RETURN OF THE OTAGO "ALL BLACKS"

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15954, 23 December 1913, Page 6

RETURN OF THE OTAGO "ALL BLACKS"

CUTHILL'S IMPRESSIONS OF THE TOUR. By Full Back. "Yes, wo havo bad a great trip, but wo were all glad to get back." The speaker was J. Cuthill, the Otago Univers.ty player and Otago representative, who has' just returned with Graham, Douglas, and Williams from the American tour with the New Zealand team. "Wo left Alex. M'Donald in Wellington, but he will bo along in the course of a day or two. Wylie is the only member of the New Zealand team who stayed in California. lie stated his intention of doing so before he left, so that there is no surprise about is remaining behind.^ "Yes, it is perfectly true that inducements were held out by the Californian and Stamford Universities to several members of the New Zealand team to remain and coach the university teams." "Were you not one of those who received such an offer," I asked. After 6ome hesitation, the Otago University player conjc«od that he had been approached. "Stamford and Nevada Universities each invited me to stay and coach their teams. Of 'course, you must understand there was to be no payment. 1 was to receive four years' university training, and in the vacation would be found work, to cover expenses. Still, it would have suited mo very well, but I could not accept owing to my engagement with the Otago Education Board. "The trip has been a great experience to all of us, and we have come back richer in mir.d, though poorer in pocket. And thid leads me to say that the new system of no allowance tor out-of-pocket expenses, whilst it involved no serious hardships on the members of the team, occasioned a good deal' of self-denial and skimping 'on the part of the majority of us. We did not handle a nennv all tho time we were away, but there were many times wo could have done with even a small allowance. Our travelling, hotel, and laundry expenses were paid, but anything elso wo paid out pf our own pockets. It was an amateur team right enough. A good; deal of hospitality was shown us by British residents in California, but the Californian Rugby Union took no special pains to entertain us. Indeed, the union made 110 preparations at all in that direction. The teams we played, however, entertained us welL" How did tho standard! of Rugby in California in)fress you? "Well, the standard of the Americans' play was higher than the scores would indicate. For the first 15 minutes they held us, and then tho feint pass and the side-step had'them thinking, and beaten. In the later matches of the tour several of tho American teams were > using tho "dummy " and side-step, but with no particular ability. The Califomian6 were under the impression that after the improvements they bad made following the Australian team's tour last season they had leached a high standard of proficiency in Rugby, but* the New Zealanders forced them to realise that they had still a lot to learn. Ihe Californians, however, are setting about raising the standard of play in a thoroughly systematic manner, and I shall bo surprised if they do not reach what they arc striving for. M'Donald and E. Roberts (of Wellington) devoted some time to coaching the Santa Clara College team, making several trips from San Francisco for this purpose, with good results. The hardest game in California was against California in the secoud match, but the hardest match of the tour was against Victoria (British Columbia). Several British Rugby players were in tho team, who were coached by a Welsh international. " We found the greatest Weakness in the American back play. The men invariably stood to pass, and they could not understand the New Zculanders passing at top speed 1 . Austin, a five-eighth, of Stamford University, and Peart, the captain of the Californian team, were two of the most promising backs wo met, and had tho makings of really first-class players. "The American forward play was much better than the back, but it was still a long way below the New Zealand standard. They dribbled well, and their tackling- was good. The backs were fast, but they could not catch the New Zealanders once they got moving. " A fair comparison of the best teams we met would be with last year's Otago team, or, better still, with the New Zealand Univcmity team which visited Australia last season. The best team in California would be a shade superior if anything. All tho New Zealandors played well at times, bnfc none better than M'Donald, who put up many fine games. He made an ideal captain, too, and the players went well under him. Graham also played well, and proved at the finish to be the best placekick in the team. Tho style of play suited tho Zingari forward, who played himself into tho All Star match—tho big game of the tour. Williams was a success in the front row, but Douglas did not show his best form until the last games of tho tour, when lie played '.veil. As (or myself I had nothing to do. Out of 14 games I played full back on ten occasions, and handled the ball only twice or three times in a matoh." When asked if any members of the team spoke of retiring, Cuthill said that Dewar, who ranked with M'Donald as tho best, forward in tho team, was tho only one, but ho did not know for certain about tho others.