a ,v tight go, but the way our chaps handled: the wet ball showed that, as compared with their opponents, they - vvere quite a, clever : croAvd. They did not strike one as being quit© as brainy a crowd as the original All Blacks — they are a younger team, and had the experience of the origional team. It is quite a good team, but it doesn’t manifest altogether the brainy tactics that were such a strong point m old Duncan’s day; The refereeing I saw during the match. Avith Somerset, no one could take exception to. It did seem to me that .the" referee didn’t alloAV a free-kick for the off-side perlmty ; .-time after time a scrummage Avas •• I had a talk Avith the referee after the'match, and he told me . that m all cases Avere the off-side could not be helped, .he .gave it a scrummage.” A. S. Taylor, chairman of the Christchurch Tramway Board in a letter from London, dated. October 9th, to Mr. Frank Thompson (general manager of the tramivays), writes:— / ,“On the 4th we Avent to Leicester to see the All Blacks play that city. A fine day and a good win for our men,' 27 to nil. . About 70 NeAA\ Zealanders ■ Avent up by train, and a number of others by car. (There was a crowd of 40,000—you can imagine the excitement. Our men started badly, but after, about ten minutes settled doAA’n The forwards came to light properly‘really for the first time- during the tour. We were delighted when' they scored tAvioe Avitbin free minutes. The rest AA r as plain, sailing. The Aveathev here is really' dreadful. Tt rains off and on all the time, sq that out of seven matches plaved five haA’e been under wreitched Aveather conditions. ■ • - NOTES FROM HOME. From Mr B. C. Bennett comes—and it is very much appreciated, as have : been all his neAvs—a .copy of the Daily Mail of October 13 (Manchester edition). In a liote to us he says: “On. account of sprains and bruises, a weak side faces Durham here at Sunderland • (our John Mackenzie’s city) to-day (15/10/24). Nine Avins out of nine is good, and our boys can play better yet.” Mr Bennett’s forecast of the improved/ play is quite evidently borne out by results. t

Writing after the Leicester match, he said: “Our boys played 'a wretched game in this match—not really together yet.” An illustration in the paper shows in the Cheshire match A. Hart, New Zealand three-quarter, kiclcink into touch after the breaking up of a scrummage clcse to the .New. Zealand line A record crowd welcomed the tourists and some spectators sought' points of vantage in the frees surrounding the ground. The picture shows the trees with spectators perched high up in the branches. “We consider insufficient detailed matter is being given in the reports here,” adds Mr Bennett. “All N.Z. papers (Hawera Star especially) give much finer reports. ” Talking of the welcome he says: “Our receptions everywhere are truly wonderful, our war work and the 1905 N.Z. All Black football team is known all over England; New Zealand stands very high—it’s deep, frank and most, sincere.” * • v*“ ■ THE NEW ZEALANDERS. GREAT BACK DIVISION. (By Colonel Philip Trevor, C.8.E.) The New Zealanders have now been touring this .country for just over a month, playing two matches a week. I have seen all those matches played, wjth the exception 5f that against Cheshire on Saturday. Yet even now, in making an attempt to appraise the exact value of the team, one feels in some difficulty. They brought over twenty-nine players, and for some years past twenty-nine has been the agreed number of an. oversea touring team, with a four-month programme. But in football, as in other affairs, the large reserve has its disadvantages as well as its advantages. But for the possibility, or rather the probability, of an accident, you ..would —in order to improve your team work-knock 60 or 70 per cent, off that reserve. When a young man is in a position to devote his whole time and thoughts (as a member of an oversea- touring team always is) to. the game he has left his

