Rugby Football.

Free Lance, Volume VI, Issue 289, 13 January 1906, Page 21

Rugby Football.

The following paiagraph should prove interesting to many Wellington people . . "The opinion is expressed by an eminent football authority that the inclusion of a New Zealander in Scotland s team— namely, Mr. F. D. Johnson, of Edinburgh University — would have bean a more popular choice than the selection of Mr. T. Sloan (Glasgow Academicals) as on© of the threequarter backs." But, lam thinking that Frank would have declined the honour if it had been offered ham. Still I am sure his well-wishers are pleased to read that the ex-Welington College boy and Wellington representative player is doing so well in the capital city of Scotland. "Full -back" asks —"Can anyone vouch for the truth of the statement that a private cablegram was received in the colony after the match against Wales worded thusly: 'Robbed of the match?'" A member of th« Management Committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union was supposed to 'have received a cable to that effect, but there is no truth in the rumour. As far as I can gather, no such cable was received in Wellington. • • • The editors of the "Evening Post" and the Christchuroh "Press" have been waxing indignant because the Premier has offered the New Zealand team, in the name of the colony, a trip through Canada and the United' States on their way back to New Zealand. It is only to be expected) that the Premier can do nothing right m the ■eyes ot the editor of the "Post," for he is agin the Government, and more particularly the Premier. The reply to his arguments is that if the New Zealand team will do colony no good in the off ere d trip to America, they have advertised our island home to sudh an extent in the Old Land as to entitle them to some such thoughtful consideration as that proposed by the Premier. Besides, what about the advertisement the colony will get through the visit of our now celebrated footbal.] team to America? In Ghristcburch football circles, the New Zealand Rugby Union can do nothing right. Therefore, it is only fitting from their view-point that the 'Tress" should take that body to task for being so foolish, shall I say, as to accept the offer made by the Prem_er. We axe told that the trip is gmnig to cost the colony £2000, and! that sum will have to be found from the Consolidated Fund. I will assume, for the sake o<f argument, that this sum is the maximum expense of the trip. But, some things have been forgotten. For instance, the. Rugby Union made an arrangement with the New Zealand Shipping Company that if it was so desired a rebate would be made on the return tickets if it were decided to bring the team back to the colony by another route. This, in itself, will mean £400 towards the £2000 referred toby the "Press" writer. It will be remembered 1 that a short time ago Mr. Dixon, the manager ot the team, asked for authority from his Union to play a series of matches, in Canada and tre United States. He was given permission, provided the New Zealand Union were guaranteed against loss. At the time this proposal was made, the team were willing to play matches in America, and it is only reasonable to suppose that they are still in that humour. Some of the playe.is wJI never have a similar opportunity of tripping round, the world, and they will be eager to take full advantage of this chance of a life-t me to them. Any unbiassed person, will readily perceive that the Premier's offer is practically guaranteeing the New Zealand Union against loss on the trip suggested, and is a handsome one. But that the colony is likely to have to foot a bill anything like £2000 is pure claptrap, and the voucher for that payment will be harder to find' than the one that was the subject of a recent enquiry. •• • • Home papens to handl by the 'Frisco mail contain full accounts of the Sootbish and Irish international matdhes. The following are a few clippings- — "It is not easy to say which of the winning side [against Scotland] did best. G. W. Smith, however, was a man who stood out conspicuously, and if he made a few mistakes in knockingon and handling, he certainly won the game for his side by his speed if nothing else. "Deans was dangerous, but hie passes were too often forward, andl it was well for Scotland that the Irislh whistler had good eyesight. "RJoberts was chiefly noticeable for his kicking into touch. "It was a great and memorable occasion, and it remains for Ireland, England, and Wales to decide whether the colonials will go home an unconquered side." — "Evening Dispatch."

