FOOTBALL AT THE FRONT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17435, 23 March 1917, Page 8

FOOTBALL AT THE FRONT.

THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM.

[Fjioii Ora .. . WELLINGTON. March 22

Writing to mc from •'" Somewhere in France," on January 14, a well known Auckland representative footballer gives interesting details of the way in which the New Zealanders keep up their interest in manly sport, and,sustain tha Dominion's reputation as a particularly hard prnp-x'-iou to I oat on iho Rugby field. "There was n N T o»v Zealand Rugby team playing in England at the time, but it. was not apparently regarded by the soldiers iu France as the last wordjn what'could bo done by the Expeditionary Foice, for a team mostly comprising ex-reprc-sentabivo New Zealanders was 'being trained • behind the lines, in 'readiness for an English'tour. It■ included four Wellington representatives, four Auckland representatives, five Taranaki representatives and three from the Otago representatives. < '"They are most anxious;' 1 remarks my correspondent', " to come to grips with New Zealand team in England. On New Year's Day we had a match with an Engfob. divisional team, and put np 46", or some such score, to nothing." The New Zealand soldier representative +eam is given as follows:—'

"Wellington—C. King and D. Sullivan (Melrose), forwards; J. Mofßt (Oriental), forward; W. Bell (Ath-' lelic), forward; 'E. Ryan (Petorie). three-quarter;

Auckland—R. Casey, T. French and G. Murray (forwards), F. A. Ross (halfback). ;..

Taranaki—R.; Taylor (wing), Whittington (forward), J. Pini (forward), C. Brown (half), S. Cameron (five-eighth). Otago-G. Scott (full-back),. R. Fo*arty and Cockroft (forwards). T