A BRILLIANT DISPLAY

NZ Truth, Issue 1079, 29 July 1926, Page 14

A BRILLIANT DISPLAY

All Blacks Give Fillip To Code In Victoria

(By Cable from, "Truth's" Special Melbourne Representative.)

" The gratifying large attendance of 14,000. spectators at the All Blacks— Victoria match on the Carlton Oval, Melbourne, on Saturday inspired the little band of Rugby enthusiasts m Victoria with new hopes.

RUGBY, m Victoria is only m its infancy. . „; , It is. a little difficult to judge exactly the effect on the spectators of the-Rugby exhibition, but it was magnificent and one of. the greatest seen by even old New Zealand , Rugbyites who were present. Predominance by the visitors enabled them to make; the game completely open,' with the result that the passing, rushes, m which practically the whole team, backs and forwards, handled the ball m a series of dazzling rushes, were seen. The Blacks eased up and Victoria got away m. several, pretty rushes which resulted m scores.' The Blacks could' have scored 100 points had they, been out for it, but they were generous and admitted that, at times, the local boys, including several New Zealanders and . sons of

/ • New Zealanders who know the old game backwards, rattled even the world-beaters and. raised the crowd's delight. There is no doubt that the game, as an exhibition, will help the Victorian Rugby Union m their difficult task of re-establishing the code against tho popular Australian game, and they will be helped m this connection by the recognition amongst not a small section of the football public that, great as* Australian football is as a game, it can never, by reason of purely local status, give Australia the advertisement and glamor that cricket has done. ■The appearance of the Maori team m Melbourne next Saturday will be an additional fillip. Saturday's cricket , score is hardly likely to be repeated by the. Maoris. . Porter ricked a knee and had to retire from the game m the first spell.!