country to play, two matches a week should not strain his physical powers. If they do, he is not taking sufficient trouble to keep fit. Now the New Zealanders have so far been extremely fortunate in their immunity from real accident. On tlie other hand, their captain is . compelled to give all the members of his party full and fair trial. Also there is no practice which is of one-tenth the value of match practice. , Good judge of play and players as he is, I doubt if' even he can say who should be included in his absolutely best fifteen, To have been able to make early discovery of weak members might have been of actual advantage to him. Undoubtedly he had at his disposal a great hack division; and if between now and November 1, when the first international match of the season-r-against Ireland at Dublin—will be played, two or three men who play behind the scrummage should be hors de combat, I shall sympathise with-the injured players rather than with their skipper. With one, or perhaps , two, exceptions, all the New Zealand backs are m the running for a place iu the first representative team. As match after match there is a change of personnel, one noticed the continuity of policy is observed. THE OBLIQUE KICK. One slight weakness only does the continual spectator note in the New Zealand attack, namely, a tendency at times to overdo the oblique kick. Speaking generally, the New Zealanders regard kicking, other than high kicking and following up, as a defensive and not as an attacking manoeuvre; - and here they have a good many of us strongly with them. Nor do they f hold with what I have to call the “chance-it-oblique-kiek.” The kicker, they say, should spot' in advarice the open space to which he means to send the ball, and he should try to send it there much as a bowler at cricket concentrates in his delivery on the spot where the ball is wanted to pitch. Of course the fact that a rugger ball, is oval.' and hot round necessitates a ..large chance-it element, no matter how accn. rate the kick is. That kick is; I say, with the New Zealanders incidental, and is ai matter of fact I have only seen it cofiie off, even in their case, about 1 three times in, seven matches, and only once has it led to actual trygetting. - Pending more and stronger evidence to the contrary, I would not say that they owe the success of their back 1 division vety largely to its formation —two half-hacks (one a rover), two five-eighths,' and three three-quarter backs. The main value of that forma- ! tion, as it seems to me, is the fact that it is a moral reminder to the maiioeuvrer that he is to give the wing man of £h& three-quarter line plenty of room to work in, if and when he is called upon to make this effort. But he is not called upon to make that effort anything like as frequently as the wing man of an English or Welsh club three-quarter, line. “Get the ball into .the three-quarter line” is the general rule with us. Obviously that rule tends to defeat its own object, for the defence know what to expect. The New Zealanders, who pin their faith to instantaneous and* straight running, do quite half their attacking with their half-backs and five-eighths, who use . the return pass with telling effect.

“SELLING THE DUMMY.” Particulai'ly exact, too, are they in this manoeuvre. They never, overdo whatmas nowadays become not merely desirable, but essential. They realise, j and they make no secret of it, that the touch-line is a better frustrator of attack than the best of human tacklei's, and “dummy-selling, ’ 5 of course, is the obvious corollary to the proposition, “Go straight.” The drawback, so it is contended, is that you sell your friends as well as your foes, so that the. player, when he has done his “selling” successfully, must go on his ohn. This need no be, land the New Zealand backs have shown us that it need not be. Several times this tour have I seen a supporting player get a try by reason of an opening made by a comrade ‘‘selling the dummy.” In coui-se of time, when this delightful example of finesse has been perfected, or ■ nearly sp, it' will, of course, become valueless for the purpose in hand. - Is it not invariably the case that -when a gun has been invented w/iose projectile will “pierce anything,” another invention follows almost automatically—the armour plate it will not pierce. But for a long time to .come it will be at least two to one on the “dummy seller’’ who knows his job and does not presume on his knowledge. The New Zealanders are adding a-chapter to a hook of which there is- as yet only a rough dr^ t - , .For want of a better title It might be called ‘-‘Support of the Dummy- Seller.” Their reasoning in this, as in other matters, is logical enough.. Ypii -.must get off at once; . luust go fast; you must \go straight. It is up to their opponents to see-that they do not let them 'do these three things, and it seems' to- me that there, is only one way in which these doctrines or practices can be oontrovertedv and that is by sudden counter-attack.

