A CHAT WITH GEORGE SMITH.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLI, Issue 51, 13 March 1906, Page 4

A CHAT WITH GEORGE SMITH.

George Smith, the Auckland i-hr_ac_-arler-back, also had to submit to the inevitable interview. Questioned as to tho referees at Home, Smith said that with a few exceptions they made the gamo slow. For almcst every breach of the rules a scrum was formud, ancl a penalty kick was not given. Ho expressed the opinion that on the c_y the better team won l-n tho match against Wales, but if tho Welsh team wero to come out to New Zealand they would be boatcn by . Now 7|.aland, but they might win the interprov.ncial matches. The New Zralandcrs wero palpably stale at the time, and had shown it prior to tho Scotch match. Smith said that the forwards had never been surpassed on the tour, and they had not been given half the credit they deserved. "Mow about the wihg forward?'' asked the reporter. "'.Well,"- replied Smith, "had the wing forward been called a half-back, no objection would hav_ been raised. ,It -was due purely to the fact that he was called a wing forward which was a new place to tlte Home players, that made thorn criticise it. For instance, when Sullivan was hurt hi the Cardiff match, Gallagher went into the front row, and the Cardiff men put the ball into the scrum. We still got the ball out as often, ancl perhaps more often, than we had done whan Gallag--1 her put it im." This, he thought, was sufficient proof that Ga-Hajgher put the ball into the scrum fairly. "'I should like to say," remarked Snrith, v that I consider Roberts the finest halM-feck I have seeplay. The fact that he played hi 29 games out of 32 speaks for itself. Touching on the French and American matches. Smith said that ho thought Rugby would go ahead in San Francisco. He did not Suppose that France would .ever become a great- Rugby centre, but the game should make good progress there. Th« team were well treated in France. If a Frenchman grassed one of the Now ZJealand players at all roughly, he would turn round and say, "Tardon, Monsieur." ■ .