"The Spoitbman" on the play of the New Zealande-rs in the Irish match: — •'Praise, for the New Zeailanders may be given in globo, if the expression will be pardoned. The distinguishing feature of the marvellous exhibition was its cleanness and 1 beautiful hand woik, wihile the manner in which they got there with the least expansion of energy at once stamped them as the better team. Deans was magnificent of a wonderful lot of backs, while O'Sullivan was marvellous as the head of a brilliant forward combination." A letter to the editor of the "Irish Independent" • — "Sir, — On seeing the arrival of the stalwarts from New Zealand this morning at Amiens-street station, a certain well-known cricketer was overheard enquiring if the Irish Union had yet appointed' an official scorer With rsicore-book for the match next Saturday. Let us hop© his task would not be an onerous one." • * • A surprising note from the "Athletic News" :—"lt: — "It is worthy of note that out of the 28 players in the colonists 1 ' ranks not one man has played in all the matches so far decided 1 . The player who holds the record for the greatest number of matches taken part in is Thompson, who, out of 22 games, has only stood down twice." This must be a mistake, surely! « • # The ''Yorkshire Post" — "A most ungenerous feature of thei Scottisbj criticism on the match has been the insin/uatdon that the. New Zealanders played a 'dirty' game. Such a charge is absoilutely untrue, and should never have been made by any fair-minded, critic. There were two or three incidents which suggested 1 roughness, , but those onlookers who saw them sui-ely were not blind to the case of kicking by a Scotsman, of which a New Zealand back was the victim, nor to the very unnecessary charge by which Wallace was laid out after he hadi kicked' the ball. These incidents occurred immediately in front of the press-box, and the writers who did not see them must have had their eyesight temporarily weakened by national prejudice. It is not the first time they have suffered 1 from this sameiwhat distressing axuiction." • • • The Shrivelled Shamrock. Once a fresh little plant Bloomed in Erin's greem isle' — St. Patrick himself used to grow it — But to-day its appearance occasions a smile, And I don't think the good' Saint would know it. It droops mi the bog, in the fields, and the mire land, This crushed little emblem — the Shamrook of Ireland. The tricked little Shamrock, The licked little Shamrock, The smashed little, bashed little Shamrock of Ireland. So gather the emblem m some storied urn, And write on the vessel "Hie Jaeet!" The Shamrock encountered a strong Silver Fern, And the Fern didn't scruple to whack it. And to-day the ould counthry's a funeral pyre-land, Because of the blow to the Shamrock of Ireland. The hacked little Shamrock, The whacked little Shamrock The bumped little, thumped little Shamrock of Ireland. —"Athletic News." The "Evening Mail":— "The 'AllBlacks ' line up in the centre of the field, and sing their national war-cry. I have heaa-d Rediskins singing a waxwhoop, I have heard' the Zulus giving us a blood-curdling war-cry. But, the New Zealanders oould lose these coloured gentry at producing an unearthly howl. Ido not know the name of this singular canticle. Possibly it is — 'Maori, Maori, quite contraori,' but, in any case, it produces a notable moral effect. One felt that one had to face a race of fighters." • » -it The "Yorkshire Post" —"The New Zealand team reached' the zenith of their fame o.n Saturday when, after one of the most exciting contests ever seen m the history of Rugby football, they won the first of their international matches, with Scotland as their opponents, by 12 points to 7. "It is no exaggeration to say that since international football was inaugurated nearly thirty-five years ago no match, under the handling code in Scotland has evoked snob ■wid'espiread' interest as this game at Inverleith." • * * The "Daily Mail," Dublin, takes seven columns of it® issue of the 25tb November to describe the New Zea-land-Ireland match. Its headings are all in big black type, the opening ones being as follows: — "All Blacks Unbeaten. — -JMaemificent Struggle at Lans-downe-road. — Brilliant Irish Forward Play. — Grand New Zealand Combination. — A Great Game Won by the Visitors. — New Zealand 3 goals (15 points), Ireland nil I .*'