NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALLERS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 13878, 12 October 1905, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALLERS.

THE ARRIVAL AT PLYMOUTH. FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF OLD ENGLAND. [Fboji Oub Cobbxspoxdext.] LONDON, September 9. The New Zealand football team’s long sea voyage is at an end. The good ship Rimutaka arrived off Plymouth Sound at daybreak yesterday, and by six o’clock a score or so of stalwart young colonials wore taking their first stroll on English soil in the deserted streets of the sleeping town. Travelling down from . London by .the night express, I w r as in time to see the arrival of the New Zealand “ contingent ” at Plymouth quay. There was no mistaking the country of their origin. The silver fern-leaf proclaimed it on seven-and-twonty hatbands and in seven-and-twenty buttonholes. But for the time being there were none to read the signal, and to spread the tidings. The New Zealanders had succeeded where the Spanish Armada failed; they had caught Plymouth napping.

Let it not b© inferred, however, that they landed without a fitting welcome. Mr C. Palliser, accountant to the High Commissioner’s Department, went out to the Rimutaka in the tender at 5 a.m., accompanied by Messrs Pring and Donne, of the English Rugby Union, and by these gentlemen the team were officially received and welcomed to England. Mr Palliser represents the New Zealand Rugby Union in England, and has carried'out all the preliminary arrangements in connection with the tour. Mr Pring, who is a Devon man, is vice-president of the English Rugby Union, and Mr Donne represents Somerset on the English Rugby Union. Their courtesy in coming to Plymouth to meet the steamer was much appreciated by the team. Later in the morning Mr Augustine Mason, private secretary to- the Hon W. P. Reeves, welsomed the manager of the team (Mr G. H. Dixon), on behalf of New Zealand’s High Commissioner. Mr Reeves is at present on holiday in Yorkshire, ■otherwise-he would himself have journeyed to Plymouth for the occasion. The weather yesterday was perfect. Whether or not this was a lucky omen for the tour, it certainly made all the difference in the newcomers’ first impressions of the Mother Country. With the exception of George Smith and J. Hunter, all the members of the team are, I fancy, on their first visit to this side of the world, and the introduction to Old England could not have been made under happier auspices. From this point of view it was fortunate that the team’s plans enabled them to land in picturesque Plymouth and travel through one of the most beautiful of the English counties, instead of coming in by the “ back-door ” of London, -with its grimy docks and its mile after mile of mean streets and _ smoking chimney-pots. In the brilliant sunshine of yesterday beautiful Devon had put on its fairest dress, all the fresher and the brighter for the heavy weather of the day before. Looking out upon the famous view seaward from Plymouth Hoe, and then speeding inland through a smiling landscape of green hill and dale and silver stream, he would be a dull dog indeed who failed to respond to the vivid yet reposeful beauty of the scene. In Plymouth itself the New Zealanders had time only for a brief stroll round before breakfasting and entraining for their destination, Newtan Abbott. But they were keenly interested in everything within sight. Their first view of an English town with its rows of stone dwellings stretching in unbroken line from end to end, was an experience in itself. Said ouo of the team, “ It’s a strange sight to colonial eyes. No verandahs, no gardens, no wooden buildings—well, Weill” Mr Dixon informed mie that Ms mien were ad well, and that he hoped to have them perfectly fit in. time for the opening match of the tour next Saturday. Apart from a fortnight of rough weather, up to the time of rounding Cape Horn, the voyage had been a very good one, and all the team had proved to be good sailors; sea-sickness troubled them not at all. Practice had been kept up systematically during the voyage, and there was bat little superfluous weight to get rid cf before the opening match. They have a big programme of matches to gel through-, but Mir Dixon has full coufidenoe in his team. They are, ne says, as representative a team as could Le got together for a tour of this duration, and a team, moreover, whim may be relied upon to do the colony credit both on- and off the field. “ I consider it a very good team indeed,” said the manager. “ We’ve got a splendid back division and the forwards ere all right; and one -and .alll mean to do their very best.” Tiho discipline of the team on the voyage bias been wholly admirable, and their conduct irreproachable. The good name cf the colony should he quite safe- in their hands, as well as its reputation for football prowess. After breakfasting in Plymouth yesterday the team left by the 9.50 a.m. train for their braining quarters at Newton Abbott, a small Devonshire town pleasantly situated near Tbigmmouth estuary, on the Hue between Plymouth and Exeter. They will! prepare there for the first match of the tour—New Zealand versus Devon* County—which takes place on Saturday at Exeter (not. Torquay, as originally arranged). They are nof due in London until October 4, when they will meet Middlesex. The travelling arrangements have been placed in the hands of Messrs Thomas Cook and Spn.

