ALL BLACKS RETURN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22345, 17 February 1936, Page 11

ALL BLACKS RETURN

REVIEW OF THE TOUR

MR. MEREDITH SUMS UP TEAM A HAPPY FAMILY REPUTATION IN ENGLAND The All Black Rugby team will arrive in Auckland by the Aorangi this morning after a successful tour of Great Britain, Ireland and Canada. The players are assured of an enthusiastic welcome home.

For the first time the manager of the team, Mr. V. R. Meredith, of Auckland, has given his summing uf> of the tour. As the Aorangi left Suva late and will not reach port until early this morning the New Zealand Herald secured Mr. Meredith's views by radio telegram. His story is published below and will be read with wide interest.

Mr. Meredith emphasises the point that the winning of games is not the main objective of the journeyings of New Zealand teams abroad. Judged from that angle, he says, the tour can be looked upon as a really successful one. He discusses the standard of play in England and concludes with the statement that he thinks that the members of the team have left a host of friends behind them in England and, he hopes, a good reputation for New Zealand.

HAPPY FAMILY

in the first game, we were unable to get much share of the ball from set scrums.

INTE E N ATI ON AL GAMES FINE SPORTING SPIRIT SCRUMMAGE DIFFICULTIES INJURIES TO HADLEY AND PAGE BY RADIO (From Mr. V. R. Meredith, manager of the All Black Rugby team, specially to the New Zealand Herald) The long tour is ended, and after seven strenuous months of travel, pleasurable and interesting although it all was, everyone is glad to see New Zealand again. Viewing the tour on broad lines and adopting the only possible view that trips of this kind have a greater significance than the mere winning of games', I sincerely believe that the tour can be looked upon as a really successful one. In three games we were beaten and, on the day, each of those sides thoroughly deserved to win, as they were the better team.

Later these scrum difficulties were overcome, and this, with the return of Hadlev, enabled us to definitely beat in scrumming any side we met. Our superiority in obtaining possession in the later part of the tour was one of the best features of our play. The team itself has been a particularly happy one, welding into one big family. Everyone is well with the exception of one or two minor injuries. In the early stages of the tour, we had rather an unfortunate run of casualties, Hadley and Page being the most serious. Hadley recovered after a few weeks, but, unfortunately, we lost the services of Page after the first match. He played later 011 against the North of Scotland to try his leg out, but it was hopeless. Still, that was all in the luck of the game, and is only a replica of what happened to- the British side in New Zealand in 1930, when they lost Sobey, their brilliant halfback, in the first game, and broke the famous Sobev-Spong combination. Meeting Old Friends We had the pleasure of meeting many of the 1930 British team in various places. They all spoke with enthusiasm of their visit to New Zealand and went to great lengths to return to us the hospitality they had received. One cannot speak too highly of the way the team was received everywhere. In fact, at times the hospitality became almost embarrassing. The reception by the British Sportsmen's Club on our arrival was a thoroughly representative gathering and a wonderful gesture. After leaving Newton Abbott, which, unfortunately, had no ground on which to practise, we found the incessant shifting most irksome, and we assume that this is one feature of these tours which requires rigid revision in the interests of the touring side. The playing of the matches has nothing like the wearying effect as the inability to get settled in any one place for more than two days at a time. The Travelling Question One recognises that travelling to a certain extent is necessary, but in Great Britain, where all the main centres are so close with their rapid transport, nearly all the matches could hare been played from a few main centres. This would have obviated the one trying feature of the toun The internationals were all very fine games and were played in an excellent sporting spirit. One very pleasant feature of the tour was that, with one game as the exception, the matches, though keen and hard, were devoid of any undue roughness or iinpleasant incidents. W T e met in all our matches very large crowds which, generally speaking, were very fair and kindly disposed. In Cardiff, after a particularly brilliant movement by our combined backs and forwards, unstinted applause was continued long after play restarted. 1 had never heard such prolonged appreciation by a sporting crowd. Singing in Wales We had the experience of Welsh singing first in Llanelly before the game. Led by a fine band the crowd of 25,000 sang all the Welsh songs and sang them well with inspiring effect. It was only surpassed by the singing of " God Save the King," by the vast crowd at Twickenham at the English international on the appearance of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. I he Prince had previously received the team arid also attended the international. He showed a keen interest in the game, and a very vivid and accurate recollection of his visit to New Zealand. Manchester, Oliver and four other members of the team spent some days at Lydney as the guests of Lord and Lady Bledisloe. Our late GovernorGeneral attended all the games he possibly could, and each member of the team was the recipient of a piece of plate as a Christmas present from Lord and Lady Bledisloe. of us had the opportunity of meeting Lord Jellicoe at the house of General Freyberg (Tiny, of Wellington), exactly a fortnight before his death. He was, when we met him, in excellent health and spirits, and was speaking for some time of his happy recollections of New Zealand. We had no really bad weather conditions except at Belfast and Oxford, where the games were played in steady rain. The match at Belfast, with a ball almost unplayable by backs, was one of the finest forward exhibitions 1 have ever seen. The Irish forwards were mostly internationals, and 011 the day honours were fairly even, the Irish playing the close dribble and the New Zealanders the more open loose rush. Tindill potted a .beautiful goal in this match, but an Irish man just managed to touch the ball in flight and 110 score resulted. The Oxford game will always be remembered for Gilbert's magnifi-

