NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALLERS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5736, 3 November 1905, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALLERS

NOTES ON THE TOUR. THE CORNWALL AND BRISTOL MATCHES. (By a Member of tho Team.) LONDON, September 00. On Monday wo left Newton Abbot for Redruth, in Cornwall. The townspeople turned out and gave ns a splendid seud-olf. We shall never forget their splendid hospitality. Wo arrived at Redruth at G o’clock, and commenced training next morning. In the afternoon ire were taken for a beautiful drive along tho Cornish cliffs. Even there wo wore not able to escape the photographers, for wo found one there, perched on a cl i If - In the evening the Redruth Rugby Union entertained us at a very pleasant smoke concert. The next morning wo visited the Dolcoath mine, and an excellent lunch was provided for us by the proprietors of the mine. We were shown all over, and were invited to go down this shaft, but only six venturesome ones accepted the invitation. Wo donned miners’ clothes, and were informed before going down that the company would take no risks, and that sometimes the rope broke. We descended about 3000 ft. and' were very glad to get to the surface again. Our appearance when wo came up suggested that wo had been in a very hat Turkish bath-due partly to the stifling atmosphere below, and partly to ’'funk.” About five or six thousand people witnessed the match at Redruth. A stiff breeze was blowing, against which wo played in tho first spell, and this accounts for the rather small score of twelve points which we put up in that spell. One could eco at a glance that our team would be victorious. The Cornwall team has no systematic formation in tho sent nr, and, though they fihoved hard, they were unable, on account of the defective formation of the scrum, to push our men or got tho ball. As was the case with tho Devonshire team, no man had a fixed place in tho scrum. Tho Cornwall team has some very tall and very short men amongst its forwards, ' and consequently, wlicn those ; men were partnered side by side, the scrum was all sixes and (sevens. The Cornwall backs did not have many opportunities of handling tho ball, but they tackled _ well—much better than tho Devonshire team. Our forwards and hacks all worked well. Wo were entertained at dinner at Camborne, and left Redruth the next morning. Wo arrived in Bristol in tho afternoon, and were taken to tho theatre, at tho invitation of tho Bristol Club, in tho evening. On Saturday morning wo were invited to inspect Wills’s large tobacco factory, in which wo ivero very much interested. A GLIMPSE OF LONDON. (From Our Special Correspondent.) September 30. The New Zealand team had their first glimpse of London this week, on the way from Bristol to Northampton. The weather was cloudy and rather cold, but their brief stay in the metropolis was full of interest to tho colonials, almost all of whom were seeing London for the first time. They travelled up to town on Monday by , the 2.10 p.m. from Bristol, and, arriving at Paddington at 4.38, wore driven in brakes to tho Manchester Hotel, which will bo their ..London headquarters. The Manchester is situated in Aldersgate street, not far from St. Martins-le-Grand, and is a quiet and comfortable histclry, very popular with visiting football teams. The New Zealanders, who were looking very fit, spent most of their time in wandering about tho city, but they put in a practice at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday afternoon, and attended the Hornsey Swimming Club's sports the same evening. <• A teams’ match was placed on the programme as a compliment to the colonial visitors, and the New Zealand five, defeated the Hornsoy team, while young Barney Koran pulled off the 220yds English championship, so that it was quite a colonial night. The New' Zealanders loft St. Pancras station for Northampton at 3 p.m. on Wednesday. While in London some of the team wore interviewed, by press representatives. but,, being much more anxious to see all that was to be seen out of doors than to talk about their achievements, they generally contrived politely to “cut it short.” They firmly—and wisely—declined to discuss the vexed question of the wing-forward. That is a matter for tho referees, and one may note in passing that the violent attacks upon the wing-forward by the majority of the London critics have been very much at variance with the attitude of the referees under whom the New Zealanders have played. So far Gallaher has not been penalised to guy undue extent. But if one set out to correct everything that is written in the shape of ill-considered criticism, the task would be a heavy one. With their reception in tho West Country the team were obviously delighted. As for their victories, none of the men who w ero interviewed cared to admit that the teams they had met. were beaten on their merits/. They themselves had stepped on to the field at _ Exeter ten days ago a thoroughly-trained team, and in that respect (it was explained) they had all the advantage against a fifteen drawn from several clubs and formed of men many of whom had not even seen one another since last football season. “Wo bavo practically lived . together for over two months; have had daily practice,” said one of the team; “ while the fact that every man knows his position, and keeps to it accounts for the combination which has proved so puzzling to the teams wo have met so far.” I quote these views to show that the sensational successes achieved by the team have not brought on over-confi-dence. So far as' one can judge, they are not likely to raako the mistake of holding their opponents too cheaply. The results to date are naturally most encouraging, but the tourists are a level-headed lot, and the praise that has been lavished upon them has apparently not mode any player’s hat too

small for his head. It is pleasant to too tho team bear their blushing honours so modestly, and it augurs well for their keenness in the matches still to be played. Their severest tost is exported to be against the Welsh teams, end their matches in Wales do not come on until towards the end of the lour. Their chief desire and need, therefore, is to keep fit. in order to meet the strongest of their opponents tinder the best possible conditions. AT NORTHAMPTON. 1 After the Northampton match the j New Zealanders wore entertained to dinner at the Plough Hotel, the Mayor' presiding over the festivities. Several C'.'-uncillers wore present, and, in addition to her footballers. Now Zealand was represented by the Rev Eaton, late of Christchurch: Mr W. W. Robinson, erstwhile of Auckland, and one of the “ fathers ” of Rugby football in New Zeaiand; Mr “Charlie” Brown, also of Auckland: Dr Maitland, and Mr Spooner, of Dunedin.

