FOOTBALL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 13889, 25 October 1905, Page 8

FOOTBALL.

TOUR OF THE NEW ZEALAND , TEAM. 1 COMMENTS OF THE ENGLISH PRESS. . > United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright-, SYDNEY* October 24. - . Tho “Times,” commenting on the’ Now Zealand footballers, says that they gained a remarkable victory over^ Devon. So unequal'were tho sides that no score would proportionately set out tho overwhelming superiority possessed by the New Zealanders in paco and skill. Tho wing-forward position is, however, a startling innovation. His position imperils his team under the off-side rule, and,much trouble may bo expected in future matches if his work is conducted on the same lines as in the Devon match. The London “Daily Telegraph,” states that in the startling triumph achieved by the New Zealanders in the ■ opening match the prestige of Devon football received a severe blow. That .tlio visitors would probably win was .expected, but no one was prepared for the utter rout that Devon suffered atoll points. < The visitors wore clearly superior, and were in no way flattered by tho score, heavy as it was. Tho Now Zealanders, who are physically a fine set of men, set about their task in a workmanlike manner,,, and had their opponents demoralised with astonishing rapidity. Quite the best feature of the New Zealanders’ play was tho work of their seven forwards, who were move than a match for their opponents’ eight. The paper adds that if the Eflg-’ lish teams should be compelled in scifdefence to play “ a winger,” the game from tho spectacular point qf view would not likely be improved. . . THE EVE OF THE CAMPAIGN. SPECULATIONS AND CRITICISMS. [From Our Correspondent.] LONDON, September 15. To-morrow the New Zealanders will open their football campaign at Exeter, v. nero ruoy will meet a-strong Devon County team. Since their arrival, a week ago, they have been quartered at the Globe Hotel at Newton Abbott, and have gone in for steady practice on the adjoining football ground. Mr G. H. Dixon, tho manager, took am’un up to London-on Wednesday, to visit the Now Zealand Government offices in connection with the tour, but the rest of the team have spent th© week, at their training quarters, f; A member of tho team writes to mo from Newton. Abbott: “ Wo arrived hero last Friday morning, and started training the same afterhoon, doing only light work — kicking, passing, dribbling, etc. Tho ground is good, and there is every convenience for dressing, and baths. \Vb .practice every morning at 10.30. On Monday and Tuesday mornings we had regular games of thirteen a side. Both were very fast and hard games, and we played for an hour and a quarter. The men seemed very fit and well. There was no game on Wednesday, but we practised passing, dribbling, etc.’ The ground was rather hard, and there was on© or two minor accidents, blit nothing serious. In the. afternoons we do as we please. Many go for walks into the country, as far as Torquay and Teignmouth. Others go for bicycle rides. All of us are charmed with the beautiful scenery and the quaint old villages through whioh we passed, and it is interesting to compare notes on our different excursions when, we return in the evening. "Wednesday was Fair Bay here, and we attended, and thoroughly enjoyed the novelty of the Fair, whioh was so utterly unlike-any-thing wo see in New Zealand. Thurs.day’s practice will he our last before the opening match, as we shall rest on the Friday.” Mr Seddon’ s ; announcement that the High Commissioner in London was arranging to have news of the team’s doings cabled out to New Zealand seems to tickle the fancy of the London newspapers. Tjie “Daily Graphic” declares that never since Pindar wrote his Odes have State and athletics so joined hands. . The “ Westminster Gazette ” pictures “our own Colonial Secretary ’’ giving out nows of the test matches, but remarks that th© Man in th© Street would probably not be content to wait so long for his nows. The “Daily News’/ observes that the New Zealanders are “ x>robably the first team to receive State recognition.” The last-named paper sent a representative to interview tho Secretary of the High Commissioner’s Department on the subject, and next morning Mr Kennaway was astonished and considerably amused to find himself reported as 'saying: “It is an excellent idea. The' team is, so to. speak, 'yet- another instrument for the'welding together of the Empire a piece of flowery rhetoric which had its origin in the interviewer's own imaginative brain. Sporting writers'have devoted a good deal of ■ attention to the visit of the New Zealand team during the past week. The '“ five-eighths ” system, which is new to this country, come© in for a- good deal of discussion, and the packing of the forwards and'the position of the “wing” have given the critics plenty to write about. The chief difference between. English and New Zealand styles -of play as in the packing of the scrums. The New Zealanders’ pack 2-3-2, whereas tho Englishmen pack 3-2-3, the wing-forward having no existence in this countryHamish Stuart, in the course of a column article in tho “Daily Chronicle” on the subject cf the visitors’ system, remarks:—“The New Zealanders justify their system on the ground that the two front men—called “ hookers” —can get the bail just as well as three! and that the five behind hav©

