ALL BLACKS' TOUR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22261, 8 November 1935, Page 16

ALL BLACKS' TOUR

MANY ENTERTAINMENTS MUCH TRAVELLING ENTAILED APPETITES AMAZE WAITERS INTERNATIONAL PROSPECTS BY E. N. OREATOREX, Former Australian nnd New South "Wales Representative By Air Mai) NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, Oct. 9 In every centre visited plenty of entertainment has been arranged for tho All Blacks, but. it wou|d seem that tho officials at Newcastle-on-Tyno set out to show just how a visiting side should be entertained. Tho footballers were invited to walk into any of the leading theatres or picture shows in the city whenever they had any spare time; they were made honorary members of all sorts of clubs, and the Rugby Union ball, held on tho night of the match, was one of iho biggest social functions of the season. A big committee of leading citizens organised the dance, and a bacon and egg supper was arranged for 2 a.m. Owing to a mistake in time, no officials of tho Northumberland and Durham Unions wore present at tho Newcastle station to meet tho players when they arrived. Everybody connected with the Rugby Union in Newcastle was terribly upset about it, and thc3' are determined to make amends. Mr. Meredith and the players wero not at all perturbed about tho matter. Indeed, they were glad to bo able to go straight to the hotel. Receptions on railway platforms after tiring train journeys become very trying. " Winging " Tactics Once again an argument is raging in tho press about wing-forward play and "winging" tactics. Several of the New Zealand forwards have been accused of playing tho "roving" game and adopting spoiling tactics. The fact, however, is that no forward in the New Zealand * team is playing tho "winging" game, as it usod to bo played. As for spoiling, we have seen quite a lot of it from British and Welsh players. The breakaways in the Swansea pack went in for spoiling on a big scale, and H. A. Fry, who is undoubtedly a fine forward, was often offside in' tackling Sadler in tho game at Birkenhead Park. The All Blacks are puzzled to know why the programme of thoir matches has been mapped out in a way that provides for a maximum of travelling. When I was here with the Waratahs, tho New South Wales Rugby Union team, in 1927-28, we played tho same number of matches as tho New Zealand side is to play, and visited practically all the same centres. Yet, by tho time the All Blacks have finished tho tour, they will have travelled many hundreds of miles more than we did on our visit. Some lengthy journeys faco the All Blacks during the next few weeks. Altogether the players will have been in Wales on three occasions by the time the tour ends. Tho players think it would havo been far better had the tour been arranged so that all the games in tho different countries could havo been played on the one visit. Still, it would be very difficult for the four home unions, iThey had to arrange dates so that other important fixtures would not clash with the All Blacks' games. "Stars" at the Table If a good appetite means good health there is nothing whatever wrong with most of the men of the team. Nearly all are hearty eaters, tho "stars'"' being Cyril Pepper and Athol Mahoney. Waiters at some of the hotels have been amazed at the gastronomic abilities of quite a number of tho footballers. It is extremely difficult to say at this stage who will be the men for the international fixtures. There will be a fight for th 6 front-row positions and, on their present form, Hore, Lambourn, Adkins and Pepper are all in the running. Hadlcy should be one of the first picked. Dalton, too, will probably come into the picture before the tests. He was playing good football up to the time ho was injured. Even Manchester's place is by no means certain. He has been playing all right, but now other forwards have come into the limelight. Manchester would be the first to offer to stand down if he thought there was somebody better able to take his place. All Given a Chance He has not hesitated to stand down from games to give others a chance of playing themselves into condition. There is nothing like a hard match to get a player into condition, and oven those who do not see eye to eye with some of Mr. Meredith's methods must admit that he is giving all of his men a chance to show their wares. Should Manchester fail to make tho side for tho tests the "All Blacks will not bo without a leader. Oliver has proved himself tho right man for the job on tho occasions'ho has led tho team. The back lino seems to bo a different proposition with Oliver there and his backing up, sound defence and smart attack have inspired the others. Only injury can keep Oliver out of the internationals. Of course, ho may suddenly lose all form, but it does not look as if that is going to happen. When the side was in Newton Abbot Oliver caught a heavy cold. He has not got rid of it yet. It is really amazing that ho has been able to play so well. The team is well provided with music. The All Blacks have a gramophone and all the latest records and Gilbert has been presented with a beautiful portable wireless set. Inspection of Train At Ncwcastle-on-Tyne station tho players inspected "The Silver Jubilee," Britain's first strfeamlino train. It is as luxurious as any of tho famous Continental expresses. " The Silver Jubilee" runs between Newcastle and King's Cross (London) at an overall speed of 67.08 miles per hour. After inspecting this ultra-modern luxury train Hadley wanted to know if the railway companies could not arrange for it to be used by the All Blacks on all their journoys! Many of tho All Blacks are keen golfers, and some havo played in all tho cities and towns at'which tho team has stayed. None of them is in tho championship class as yet. Hart generally manages to return the best card. Hadley had a gamo at Newton Abbot. A member of the local club, trying to improve Hadley's stance, told him that he would do better if ho did not address the ball in tho same position that ho packed down in a scrum I