ALL BLACKS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 3 September 1935, Page 5

ALL BLACKS

ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND ALL WELL AFTER SMOOTH TRIP WELCOMES EXTENDED (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) LONDON, 2nd September. On the arrival of the Rangitiki at Tilbury the Ail Blacks were welcomed by Sir James Parr, New Zealand High Commissioner, and Mr Wray, representative of the Home unions. All were remarkably well after a smooth trip, and most bad put on weight, a number of the bigger men being six pounds over their playing weight despite systematic shipboard training including practice with a special scrum machine. The players were unrestricted in regard to diet, but had cut down their smoking being anxious to be in the best condition for the opening match at Devonport. They want to settle down to serious training. After several welcoming lunches and. dinners they leave on Thursday for Newton Abbott-, where they have bookeel an entire hotel. In the opinion of critics the forwards look a heavy side, but a number of the backs are exceptionally light. One newspaper quotes Cliff Porter’s opinion that the forwards will be shoved off the field; “The Times” in a leader extends the All Blacks a welcome as hearty as that received by the departing South African cricketers. It says, those who defeat them will have cause for self-congratulation. PORTER INTERVIEWED CANNOT UNDERSTAND CABLED REFERENCE CONFIDENCE IN FORWARDS (By Telegraph—Press Association) WELLINGTON, This Day. Cliff Porter said in an interview today that he was unable to understand the cabled reference to the New Zealand forwards which had been attributed to him No such statement had emanated from him. What he had stated was that in his opinion the 1935 forwards compared very favourably with the 1924 side, and he thought they would perform e*qually as well. He had not expressed any view that the New Zealand forwards would be shoved off the field, on that they would shove the opposing forwards off the field.