The New Zealand Football Team.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXI, Issue 8958, 6 December 1905, Page 1

The New Zealand Football Team.

A NEW ZEALANDER'S IMPRESSIONS. Mr S. Whitta Thornton, F.C.1.5.. for merly of Nelson, who has just returned from a seven-months' trip to tho Old Country, saw the New Zealanders play against Cornwall, Leicester, and Middle sex. Mr Thornton lived with the New Zealanders at the Manchester Hotel, Lou don, and in course of a. conversation will, a- representative of the Wellington Postsai'. that what struck him most about the tea;i. was the exceedingly pure amateur way in which they were conducting the wh-.U tour. He instanced the case of the Midd'c sex match, when the New Zealanders walked two miles and travelled third-class i:i the underground railway to the grotnvi. 'No one," added Mr" Thornton, "but workmen with their picks and shovcv; would think of travelling third-class -ii Home. They repeated the same perfo' mauee after the match, when they we-< pretty well fagged out. The expenses a:-. kept down to the lowest possible mart;'-'. No English team would dream of travelling third-class on expenses. It is not a if the gate money at Home was not gooo It is very good ;' they seem simply to he making money for the N.Z.R.11." In answer to further questions, Mr said: "The Maorilanders play a more willing game—l mean a harder game—than most of the English teams. \Vhen thethrow a man —well, they throw him. To-. English crowds are very impartial in their praise for the colonials. In fact. N-. Zealand is in very good odor at Home ju.-:t now. more so than any other colony. A i;. f know something about Welsh i'ootb;:''. I am obsolute.lv sure that there is no team in Wales that will beat the New Ze.landers. The Welsh three-quarters are ;;« good, if not beter, than the Maorilanders. but the Welsh forwards cannot- hold a- eao die to the New Zealand vanguard. It w. . generally recognised when 1 was at Home that the hardest game would he again" Scotland. The matv.li against- Wales wi! not be near so hard as that contest. Theris only one point- at which the Homo team:can beat, the New Zealanders, and that in place-kicking. The physique of th:' Homo teams is quite equal to that of the New Zealanders, but the boys from heie are their masters in skill, dashing play, serum formation, individual play, etc."

THE DEVONPORT ALBION MATCH (Hamish Stuart in the Daily Mail.)

Over 20,000 people, saw the New Zc-i landlanders beat Devonport Albion yesterday, at Devonport, by 3 goals and 2 tri-v. to a penalty. goal. This game was gene T-ally regarded as a nioTe searching test ol the'inerfls of the Colonials than any of the elevert that had previously been decide:. Moreover, the New Zealanders were y.i' ticularly anxious to beat the ehampm;: South-Western Club, so that the jnten.ii was keen all round.

And in ■ running the visitors closer tliMi anv other side, with the single exceptio: of "Durham, the Albion, are doubtless satisfied.

A long procession of excursion trains pouTed in their detachments throughout the day to witness tho great fight. Local enthusiasts -were confident, for they swear bv Hie redoubtable Albion.

"it was virtually a public holiday in the "Three Towns." Employees took French leave, and their masters made a virtue o: necessity by shutting up their premise.-, and tTooping off to the ground themselves. The ivea-ther was brilliant.

Punctually to the appointed time thgame was set going, and then the sight seere became delirious. Delicate ladies unknowingly shrieked in enthusiastic frenzy. Burly bluejackets unconsciously 6mote then neighbors vigorously in the ecstasy of then excitement.

One grew bewildered by the deafcninj. tumult upon the ground, it being cut endless succession of deep-throated roarirv. as an exceptionally brilliant 6tToke was made.

And then, when all was over, thestre-jr. of Plymouth presented an unparal l '.-!'..;' scene for "hours afterwards. Albion have done as -well as they expected. They thought they could hold the New Zealanders to 20 points, and they have done it. The game at the Rectory. Devonport, yesterday, "was a brilliant- one in which tlie New Zealanders, by theii great pace, wonderful physique, and unex ampled dash foT the line, beat down a glorious defence. Compared with the New Zealanders, thcAlbion were a 6mall side, but they weTc not second to the colonials in physical condition or in enthusiasm.

It was generally realised that the odds were considerably against them, but they entered upon the fray with a. defcrmination and hopefulness, and also with a remembrance that for a full season and a half they had not suffered defeat on their own giound. The prowess of the visitors was fully appreciated, however, and the most aTdent home supporters had become reconciled to the impending loss of a cherished- record But how hard it was to kill the Albion! The first half saw a tremendous struggle, and the home team nearly held their op ponents, for a- very few points divided the teams at the interval. The scoTe came about ten minutes from the kick-off.

In the preliminary little Jago had been temporarily incapacitated; on his Teturn he saw Hunter drive the Albion, close tc their line. Then. Thompson, the speedy winger, raced round Hocking and LiUicrap, and, dribbling up towards the posts, was over in a flash. His sweTving was phenomenal, and the pace of the whole move bewildered the locals. Gillett goaled. The New Zealand forwards were a bit. too good for the Albions in the tight

packs, and lhoy wcto a hotter lot in t loose rushes in one sense. Yet tho Albi wen- holding them with fine determinat ami grit. Then Albion seemed to find thi feet." They were playing against a mc powerful side, and it was impossible to £ away from that impression. The ta< ling* was some-thing to Tevol ii clean, whole-hearted, devoid of vice, ai as sure as anything can lie. The Albi< had a fair share in the agressivc work, ai this gave- the visitors a chance to sho hinv perfect were their defensive method The game was excessively fast, and tl excitement remarkable. When the scoot half opened the Colonia 1b quickly showt ih"V meant business. Their backs put, i one' amazing round of combination, i