It is difficult to say to what extent British football has improved, as I have not previously seen their form in their own country. The general opinion there is that as the 'result of the visits of various Dominion sides there has been a considerable advance in the standard of their football. However that may be, there are at the present time in Great Britain a number of exceptionally fine players, particularly among the backs. One might mention just a few —Gadney and Cranmer, of England; Cliff Jones, Wooller and Davy, of Wales; and Shaw, Lind and Dick, of Scotland. The Irish forwards, with their beautiful footwork, especially with a greasy ball, were, also something quite worth while seeing. Fast wings were plentiful, Obolenskv being particularly fast. With the individual players at their disposal, if their team work was as efficient as it might be, their sides would be more dangerous than they were. Surprise may have been felt at the narrowness of some of the scores. We found that, only on rare occasions did we meet weak sides. The British method of qualification is much more elastic than ours, with the result that combined counties sides always produced a big quota, of internationals. We had the pleasure of meeting players like Kendrew, Davy, Tarr and others many times. This was really all to the'good as making the games more even, although something may be said locally against the dropping of the players Usually playing for the side in favour of importations.

We packed three in the front row ® s the New Zealand Union agreed to j*° and found that we had a deal to jearn about this method of packing. n the early stages we were badly * and with the loss of Hadley

cent goal with a filthy ball from the touch line, the kick, right 011 time, being required to win the match.

The combined teamwork of the side was excellent, and it was this combination of backs and forwards that resulted in most cf- our scores.

The main troubles were, first, lack of experience in the new scrum formation in the early part of the tour. This was more than remedied later. Secondly, there was on the part of the inside backs a certain lack of ability to penetrate. This was, of course, accentuated by the loss of Page. Everyone in the team gave of his best and 1 am proud to say when we got beaten they were the first to wholeheartedly congratulate their opponents 011 their welldeserved win, and not rob them of any of the pleasure by grudging qualifications. On leaving London 1 think we left a host of friends and, I hope, a good reputation for New Zealand. Our trip across Canada was interesting. All the country until we crossed the Rockies was under snow and ice. At Vancouver the Canadians met us most hospitably and two games were pla.ved at Vancouver and one at Victoria. The standard of play here is quite good, although lacking, for want of competition with strong outside teams, in the more scientific tactical moves.

Oliver and myself attended at two of the colleges and explained our system to a fairly large audience.at each place. As their players are drawn from the same type as our own, there is no reason why, if opportunity were given, for more outside competition, they should not really improve their standard. We left after playing at Victoria. At Suva we were met by the Fiji Football Club members, who entertained the team until the departure of the Aorangi for Auckland. Now we are home and looking forward to seeing our own friends and people again.

RECEPTIONS TO TEAM

FUNCTION AT TOWN HALL RUGBY UNION LUNCHEON The All Blacks will be met upon arrival by officials of the New Zealand and Auckland Rugby Unions. Mr. F. T. Glasgow, acting-chairman of the New Zealand Union, and a member of the 1900 All Blacks, arrived in Auckland on Saturday in order to participate in the welcome. Numerous relatives and friends of the players have arrived from other parts of the Dominion in order to greet them. The team members will have a free morning and will attend a civic and Parliamentary reception in the Town Hall concert chamber at 12.15 p.m. The Mayor, Mr. Ernest Davis, will preside at this function. A complimentary luncheon will be tendered the team at the Hotel Cargen at 1 p.m. Mr. H. Frost, president of the Auckland Rugby Union, will preside. J. E. Manchester, of Canterbury, captain of the team, and J. R. Page, ot Wellington, are not accompanying the returning part.v, having remained in England on business. The committee of the Auckland Trotting Club has extended an invitation to the All Blacks and their manager to be present at Alexandra Park this afternoon.

The southern members of the party are expected to leave for the South by the limited express this evening.