STORY OF THE VOYAGE. (By ERIC HARPER.) S.S. RIMUTAKA, September 7. At the time cf commencing my firs’letter to New Zealand, our long but pleasant journey of seven weeks is drawing to a close, and we expect in a dav or so to sig;ht the shores of England, the object of all our dreams and thoughts for endless days past. _ I am, therefore, now’ in a position to give you a full account of our doings on the journey. I will not bother'you with the smoke concert at. which were were entertained in Wellington; sufSdfc it to say that it w?s of the typo of smoke concert usually held in New* Zealand, with rather an overdose of politics thrown in. After a very enthusiastic send-off from the crowd assembled on the wharf in Wellington, and from those aboard the tender which took up to the ship and afterwards accompanied us down, the harbour, we settled down to our long ssa voyage. The prospect cf this great trip—our first visit to most of us—to the Mother Country, had naturally excited us for months past, and it wan not. until we were actually on board ship that wo knew that all our worries and anxieties were at an end. The expression on our faces when once we had planted foot/on board was one of intense relief after coming through a trying ordeal. I cannot speak too highly of the Rimutaka and her accommodation. The food, the most important item on board, aud the object of ail passengers’ thoughts throughout the day on hoard ship, is excellent and of various kinds,,

iaud when I say that the appetites of seven and twenty hungry and healthy footballers are appeased after partaking of the good things provided for us, you will understand that there is no absence of quantity. The ship herself is a model of sedatenoss, and ouo barely feels the motion of the waves, except, of course, in very rough weather. _We were fortunate in meeting with fairly oahn weather after leaving Wellington. It grew rougher day by day, but so gradually that we had all got our sea-legs before the really rough weather had set in. Consequently, there has been little or no sea-sickness on board, and with the exception of a few minor accidents and bruises, I am happy to say that no serious oases of sickness or accident have occurred amongst us. As the weather was so bitterly cold before reaching the Horn, wo were unable to have a sympathetic course of training; snow ami rain fell constantly and kept us indoors. However, we took plenty of exercise in walking and running up and down the decks, and in boxing and playing cricket and quoits when the weather allowed us to do eo. An But; tainment Committee, representative of all the passengers in the first and second saloons, was formed. Our first entertainment was a euchre party, which went off very successfully. We suffered from a dearth of ladies on board (we have only five in our saloon) so one of us bad to assume for the time being that wo were ladies. Both prizes, ladies and gentlemen, fell to two of our team, the “ lady ” member most gallantly handing it over to the most successful player amongst the real ladies. Wo possess a great store of musical talent amongst onr team, nearly every member can perform in some way, and as the days wore on the more modest ones, encouraged by the efforts of their follows, would produce their music, which up to that time they seemed to have forgotten entirely about. There is a very good library on board, and a piano in. our saloon, and one on deck, which are constantly in use. During the cold weather. Captain Greenstreeb, who is immensely popular with all on board, allowed us frequently the use of the whole deck. We found this a great boon to us in our efforts to get warm and for sprinting work, and we cannot be too grateful to him for his courtesy. W T e had our first experience of a real storm on August 6. Snow fell all day, and in the evening the wind blew to hurricane force. Sea after sea washed overboard and tore up a large space of the flooring of the 'deck. W© had a worse experience to follow. On the Saturday following we mot a still worse eea, which came through the skylights and flooded tire saloon. Thanks bo the' seaworthy qualities of the Rimutaka our “ little Marys” were able to- weather the storm, though some of us would have preferred to have bean on dry land. After rounding the Horn- the weather grew warmer every diay, and we started a systematic course of training. Our programme was and is now: In the morning the whole team assembles and runs several times round ■ the lower deck and afterwards meets on the upper deck, the forwards for scrum work and the backs for passing rushes, whilst after ' this is don© the whole team does physical drill. In the afternoon we assemble again for a half hour of physical drill. The voyage has given more- oppor - tunities to us to train than most of us, I am sure, have ever bad before. We are constantly handling the ball, not only during our braining hours but at alll hours of the day, aiud as there is ample'room for a passing rush for two or three at a time there Should be no excuse in consequence for fumbling the ball when we play our matches,. The team is remarkably fit -atod well both in wind and limb -and 'niaailrth, and, like our cargo of frozen mutton, w© dliould arrive in Plymouth in as fit a condition as when we left New Zealand. •