ALL BLACKS’ FORWARD PLAY The New Zealand forwards tackle extremely well. The tackling of the P'lew Zealand hacks has not yet been •tested though, from the slight incidental evidence at our disposal, we are inclined to think that, when tested, ™ ™ be effective—that is to say as effective, individually and collectively, as that of any English side. But there is one important proviso. It is ah ways odds on the attack. When it is iiot, it is not an unfair inference to dra/w that th© a/bfaaok is to blam©. I gather that the New Zealanders favour the smothering plan when they tackle and so far they have not been called upon to do any other kind of tackling. Most of them are big fellows; their instantaneousness and their speed enable them to get abreast of the opponent quickly, and to overwhelm him in such conditions as obviously to make a complete job of it. Lack of space forbids. me to attempt at the moment to deal with the subject of the forward play of the New Zealanders. For the present, therefore, I will make only a few general remarks about it. In the loose these forwards are magnificent. That is a statement which needs no qualifying at all. But as tight serummagers and 111 line out I believe they realise they have still something to learn. Their scrum is not formed quickly by them, and although the hooking and heeling has improved much in the last lortmght it must improve more if the back envision is to be given the chances o. which it is so capable of taking advantage. Also it has yet to be proved that packing “twp-three-two” is the best way of forming when you have seven men in your pack. In the line out two or three of their giant forwards oueht to do more for the back division than at present they seem to do. It is a matter of common knowledge that more than once already, notably at Newport, they have been made to recognise that their tmht scrummaging Was not nood enough for the purpose in hand. Thev are I sav improving in this respect. If and when they manage to do their tight work appreciably as well as they already

do their loose work, I believe we shall have reason to; say that no better touring team than they (not even their imtriortal predecessors)" has visited this country.

IN HOSPITAL IN LONDON

Misfortune in injuries and sickness has dogged the All Blacks unmercifully on the British Isles tour since arrival. No fewer than twelve players out of the 29 have at some period been put out of action by injuries of illness. The latest to “go under” is Harvey, the burly “lock” All Black forward, who contracted a severe cold which brought on a touch of tonsilitis, occasioning Lis immediate removal to hospital in London to undergo an operation. It is anticipated that Harvey will be out and about in a few ■weeks, but meantime he is being kept quiet >and is trying the rest cure until such time as he is able to rejoin the All Blacks.

George Nepia, the Maori full-back, who has made a big name for himself on English and Welsh Rugby fields for bis great game on attack- and defence, if* which he rivalled the famous Bancroft 'and Gould, -the Welsh internationals, with whom he is now favourably compared, is making good recovery from a shattered hand, sustained in the gruelling game against Newport, and injured again at Leicester.

WET DAY A LEVELLER.

(Free Lance.)

“Discussing that narrow win against Cambridge University "with a couple of old-timers on Saturday we drew on our experience of the playing of Rugby football up and down; New Zealand. We agreed that teams, no matter, what their individual or collective merits may be, are brought much closer together on a wet day than they would be on a fine one. The weaker side is not reduced much in playing standard when the ball is greasy and the ground heavy and wet, whilst the stronger and more brilliant team finds these conditions a real drawback to their play. Thus it is all very well for the critics to call these New Zealanders a fine weather team; they would be marvels and the antithesis of all the traditions of the game if they were equally as good, as individuals, or as a. combination, in wet weather as they are when the sun is shining and the ground pleasing to play on. ” “ENGLAND ALONE LIKELY TO BEAT THEM.”

FAMOUS INTER,NATIONAL’S VIEW

“As far as I can see, the English team is about the only side that has a chance.” Thdis is the considered) opinion of W. J. Trew, the famous Welsh player, holder of 29 international caps (Owen, of Wales, holding the record, with 35). Mr. Trew is opinion is appended:— “The All Blacks in their match against the All Whites (Swansea) were superior in every department of the games, ’and deserved all their scores. In. the line-out' they played the game that Barker and Serine® played for years—knocking the ball back to each other—and it was nothing new. Porter is said to> have played a fairer game than Gallagher, but he was not the obstructionist Gallagher was. I could see the New Zealanders smiling as they felt the turf,’ and on the fine ground they played excellent football—their kicking was marvellous. As soon as they saw that they were beaten in the line-out, Swansea should have miade the visitors scrummage.

