THE ALL BLACKS

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 12021, 26 December 1924, Page 10

THE ALL BLACKS

THE TEST MATCH ENGLISH CRTTIGS GLOOMY. “EOCBLE-FIGrkB DEFEAT." • ; (Sydney “Sun” Cable.) LONDON, December 23. The’“Star” Vetys that after the trial mateh it is clear that England’s fifteen will it suffer ; a. double-figffre defeat at the ;hands. of the New Zealanders at Twidkenham,; on - January 3rd. The. “Evening Newt,” is of the opinion that neither-against'/the All Blacks nor in the cricket Test match against Anatralia can England, hope to secure viatory. CHRISTMAB GREETINGS PRIME iMINISThat’S MESSAGE. 'The Prime Minister dispatched the following. cy>le«ra'nv, this’ morning to the :manager 'of the All Blacks (Mr S. S. Dean).. . “Warmest. New, Zealand Christmas good wishes to' all members of the tehm. May the New- Year fee their trinhtphal record still-' nnhroken.” PRODUCT, DFA FINE SCHOOL ICRI 8. S., DEAN .TALKS OP THB : . NATIONAL GAME OF N.Z. ■ ENGLISHMEN SURPRISED. Mr- S. S;Dean; .manager of the All Blanks, has been chary in (riving interviews (says"Mercian," a leading English ■Rugby critic). . - Wisely he -has. exercised the greatest caution in , expressing-any opinion as to the- relative merits.of. the teams the New 'Zealanders have, so- tar run up against, and vtild *horsea will hot"drag from .him ally vibws as to the form of hie own playert.' ■•, -v.V' •'vt A Bat there are certain aspects of Rngbv with which. Mr Dean does not mind desl- . Inei aifd : of which." indeed, he is justifi'ahly proud. -And oOe-of them is the pride : of blade the game holds in the hearts of NeW Zealanders- It is the national game iii this, fair corner of this far flung Empire of, urs: I FOSTY THOUSAND PLAYERS. • It has to ! knew—;the“ information comes from Mr, Dean. fWho is the president of the Ne|w ■ Zealand'Rugby Unjoti—that, according td 'thd- last Government statistics, ZeMapdi/inoludinTg' 13,000 schoolboys. '■ paremt .body. eoinprises 25 unions with, various shV-unions. , And; there is ths keenest possible competition for the hrmours -oftHc gapie. - , There' ip" for.’,instance,, a eluh champienshin Snd a competition for the Ran|nrly . phalleiige* Capl-'tir-ssnted by Lord Ranfurly; when he. wo» Governor in 1903. That -Cup"- is fduaht 'ter- by the various »-'V)vsn"es:. nml' the pirsent holders are Hawke’s ."Bdy;.:,a >ery..:flnA’ organisation, which .has contributed Several players to tbi*. present toiir. Thent 'sr.hooH nlsy for the Mhascnr.Cup>-a..trophy whidh was won py rhe. New -ZvalandArmy team end nresehted.cbif-thtjh ]tfi-, thh ; Rugby Union. AfcenijtiWg, to itbi ,latest advices this Con wrin.Jtne ivbsfseseidh’'hfr'ihF New Plymouth High ; School. . w :.;. 7 -; .r';-..