After twenty days out we arrived in Monte Video, and spent a very pleasant day on shore. It was our first sight of a foreign city and a foreign people, arid the impressions that the manners and customs of the people made on our minds were most amusing. Everything and everybody struck us os being so un-British as we strolled along the streets that w© could not refrain , from laughing at the strange faces and sights w© saw. Although we spent a very pleasant time on shore, we wore glad to get hack to the ship, and w® one and all congratulated ourselves on the fact that wo were Britishers born. After leaving Monte Video we came in for lovely warm weather, and this Iras continued since. We were surprised at the mildness of the weather in the tropics. We all expected to pass though a fiery furnace, but, on the contrary, the weather was not much warmer than some of the warm days w© experience in New r Zealand. With tire exception of about two days, we were able to continue our training right though the tropics. A . splendid programme of sports was drawn, up, and it took four afternoons to run the different events off. The obstacle race was nftst amusing, the competitors starting by eating a bun dipped in treacle and suspended on a piece of string, and after many acrobatic performances, ending by crawling though a very long wind-ehcot, the inside of whicu was smothered in red ochre. Onr next break was at Teneriffe. Wd were ’only there a few hours, but w© had plenty of time to look through the quaint town and fill ourselves with the fruit which abounds there.

We are now ending our long journey, and although our pleasures and excitements are all to come, still we will bo sorry to leave the ship which has behaved so well to us, and on hoard which wo have spent such a pleasant time. We are one big happy family, as happy as the dav is long, and really our conduct has been most exemplary. Indeed, to all appearances, except when we appear in football costume, we might be a pack of missionaries on our way to China. I cannot speak too highly of the wisdom of the New’ Zealand Union in providing

us with such a genial and popular manager. It is Sir Dixon’s influence amongst the men and the confidence which th© team has in him that have caused things to run so smoothly, and I am confident things will continue, so I must now conclude my first letter. The English shores are in sight, and the excitement is too great to continue. I hope my next letter will recount our first victory. AN ENGLISH CRITIC ON THE TEAM [Fkom Oca Coup.espondent.] The New Zealand team’s tour was given an excellent advertisement by the Plymouth papers on the day or its arrival, in the shape of a long letter from an English footballer who travelled through the colonies with Bedell-Seiv-right’s team last year. Writing from Sydney, where' he saw the present New Zealand combination play their three Australian matches, he makes some interesting comments on the personnel of the team, and the popularity of the gamo in New Zealand. Readers in the colony will have their own opinion regarding some of his comments and statements, but I think they will agree that his letter makes interesting reading, and that his ‘•'appreciation” of the wearers of the fern-leaf will help to stir up public interest in Devonshire in regard to the coming matches there. Writing to the captain of the Devon Albion Club, the English footballer says;— “ I had the pleasure of travelling all ever Australia and Now Zealand with the English team that was out here under Bedell-Seivright’s captaincy last year, and no one could have been more bitterly disappointed than I was at their defeat at the hands (or feet) of both New Zealand and Auckland. “ I don’t doubt for a moment that had our fellows met New Zealand after the first couple of matches in New South Wales, they would have beaten them. Hut our men were very stale, and sick and knocked about generally, while the New Zealanders had been spscihlly reserved for the big match, and for a fortnight beforehand had been isolated from the city of Wellington, and trained at a little seaside place called Day’s Bay. They had been told they must never let the balljout to the Welsh backs, and they never did, and, in consequence, won the match.

