RUGBY AND ENGLISH SUSCEPTIBILITIES.

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

RUGBY AND ENGLISH SUSCEPTIBILITIES.

(To the Editor "N.Z. Times/') Sir*—The wriggling of those whose chagrin at tho defeat of the English teams leads them into a flow of words to support inferior play, is amusing and regrettable. Thev forget Goethe wrote* “When dogs baric 'tie proof you ride/ 1 At this juncture true Englishmen realise silence is in order, and words foolish. Tho fact that, so far. New Zealand has: won knocks argument, statistics, and cavil into a cocked hat. New Zealanders or© men, not gods. If, in the flush of triumph, they have wounded English feelings, put it where it belongs—to the innate weaknesses of human nature. Many of us believe football is Rugby, and liugby is football. It is the game the New Zealanders went to play. To Introduce Association—which we believe is the shadow of football—as an excuse J for the of the English Rugby teams, seeing irrelevant and out of tho question. With no offenco to those English who wear their feelings in their sleeves, and with the full sympathy of those English who stand for England's might—fail play—we express pleasure at the succeed ful effort of Maoriland in the Old Conn/ try.—l am, etc., COSMOS. Palmerston North, November Ist.