FOOTBALL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14357, 29 October 1908, Page 10

FOOTBALL.

Bv Full Back.

Much curiosity lias been evinced in the inside story of the British Hughy team's tour, and the English press arc only now taking the matter up. The latest sensation is the suspension of Tom Smith, the Leicestershire forward, for an alleged breach of professionalism. Tom Smith was one of the best forwards in tho British Kugby team, and it was anticipated that he would win his English international cap this season. Now comes word of his suspension. I await with interest developments m connection with the big Leicestershire forward.

view of these and other happenings particular interest attaches to the inside story of the British team's tour, and the eagerly-discussed book, •' With the British Kugbv Team in Maoriland." wliich alleges to tell the "true stoiv of the tour."° it being awaited with much interest. A perusal of an advance copy is interesting, not alone by virtue of the fact thai, it furnishes graphic illustrations of the British team's tour—" the inside picture." which is usually denied the public,—but tacause it. deals somewhat daringly with a subject, which at the outset required to bo touched with a subtle hand. Tho British team's tour had many sides, and the football phase of it, whil-e bulking largely in the publio eye, was not tho most entrancing nor yet the most entertaining si<le of the picture. The author, who as special correspondentwith the team had exceptional facilities for getting into the "atmosphere"' of tilings, paints his pictures in vivid colours. There were many romances and incidents connected with the tour of the Britishers of which nothing was breathed to the general public-side lights of the tragic and humorous, which furnish some idea of the glamour uhieh was thrown over Maoriland by.the prcseno; of the tourist footballers from England and "little Wales." Theso aro dealt with tersely and with some show of abandon in the true story of the tour, which while affording graphic glimpses "behind the scenes" makes decidedly entertaining reading. The work contains 200 pages of story," including illustration and line drawing, while special articles have ljeen written for it by the British team's captain, the manager, trainer, the captain of the New Zealand team, and such well-known journalists as Frank Morton and Andrew Spence. Tho former treats the game in his own inimitable style, while Andrew Spence, who is one of the recognised authorities in -Maoriland, and was one of the special correspondents with the lean), deals with it under tho fanciful title of " While Lights and Mean Figures." Altogether "With the British llngby Team in Maoriland " is full of possibilities. There is certain to be a large demand fo r it when it is placet! on sale to the public this week. The book, printed and published by the Otago Daily Times Company, is to' be sold at the reasonable cost of 2s, with 4d extra, for postage.

No word of complaint (saws an English paper) seems to have l-cached these shores from the team of Rugby Union players who have toured in New Zealand under the control of Mr Georgo Harnett, but the New Zealand Times has let the cat out of the bag, and in a leading article Ims condemned the methods which have been practised by their own men. Note the following sentences: " ft is now an open secret that the Anglo-Welsh combination which is now in our midst has suffered very seriously from the downright malevolence of members of the teams with whom they have come in conflict. It is rioi, to onr disgrace, be it said, a mere chapter of harmless accidents which has deprived the British combination of some of it# best men. In nearly every maich 'accidents' have occurred which could have been avoided if the local representatives had played the ball more and the man less—that is to say. if they had played like sportsmen instead of roughs, with chivalry instead of brutality. . , The. time is come—is overdue—when, apart from the referee, a competent, offieaal should be on the watch at all consequential matches for rough play. This official should have power to order offenders off the field, and in flagrant eases the further punishment should be exemplary." Only a few weeks ago (says the English writer) we quoted front New Zealand newspapers opinions of club officials in the Dominion that the game was steeped in

veiled professionalism, ami if those views were correct and the leading nrticlo of the New Zealand Times lie accurate—and what, reason is there to donbl either? — then the liugby Union panic in New Zealand is in a pretty had way. The ltughy Union were in honour hound to send a side to New Zealand, hut we should think that hail the committee known the taeiics which were 'to be used against their men they would have hesitated ere they despatched their hand. AMien the New Zealand Rugby Union team were here jn 1905 they often demonstrated that they had little to learn in rather nasty quirks, mainly in tho_ way of obstruction—the Northern Union lot were useful at that same game,— but it would appear I hoy have developed absolute brutality in their methods: "Some men when t.he.v play football bccomc prey to a sort, of temporary dementia. Thc.v lo=e their heads and are overcome with a f,ury of resentment. . . Others, again, keep cool, but they are callous, resentful, ami unscrupulous. Three are the dangerous men. . . ." At this rate wo can see not only Scotland and Ireland, .but aiso England and Wale*, leaving New Zealand football alone until such time as some great improvement takes plaec in its conduct. Meantime we should say the two former countries arc well out of the enterprise. As one. of the special correspondents who toured New Zealand with the British team, I could throw soma light on the foregoing: New Zealand liugby was no better or worse than usual on the British team's tcur, and while the tactics in certain matches did not, reflect creditably on the sportsmanship of the players, the play generally was of the haul and vigorous order which characterises Maoriland football. In two matches only—the second test and the Wanganui fixture—was there anything to take exception to in the play of the Maorila-nders. The second test was made exceptionally mcniorabla by the unnecessary vigour which certain members of the New Zealand ■team infused into their play, while the match against Wanganui, as"lehaiacteriscd it at the time, was

" the dirtiest of tho tour." .For this I was taken severely to task by one of the Wanganui papers, and also by the "special" of the Itan.gitikei Advocate. Now; Wanganui is a very desirable place— a good town io live in wee? it not so parochial. When I characterised the tiriiish-Wansaiiui match " the dirtiest of the tour," I did so with some show of authority, having in view other matches I. bad seen on the British team's tour. I could have wished, for the sake of Wanganui and its really estimable people, whom I have reason to -know well, that it was not so with certain Wanganui players, but truth to tell it was. Henco these tears. Yet the "mixing" was not all on oneside; the Britishers took a hand whon they saw how things were going. By the way, speaking of this, I notice that Joh*nnio Williams, of the British team, writing to the South Wales Daily News of the Wanganui match, fays: "Many of the tactics oi the local twin were certainly not conducive to good feeling, and what we resented most l/diind 'h - scrum was the offside positions taki: up by the opposing hades, and the impunity with which iho wing forward was allowed to come round on our half," So evidently I was not alono in my way of thinking. Despite the criticism, I enjoyed my stay in Wanganui and its environment immensely, and have grateful memories of the kind treatment of its truly estimable people.