/ • viNf.-WE^WNGTON. . ’ TracHdally. every Wwn and village in tKe; cojxttfcrtr hAs jits’ #?fris> ; i?ugby ground, »«d <m City; ‘ which has i population, ef about 100.000, nn many as one .hundredplayed on a Saturday,, v These'-includ©" a good many jumnr ihatche«. • VV , A J Ra i£® r W_ c 9 n traet‘to. a city of, say, the sTze oi MaiiGhiSater. with a population seven, or. eight times the’ number, where tti is no unusual thiSgto find not a solitary senior wuisltieur game listed far-a Saturday ! ' And I wonder how many’-of our British -players would fpllow tho example of some of the’players who' have come on this trip: •: .. '■ jCuppiek, for instance. ho* to make a Jong trip across a lake and then motor fifty, miles to. get a , game, while the Brownlies have to motor .85 miles into Hastings; every Saturday- to play. THE SPRINGBOKS. There are'; five .members of the present NichoDs, Richardson, White nod. West, who played'for New Zealand . against the . South Afrioans in 1921. Mr Dean saw most of those matches, and it is. not'without interest to note that he regards; the tourists -under his control A distinct improvement on ths 1921 All Blacks. - . ;VFhen .ths d3rftish tour was over and ths mouths of the members that had . beep.<• sealed', (for publication purposes) were,' opened, Voj'ce (the British captain! a; good many of ills, loading: English county sides would 24 V ?JWsgoodAndutth t 6 have beaten the 'Bouth'.Aftiohi>s , ' , At'’noine. " _ New.’ tn rieyr hf- the way the All Blacks "e.v? beet) treating our counties it seems fmrlv .obyioui' that either South Africa the leaders of the gome JjSfastfV.lwne. bark or that Ne'v Zeaiand.-ftughy has'Advanced. Pirobably jbioth haye hajxpened. THE INEI'ITABLE OOMPARISON. . ;Tho»« 'Woll-meaning friends who got ,topoh .with'the present All Blacks . be-ore the tou*- 1 is :over will save theraeetves 'ad UrfaeCeseary question if they ••ttgnft* fe. find butoftdm any members Ofi tneparty hWw'. they‘think they would >»v« ;farad Wgatrtst the 1905 combination i ■ 1 ¥ r - I, ** n : Points'out, there are at least, four pL.Wa side who were "only . just; bom"7Wheil Gallagber. nnd his merry Britain, and it ft ■an ( to make,comparisons circumstances nader di «ring i?n :those,,days .the <srif6rcement of certain -ruW mat Te-for hasd; sdlid scrimmag- ' .Lgnrjed ,to slower in consequence. ±Tlte 'dispensation granted to New Zealand dvercertainrales which are .observed in; EnglsnA is another cause i ?fi* l l , '‘'WM l r , ' n difficulty of judging One tehm hy 'apdtherys etanaard. IMPERIAL RUGBY, CONFERENCE. The New; Zeeland Rugby footballers with playing football,. hut they are also deeply interested in the rule* that govern the game:-'".; •. ; ( ; . .If the Imperial conference, which opeped in. London this month, agree to certain proposals-there will be almost as |Jf»ghr. refolding overseea as there will be lf jLt? .■»««*'goes 'throtigh undefeated. these proposals deal with the Tx i Ac of . the gamrikand oUhnngh auoh matters, may not exactly thrill British players, thp majority of.; whom would never pass an-examination; on the rules IS PORTER. AN.OBSTACLE? , In.view of the, tonmarative ease with whioh the All Blacks hate been collecting sctTps , outing. thßir. preaent tour, it may seem .-rang hqrcfiy' to a New Zealander’ .even to hitit. nt .it, bu( I am not stf sure .that: the obstacle to the jump to even ’greater heights, is rliot. the play of the captain, Porter. He-is a wonderfully nnevplkyet; but the point is: Do tile methods, he, qdoptfi :get the best out of his side,?. . Let ds'be perfectly clear-and perfectly fair. ‘ It Wfium. be shutting one’s eyes or- father .put's tears, -to a lot of comment, • if- one .ignored , the fact that Enrter's merhafis are the subject of a

whole heap of controversy.. It ft suggested that he is an oostructionist, and mat ’he gets offside a lot. For a moment I.am pot dealing with that aspect,better opportunity to form one’s own judgment' .will come with more opportunities »to She him play. The methods, to be dealt with more immediately are those Which follow the position he takes up on the field. He is not the' type of roving forward that a predecessor ot his. one Dave Gallagher, made famous-, and his flat-footed stance precludes the possibility of Jhis being regaroed as exactly a "flying half.” The New Zealanders have a recognised scrummage half-back; so what, exactly, is Porter? There were undoubtedly occasions in the Lancashire match when the roving commission he give-v hipiSelf interfered with the free transfer of the ball from the heels of he own forwards to his backs. ■ Has Porter evolved some fresh idea since ,he left New Zealand? ' The New Zealand skipper is.a terrible thron in the flesh of the opposition. but.it is at least open to question whether,' judging by his present tactics; it is altogether .an uomixed; blessing to have him on one’s side. |