RUGBY CAVALIERS

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 24 July 1935, Page 10

RUGBY CAVALIERS

MAORI TEAM POPULAR AN INDELIBLE IMPRESSION BRILLIANT BRISBANE MATCH. SYDNEY, July IS. _ “Carefree cavaliers of Rugby” is the title that has been bestowed on the 1935 Maoris, as a result of the early matches of their tour of Australia. Although beaten, in their first important 'match, that agafhst Queensland, they had to fight the handicap of influenza as ' well as the opposing team; yet they received as miich praise from ’ the acknowledged experts of Rugby as if they had had a smashing win. ••• , , “The indelible impression made by previous Maori teams has been renewed by the 1935 side,” wrote StuartPerkins in the Sydney “Daily Telegraph” after Saturday’s match. “It was the most brilliant exhibition Brisbane has seen since the Rugby Union game was revived -in that city. These Maoris were beaten by the very splendour of their effort, but, they achieved success far greater than any in the record books. . “Their mission in Australia is ono of football goodwill, and in their first important match- they assured the success of their tom- by the very charm and appeal of their play. More than 10,000 people paid £551 to- look on—the biggest gate, in B 3'ls fa no since 1929, except, for the All Black test, last, year’ The Queensland team experienced one of those days when things cannot* go wrong.” SPECTACULAR PLAY. “The big gathering was rewarded by one of the fastest and most spectacular and .thrilling expositions of the code that has ever been witnessed,” wrote the Brisbane cox-respondent -of the Sydney “Morning Herald.” “The Maoris, led by the famous All Black George came with the reputation of being a combination of fast, Cleveland daring exponents of Rugby, and the team certainly lived up to it.

“Although beaten by 39 points to 22, tlie figures do not represent the true indication of the play, as, except for two short periods in the second half, when Maori combination became disorganised, and Queensland scored heavily, the visitors were superior to their conquerors. Queensland’s score included 12 points in the second half from, field goals. Such a wealth of field goals in one half is remarkable.”- . It was unfortunate for the -Maoris that they should have arrived in Sydney in the midst of the most severe influenza epidemic that the city has experienced for several years. They undoubtedly caught,the germ during the few days they spent here before going to Brisbane, and the wretched disease ran through their ranks like fire through a'.dry forest. They accepted it as they ..accepted their defeat on. Saturday—aVitji a smile, which," Australians hate learned; :is typical of their fine -spirit both on and off the field. * ! LIMITED SELECTION. Two of the team which played in the match against Queensland, R. Harrison and C. Smith, who scored two tries, were rushed straight from the ground to a private hospital. They couJd hardly stand when they return- « ed to the dressing room at the conclusion of the game. After attention by a doctor, they went straight to hospital. A 'third player who took part in the garde, W. Cooper, was taken to hospital a few hours later, making the total in hospital six. There were then nine in all unfit for pl;*<y, leaving only 16 from whom a team could have been chosen. * - It is not only influenza that is eaus'ing the Maoris unhappy moments. Broderick -had two teeth removed late on Saturday, and Jiis face had not recovered its normal shape by the middle of the week. Nepia, too, was contemplating a visit to the dentist. He experienced toothache for the first time in his life-—and he did not like it. A. five-eighths, J. Kotua, is considered to be an unlikely player for the whole of the tour. The septic leg with which he suffered on the voyage over and in Sydney, following an injury in his last match in New Zealand, has not responded to treatment as rapidly as it was hoped. That is unfortunate, for some Inembers of the team declare that Kotfial would probably have proved the Maoris’ star back.