“I send you the “Now Zealand Graphic ” of last year, in order that you may have an idea of the extraordinary interest taken in the match, and the enthusiasm with which th© New Zealand victory was received. Rugby is the New Zealand national sport, and ©very man, woman and child in the colony follows it up, and understands ©very point of the game. Ninety-nine out of every hundred people in New Zealand firmly believe that Seivright’s team was the best that oould bo picked in the whole British Isles. They look forward to the present New Zealand team beating everything it meets on th© coming tour.” After giving the results of the Australasian matches played by the New Zealand team prior to leaving for England, the writer continues;—

“ I had the good fortune to see the three matches the New Zealanders played her© in Sydney. They are a big, powerful body of men, very fast and energetic. There is never any loafing. Wherever the hall is there is never any lack of New Zealanders.

“The first appearance of th© New Zealanders was interesting. Their whole costume is black. Black Jersey with a silver fern leaf, black knickers, black stockings and boots. On© funny item was that the whole team cam© out in pink elastic knee and anklets, which had a very peculiar effect. They bring an immense banner on to the field with them, black, with the inevitable silver fern, and their motto, ‘ Aka Ake Kia Kaha.’ They also give their Maori war-cry. “ Now for a few words about the team.

“Owing to theiß sombre _colours, it was very hard to p&k out individuals. Gillott, 'the full-hack, is a fine man, clean built and strong, fast, and a beautiful kick. Ho had not a groat deal of tackling to do, as the defence of the three-quarter line was'too solid., “Of the three-quarters. M’Gregor got the two tries against England last year. Ho runs very straight and bard, and takes a lot of stopping. Wallace is supposed to be the beat all-round man in New Zealand. He also played for New Zealand last year. G. W. Smith was 120yds hurdlo'champion of England some few years ago. He is very fast. Booth I did not see much of, but he has the reputation of being a very fine three-quarter. The halves and fiveeighths I got quite mixed up with in their black clothes; as the Sydney Cricket Ground is. bo largo you are a a very long way from the field of play. The forwards are a fine, big lot, who play a hard, fast game, aro always on the ball, and play to win. “In the line-out it doesn’t matter whether you’ve got the ball or not; a New Zealand forward holds on to as many opponents as possible. In the scrum they play seven men, and a wing forward, who puts -the ball in and tries to block the opposing half’s pass. To do this ho must play an 02-side game to be of much use. “ The captain of the side, Gallaher, is a great wing forward, who plays a very heady game, and is not often caught by the referee off-side, hut the men" who played wing forward over here were continually being penalised. Johnston, in particular, in tho last match here was continually off-side, and was penalised time after time for illegal play. After playing a draw with New South "Wales, New Zealand have decided to take home two more men (a forward and a back), making the team twenty-seven in all, with a coach, James Duncan. The latter is one of the most wonderful men that ever played the game. He is a great general, and will help the team, I have no doubt, a great deal. I hope to see you the day of your match with them, and that you will bo successful. Believe mo, they aro a fine body of men, whom one can’t help admiring. They are the pick and pride of a country where the children are born with a Rugby ball under their arm, and they come horn© with the fixed determination to do or die.” A NOTE OF ANXIETY. ‘

Tlio Rugby football critic of the London “Daily Express” puts in a plea for better combination on the part of England’s representative teams, and refers to the New Zealand team as likely to prove the strongest argument in favour of combination that could be adduced.” “It will be possible,” he adds, “ to compare their performances when pitted against regular club fifteens, where combination ought not to be absent, and against an English team inched from the choicest material at the command of the soleo-

tion committee. It is only to be expected that the representative side will do better, but the smallness of the margin in some instances may be rather surprising.” '