FOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12991, 7 October 1905, Page 7

FOTBALL.

TIIK NEW ZEALAND TEAM IN ENGLAND. TUK New Zealand footballers are evidently bent upon making their presence in the Old Country felt, for they continue to score with indisputable consistency. They have now scored in six matches 231 points, an average of 38.5 a match. The only " score registered against them was a potted goal. They have scored 48 tries, of which 28 have been converted, and a penalty goal. . It was anticipated that New Zealand would not score so heavily against Middlesex as against the other counties. Middlesex defeated Devon last season for the South of England championship, and as the New 7,calenders have defeated these teams by « points to 'V and 37 to nil respectively, it niav be- expected that they hold all the county teams at their mercy, and that they will not meet worthy foemen until tl reach the international matches. To-day the New Zealanders will turn their attention to Durham, and on Tuesday they will play Hartlepool. The record for the trip to date is as follows: — September 16: Against Devon County. Won by 55 points to 4. • * September 20: Against Cornwall Won bv 41 points to nil. . "September 23: Against Bristol. Won by *1 points to nil. .September 28: Against Northampton. Won by 32 points to ml. / September 30: Against Leicester, Won by 23 points to nil. October 4: Against Middlesex. , Won by 34 points to nil. THE AUSTRALIAN TEAM'S TOUR. 4 The following are a few extracts from an - Interview "Cynic," of the Sydney Referee, had with Mr. J. R* Henderson, the manager of the Australian football team, on his return to Sydney: " Though the forwards were comparatively light alongside the forward teams of New Zealand, said Mr. Henderson, they flayed wonderfully well. Right through, with the exception of the New Zealand match (in which tho weight told), they wero superior a3 scrummagers to their opponents. The same remark applies to their form in the loose, except in (■ the case of the New Zealand and Wellington matches. Their la >' ' in the Taranaki and Rotorua matches was so good that my only regret is that Australia's followers of the" game had not the opportunity of seeing the play. The lessons of the earlier defeats had come home to tho team. They can be classed as one of the finest packs 1 have ever seen representing Australia or the States. The basks,' with a few exceptions." continued Mr. Henderson, "played solidly on the tour; yet if in the earlier matches they had only played hall as well as at the end of the tour the record would probably. have been an, exceptional one." Speaking on the general refereeing in the tour, Air. Henderson said "he must admit tnat in * this direction the team had been disappointed on the whole; not that he would wish to insinuate that they had been other than taost impartial, but with' few _ exceptions their rulings, particularly on wing-forward play and off-side in the loose, considerably affected games, and in one instance it completed spoiled the game for players and public alike." Asked as to whether there had been any New Zealand players that had impressed him, as a selector, during _ the tour, Mr. Henderson said: ' Yes. Wrigly as a threequarter and O'Brien and Spencer, of Wellington, in fullback po- , tions, were the best of the back divisions seen. Forwards Dodd and Watkins as frontrankors were easily first. Francis, of Auckland, is a player of more than the average rep. ability whilst Carlson, of Man&wfttu, impressed me as tho best forward—in fact, equal to any of those I have seen who are at present in the Old Country. Judged on ' what I have seen during the tour, the New Zealand selectors are to be congratulated ! , upon an admirable selection of players who are now representing them." Asked as .to his opinion of New , Zealand followers ot the game, Mr. Henderson said: ..y proved themselves to be most impartial; in fact, in the majority of cases the sympathy appeared to be entirely with us, due, no doubt, to the uphill fight the team were making, and that we were playing an open game whenever practicable, which was highly appreciated. Football as played there is not nearly so fast, open, or showy as that played in Australia on our hard and consequently fast grounds, which fact I can only attribute to climatic conditions. Footballers and supporters would no doubt lie gratified with the reproduction this week in the Weekly News of its fine crpup picture of the New Zealand team, understand the reproduction became neces- • sary on account of the numerous demands for copies throughout the colony. It 13 ft fine picture of a splendid lot of athletes."