“Speed is what we want,” and I cannot see anybody who plays Rugby to compare with them—except Harding. The tackling of our men wa,s their biggest weakness, and the. New Zealand forwards were faster than our backs. Three or four of the tries Would have been stopped had the Swansea men tackled low, but they were simply brushed aside. The AH Blacks soon had the measure of us, and threw the ball about from ' start to finish. H tlhe New Zealanders got. the baill four times out of ten they would 'have won. I felt -sorry for our backs, but they are' young and not so experienced as Saturday’s visitors. If the quartet can only be kept together they should make a jolly good side. The difficulty-is that they cannot train ; together, and this was where the visitors had the advantage. Our forwards do hot back each other up; they simply wait foe someone else to fetch the ball. I can not see any county or club team beating the New Zealanders on Saturday’s form. Their handling was absolutely perfect, and the ground suited them. I reckon that the first New Zealand team was faster than this lot, and there were more passing bouts in those days, Good wheeling in the old days used to- upset the backs and they were hit off their game. Our biggest weakness was the tackling, for it was useless trying to get them high, and their full-back went through our chaps quite easily. Swansea were hopelessly beaten everywhere, and it is no. good making excuses. As far as I can see, the English team is about the only side that has a chance.”

REFEREES IN WALES

APPOINTMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL MATCHES.

Dealing with the appointment of referees for matches played in the Principality, “The Bard” refers in the Athletic News to several phases of the question which have arisen since the All .Blacks have been playing their matches at Home.

“It is a very great honour to hold the whistl© in a Rugby international match,” he s ays, “and there has been a great deal of heartburning because men who bore the heat and burden of the day in club games and who are recognised as thoroughly efficient have never been intrusted with these engagements. In the past, an appointment was often a compliment to some elderly member of one or other of the Rugby unions, and there ivas cause for complaint that a union which was asked to appoint a referee nominated a man who was notin active service, who never had been a great official, and who at the time- of his appointment was more likely than not to miss things and make mistakes.

“There is an outcry on the part of a small section in Wales because certain referees have had a very large share of international and other representative matches. As everybody knows. Mr. T. H. Vile, the old Newport and Welsh captain, during the past two years refereed an exceptional number of important games, including, finally, England v. Scotland at Twickenham last March. He was chosen for this match by the mutual conseiit of Scotland and Eng-

land, and the Welsh Union was asked to request him to officiate. In reality, the choice was not made by the Welsh Union, but by the countries engaged in the match. There is no need to beat about the bush. Mr. Vile was generally regarded as second to none among the referees in the four countries. Many people thought that he was without fin equal. Now, it seems, referees who have hot been similarly honoured are asking that it should be made a rule that if a Welsh referee is required for an international game he must be appointed by the Welsh Union Referees’ Committee. In other words, they would take from the people concerned the power of choice and would insist upon their accepting the man the Welsh Union choose. Two points are involved here: the question of efficiency and the question of choice. If two countries are agreed that a certain man is qualified to take charge of an international game and say he is the man they ivant, are they to be prevented from having him ?

“There is a good deal, of course, in the contention that honours should go round, but tbe final thing to be considered is effective refereeing. It is a fact that cannot be disputed that often enough when unions have been asked to nominate referees they have sent not th© best referees in the country, not a man whowas engaged regularly in refereeing, but some member of their own body hungering for honours. If the countrieswho need a referee get the best man available, it does not matter much by what process he is chosen. But it is ridiculous to suggest that two countries who know their man and want him should be prevented from ■getting him.” RUGBY ARITHMETIC. , “Civis’’ in the Otako Daily Times is asked from Waipiro Bay, East Coast, North Island:- ; Being st constant reader of your notes and knowing your partiality for mathematics, I ask your opinion oh the following:— The All Blacks won the match with a score of 40 points to 3 points. In a guessing competition the following guesses were made*: Hone said 42 points to nil. Hori said 33 points to nil.

Which Is the nearer to actual result? The advantage of the All Blacks on the game was 40 points (minus 3). The difference between 42 points (first guess) and 37 points is* 5 points. The difference between 33 pdints (second guess) and 37 points is 4 points. You may draw your own inference.