the earns pushing power as. our five. Now, our fronitr fibres are' supposed to do some pushing, though their first aim should ho to get below the opposing three, with a view to pushing them up, and so getting the ball with the first, ©hove," made as soon as the ball is ‘ in.’ The New 1 Zealand front two do not push at all. They only try to get the ball. Like, our front three, they must roly upon the- men behind to push at the psychological moment. Here I think wo will -have the real contest of tho systems, apd if the New Zealanders beat our best- packs for tho ball, then our forward play, or at least our scrummage .work, may suffer considerable modification before the tour is oven. Wo are hardly like to .adopt the. professed wing forward either in his. defensive or aggressive aspect. Indeed, I / expect an -early collision between this rover and the referee at Exeter on Saturday. In New Zealand ho is allowed to obstruct, the opposing half, or, in., other words,' to prevent him getting round when his own side have the hall, 1 provided he keeps one hand ,on the scrum. Th© proviso suggests a latitude of law likely to bo more honoured in the breach than in the observance in tho heat of a „ keen 1 game. Let me not strike, however, a discordant note until the_ winger’s ways have been seen and noticed at Exeter nest Saturday.” Dealing with the New Zealanders’ visit as an event in Rugby football history, Hamish Stuart, suggests that the colonials, if successful, will leave their mark on English methods of play. “It would he idle,” he says, “to pretend that the . visit of the New Zealanders will make the same appeal to tho football public as the Australians make to the cricket public ; it marks, however, a new epoch in the game, and may have far-reaching consequences, for it gives to the governors of this code the proud distinction of being the pioneers of Imperial footer of the same class, and, for the Rugby world at least, of tho same interest and importance as Imperial cricket. The New Zealanders, it is true, are not the first colonial football team to visit England; we have had Maoris and Canadians, the latter under both codes, as our guests, but they are assuredly the first side who can fairly be described as of the same class as exponents of Rugby as the Australians are of cricket. Possibly their excellence may have been exaggerated, and their methods extolled beyond their merits; until, however, thjey are put to- tho test of actual play we must accept the New Zealanders as an exceptionally fine side, who play a ‘ game ’, which differs in so many respects from cur various ‘ games ’ that our methods may suffer considerable modification before th© tour ends, provided always our guests meet with that measure of success which alone would justify imitation of their ways on our,part.” A rather patronising article in the “ Pall , Mali Gazette” on-tho subject of the Now Zealand football, team informs its readers that the Antipcdoans “play rather an old-fashioned game, and English teams may eery well hope to teach them something.” The article concludes with th© remark that “ anything colonial will receive encouragement in these days from the Motherland ” —a piece of patronage for which

the colonial team, if they read the “Gazette;” must feel deeply grateful! As to New Zealand football tactics being old-fashioned, it .will be time enough to say so when the matches against British teams supply the proof, and the London paper would have been wiser to wait until the colonials , had given their first exhibition before committing itself to this extraordinary statement,- Considering the defeats inflicted upon Bedell-Sievright’s team by New Zealand and Auckland, to say nothing of the Rotorua Maoris, it would seem as though the boot wer© on the other foot, and. that England might have something to learn from the “ oldfashioned ” colonials in the matter of football. And I am quite sure the New Zealand team can get along without patronage. _