which the bail simply ilew from, hand 4 hand. The second try, scored by TlioniJ son. was the oulcomc of lightning passhl and phenomenal pace, the visitors leavil the home defenders standing. The thl s.iore. hv Mvnott. was also " a Hash" !■ its fellows. ' Gillott kicked a goal. TlB Albion pressed by brilliant forward 1 ]>■ but Xew Zealand returned, and Tyler-fl Galiaher scored niugniticent tries. TlB Roberts was penalised, and Spiers kick! a penalty goal for Albion, -who were vasl ly cheered for their success. But th' pace, vigor, skill, and resource of thosi marvellous colonials were too much foi the Englishmen, and in the end thre< goals two tries to one penalty goal in fit) vor of New Zealand was the verdict. j

Despite the apparent oue-sidedness o the game, there were not eighteen point: difference in the play, and the Albion, liac they been able to have driven home tlieii attack with the same don't care idea at the colonials, would have given their op ponents a fright. They would not hav< won, it is true, but there is not the least doubt that they would have got close. The colonials o\w their .success to the won. d erf ill play of their backs, backed up by Gidlaher. whose winging tactics did not jilease the crowd. He was at all times interfering with Jago, and more than ones treated the little player rather roughly. Hunter gave another wonderful display, and, with .Smith and Thompson, was ever on the move. Gillelf was very weak at fullback, and on the day's play Lillicrap was his superior.

The Daily Mail, writing of the Somerset match, says:—Led by G. V. Kyrke, the old Oxford "Blue," the Somerset forwards were so quick in getting down upon the opposing backs that the New Zealanders found themselves cramped for want of room, and on several occasions were compelled to abandon an offensive movement and adopt the safer tactics of kicking the ball into touch. There were no half measures about the Somerset tackling. It was evidently considered a. point of honor to floor your man, and the businesslike way hi which this little programme was invariably carried out proved greatly to the enjoyment of the spectators. Tt must not bo imagined for a. moment that the New Zealanders played bad football. Their play did not reach tho same high standard as that attained in some of tho earlier matches, but even tho form displayed on Saturday would bo good enough to beat the majority of our clubs. Whether it was quite up to international form was, however, a much debated question. Welshmen present- said "No. If tho New Zealanders cannot do better than that, Wales will have no difficulty in beating them." it was pointed out that the Welsh passing was much quicker and generally more accurate, and that the Welsh forwards would not allow themselves to bo dispossessed of the ball in the "scrum" in such ridiculously easy fashion. Certainly on tho form shown on Saturday there would appear to bo a -deal of truth in this, but tho gentlemen who argued so confidently have- not yefc seen Mr "Jimmy" Hunter wriggle his way through a. whole team, evading twenty outstretched hands, and gaining renewed impetus from every collision with an opponent. There was one man on the New Zealand side, however, who fully did justice to his reputation, and that- was AVallace. It seemed impossible to imagine tho player doing anything unskilfully or in an unworkmanlike manner. Always cool and collected, he is as quick to take advantage of an opponent's mistake as he is to cover up any deficiency on the part of a member of his own side. In additon to scoring his usual tries on Saturday ho dropped a goal from an awkward angle. .Mr S. M. J. Woods, the Knglish international on both cricket and football fields,

, ; .ys:—I have seen the New Zealanders i-l.iy twice—against Middlesex and against Sfnicrset. On the former occasion they had their best team playing. On Saturday lb".y had a weak side out. Against Middlesex they certainly played a brilliant ■,'ame: against Somerset it was a scramble from start to finish. The "All Blacks" ;.!■!' certainly a fine set of athletes, and it will take a very good side to beat them if lb. ir best men remain uninjured. Individually they are very good, very fast, and in perfect condition From start to tinish. They play for all they are worth. The forwards pick up and open the game as i!-uch as they are able to, and then, having given the bail to their outsides, follow up and join in the general rush straight for the line. This it is that nonplusses the' opposing outsides. Some of their passing is quite crude. Still, the pace of the player's counteracts this, as it is generally one of their own side who gets the ball. Their tackling \s keen and low, and ih'.y get the ball as well as the man. I i' ".cy their captain might, fbe penalised much more often for obstruction. Tho lour will do no end of good to Rugby foot-"n-!l, ns at present there is not the slightdir.ibt that it is at a. very low ebb. To play football properly it is essential that every man on a side must be. fit. For • i-'is 1 have seen county and international. •n.fches wherein not three-quarters of the ~ide were anything like fit. How they can enjoy their games is a. mystery to me. There is too little "devil" and go among our players, and the New Zealanders' play is an object lesson for us. Our forwards ' ■■[ to-day can aiso take a lesson in kicking and passing from them. Their backs do' not hesitate to inako an individual effort to gel through, and often do so. V.. Harper, the centre three-quarter of the New Zealand team, made some interesting remarks to his host during a. week-end visit to Tiverton. He thinks the English teams now play a timid game against tho New Zealanders, and are half beaten beforo Ihov begin, and says that last year when an 'iCnglish fifteen visited New Zealand the vine feeling existed there and caused many defeats. Of the particular clubs played to la'e ho stated that Durham and Somerset;; g.-i.ve them the best games; but remarked; 'Vat as yet they had had no opposition. ~ Mr Harper is" a solicitor practising^at.; ; Ch'.-istchurch, New Zealand..