_")!o Mayor gave tho health of tho New Zealand team in a happy little spr-ch, in the course of which he complimented the visiters warmly on tho

“ gentlemanly ” way in which they -played the game, and, generally speaking, “spread on rho butter” with a generous, yet withal discreet hand- “ Captain ’ Stead and Mr Dixon replied on behalf of the team in speeches tho brevity of which was their distinguishing feature. Wo had also very complimentary remarks from Alderman Campion and the cx-Mayor, tho former contriving to commit a species of loso majosio in the course of certain humorous remarks concerning Now Zea■amh Ho referred to a certain eminent pci-son as “Undo Dick.”

A feature of the press-box at tlio match was Georg© Smith, who, at the entreaty of your correspondent, acceded to the suggestion of one of tho local reporters that ho should stand by the kniglus Of tho pencil and assist them to Klcntiiy the Now Zealand players. As an unofficial 'press-steward, Smith 'great,” and when tho dav comes ror him to eschew active participation m football, I can warmly recommend him for tho post of press steward at any sporting meeting. With George at his fit \ n a il }lWCl t man cou,d Ilav e reported v - v ™ t lalll Pton game, so far as the 4 ealand Yarn’s work was concerntn’i" Jlei< i 5’ as . 011 y 0110 interruption to i n A\ oldc during the run of tho play stoppc , d tl]o P ,a 3 T also. Somcthii g happened to one of tho New Zoahmdors, but before one could ask nhat it was. Smith was doing even timo across the field with a pair of unmentionables.” A knot of blackgarbed players gathered in the centre of the field, and Smith disappeared. Presently ho emerged, and ran back to his place. 'Wallace?” said somebody, res, Wallace,” replied Smith. NOTES. During tho early stages ,of the gam© several of the Leicester team which opposes tho New Zealanders to-day appeared at Franklin’s Gardens. They included tho famous cricketer, A. 0. Jones, who is also redoubtable in the winter game. His view of the New Zealanders is that they win their matches rather by reason of tho individual excellence of the members of tho team than because of any special quality in their tactics. ■ Tho i “Chronicle's” critic, “Linesman,” who was also present, considers that “the chief factors in tho superiority of tho New Zealanders are great pace, magnificent physique, and. apparently inexhaustible stamina, but their excellence is not merely physical, for they have tho. intelligence to economise their strength, and the rapknty of thought, which enables them to make order out of chaos. Among the many features of this game were tho certainty with which tho colonials found touch, their quick adaptability to the distinct requirements of tho styles of their tackling, and, above all else, tlio celerity of recovery and backing-up.” The New Zealand footballers are amazed at the rush and bustle of London. London (says tho “Globe”) will soon have an opportunity of being amazed at th© rush and bustle of tho New Zealand footballers.' The president of the Bristol Football Club, who was a prominent player thirty years ago, and has followed the game with interest ever since, remarked at the dinner last Saturday:—“lt is possible that the New Zealand system will revolutionise the game in England—and not to its detriment.” Mr D. H. Bowen, of the Welsh International Union, who refereed, preferred to delay his opinion on the future of the British game until the Welsh clubs have been met. The local importance of the New Zea-land-Bristol match was emphasised by practically all the local clubs scratching their games in order to watch tho encounter, and probably no firsLclass game at the county ground has been witnessed by such, a gathering of players. Mr Hamisli Stuart, the Scottish international, looks to.the 'Varsity teams to stay the triumphal progress of tho tourists. “For one thing,” he says, “university sides are not overawed by reputations, and as they play tlio game in a sporting spirit, are never handicapped by that fear of defeat which generally spells defeat. Of the two university fifteens, Cambridge .promise to bo the stronger. Indeed, if they can hold the New Zealanders’ forward, and tho halves do their duty, then the splendid third line—tho line will be of international strength—at tho command of Cambridge should sorely tax the colonial defence. No university has possessed! such a third line as Cambridge have in prospect, since Fell, Timms, Allison, and Welsh were the Edinburgh three-quarters.” At a meeting of tho Bristol Rugby Football Club last Tuesday it was decided to form a sub-committee to consider the play of the New Zealanders, and to see it the Bristol Club could not take lessons from the style adopted by the tourists, and consequently improve upon their own play. The subcommittee will comprise many of the old players, who will also consider the method of training. ‘-Wo arc used to seeing tho test Welsh teams on the County ground, and have -witnessed some magnificent struggles, yet in no case have we had such an exhibition of all-round excellence in a side. The New Zealanders have a style of their own, or rather, to be more correct, they appear to have adopted all the best points from the game as played in Great Britain.” —Bristol “Times.”

Imitation is the sincercst Cattery. “In summing up, I would advise all the English clubs to scrum with 2,3, 2, and

give their fastest forward a roving commission,” says Mr J. L. Mathias,-tho Bristol international,wlm played against the New Zealanders last Saturday. There is no match with Larieassir* on the New Zealanders’ programme, the committee of tho Lancashire Rugby Union leaving declined, cn account of tho low state of the funds of tho union, to give a guarantee of ,CSO for a Saturday match. But the Lancastrians are now anxious to meet the colonial team, and if the latter care to approach thenv with modified terms, tho comity committee will meet tho proposal, so far ns their rather slender resources permit. Under these conditions tho chances of a Lancashire match are remote, and the people of tho Count j Palatine will have to go over to Birkenhead on December f/th if they want to see the “All Blacks” play'. Tims “South Walinn,” the geniaS Welsh sporting gossip in tho “Sportsman” after the Bristol match ;—“There .was a strong contingent of Welsh offi,ciaks at Bristol on Saturday to witness tho performance of the New Zealanders. The Welshmen wagged their heads and looked wise, but on tho whole pessimism prevailed, and tho Welsh officials thought it host to took wise and say nothing. Oh, yo of little faith!”