THE ALL BLACKS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19375, 10 January 1925, Page 11

THE ALL BLACKS

LONDON, November 27. Cardiff team gained the distinction of losing by no more than 8 points against the All _ Blacks last Saturday. Moreover, they gained their own 8 points in the second Spell, which is an unusual occurrence in matches against the New Zealand team. New Zealand Rugby, as mirrored through the All Blacks (says the Daily Express) is much faster than our handling game, and it is because of their sprinting powers that they have dona, so well. This fact Was driven home with force in their latest match, Cardiff, while being every whit *s good os the Now Zealanders in general field play, being as snails compared with racehorses when a scoring opening happened. If the chance came the way of a Cardiff nian, ©very man could tb© opening before the player waa off the mark, but when the Cardiff lino was in danger, one of the Ail Blacks was over before the chance was really obvious. UNSPARING VIGOUR. Daily Mail: The AH Blacks' pack were made to look very moderate oorummagers, and in the loose the Cardiff forwards plaved with any amount of dash. What is more, they lasted well. Because of the strenuous work of the home pock, the Now Zealanders were compelled to keep the ball close as much os possible, and to kick into touch whenever a chance came to them. But while the dash of the Cardiff forwards enabled the side to carrv ou much j R amo * n th o New Zealanders' half, this dash was on the whole undisciplined dash There was an element of “the bull at the gate” about the tactics. There was more brawn than brain. When O. G. Porter obtained a third try, with Nicholls again successful with the place kick, it seemed that the Now Zealanders were to enjoy yet another carnival of scoring; but the Cardiff forwards wore still forcing opportunities, and at lost Wallace obtained a penalty goal. Then followed the most dramatic period of the match. For long minutes tho two packs battled for the ball within a few foot—sometimes a few inches —of tho Ail Blacks’ line. Scrum and line-out, scrum and lineout succeeded each other, with little ground gained by either team But Cardiff’s forward superiority was bound to tell in tho end. At last a chance came to Delahay, who with wriggle and sprint got over. Wallace converted, and the scoring of tho match wag ended. Much of tho game had been scrambling. Even the play of the New Zealanders lacked something of its usual finish. Weight, mueolo, mere physical qualities were more conspicuous than calculated strategy. But in its energy, its courageous endeavour, its unsparing vigour, the match was very fine to ace, CARDIFF CALLS THE TUNE. Daily Telegraph: The Now Zealanders' did not add to their reputation on Saturday. No combined movement of theirs—as they understand combined movement —met with success, and in the second half they did not attempt any. They just let the Cardiff forwards call tho tune, danced to it, and made no effort to change it. They evidently decided that a lend of eight points wag good _ enough for practical purposes, and they just held on to it. When their backs got tho bolj they were content to kick into touch. It was not a reassuring departure from precedent on their part. Counter-attack by those swift and ingoniouo movements of which they are master# is the sharpest weapon in their armoury. They allowed it to rust in this fight, and had tho Cardiff forwards used their beads half os well as they used their legs and arms tho unbeaten team might have been really hard put to it to avoid defeat. Nicholls was again of great use to them, while frequently was Nepia > asked to get them out of trouble. Ho invariably consented. Naturally, the run of the game nag encouraged Welshmen. WHAT CARDIFF PROVED. - Morning. Post: Tho Cardiff pack surpassed and delighted their best friends, they were all out from tho start; they neither gave not expected quarter, and, what was perhaps the greater; surprise of all, they outstayed their opponents, and bod all the better of the Closing stages of tho game. Cardiff achieved something definite. They proved, us several towns before them have already done, _ that tho visiting forwards can bo kept in check, and they demonstrated to tho hilt the value of condition. No team that is not perfectly fit can hope to hold tho All Blacks to the end. the Cardiff forwards stayed tho course, and" tho honours of tho game went to them. It was not one of the All Blacks’ best displays; they did not seem either as keen or as active as usual. Something went wrong with the works outside, and Cooke was frequently tackled with the ball in his possession. There were no purchasers ol the dummy on the Cardiff side, and the visitors found much greater difficulty in getting through than in most of their matches. They had almost their best team out, too, though Dailey would have boon an improvement on Mill, who was quite commonplace and seemed unable to gather the bail cleanly. Nepia actually dropped a catch, the first slip of the kind I have seen him make. Apart from that, his handling was faultless, but his kicking was hardly as long as usual, and he found the Cardin rushes very hard to cope with. Svenson did fairly well, but on the whole the backs, with Cooke having an off day, were not very impressing. Nicholls, however, must be excepted; ho was the embodiment of skill and coolness, and to him tho side owed much. OBSTRUCTION WAS ABSENT. Sporting Life and Sportsman: When,after 20 minutes’ play, Nicholls kicked a penalty goal for the tourists it certainly looked as if Cardiff would “ciack." Not so, for. although the All Blacks further added a converted goal ar d a try before the interval, they had to show all their well-known finesse in defence, and none did better in this respect than Cock&—truly a born footballer, who seems to assimilate any amount of knocking about without turning a hair. . , Cardiff played oj a team possessed after Porter had benefited from Cardiff’s temporarily weak defence, and tho captain completed the extent of the AH Blacks’ scoring in tho first couple of minutes of the second half, with a try under tho peats, for Nicholls to convert. Well as Cardiff had played up to this point they did gloriously after this, and, whatever honours the Welsh club can lay claim to from the game, none will bo greater than the fact that in the second half of tho game they scored eight points to the AH Blacks’ five. The extra 10 minutes which tho New Zealanders insist upon playing in all their matches impose a tremendous str in upon plajors who are not accustomed to it, and therefore it was all the more gratifying to find that the Cardiff forwards, despite height and weight handicaps, kept their opponents in a tta±o of expectancy bordering upon fear right up to the end. Keen and vigorous as the play was, there never was any departure from the true spirit of the game. Obstruction was absent, and tho referee. Captain A. S. Burge, only awarded four free kicks to Cardiff and six to the tourists. The conditions were ideal—little wind, perfect turf, and a sporting crowd. SENSE OF PROPORTION. Evening Standard: To read some accounts of the match between the All Blacks and Cardiff at Cardiff on Saturday, one would imagine that the Welshman were unlucky to lose, and that the game was tho “first real check” suffered by the All Blacks. As a matter of fact, the All Blacks were 16 to nil with half an hour to go. Their side was not representative of full strength, and, perhaps, did not unduly distress themselves when CardifF forced tho pace in the later stages. Every credit must be given to the Welsh team for a magnificent fight, but wo must at the same time preserve a sense of proportion.

TOUR IN .WALES. CARDIFF’S HARD STRUGGLE. NEW ZEALANDERS NOT AT THEIR BEST* CPboit Otm Own CojnrEarotfTDEWt)

TWICKENHAM CRITICISMS. MOETTCCTG POST AND ITS CDEPJESPONDENTS. ALL BLACKS’ FLAT AGAINST LONDON. Qjkicm Orra Own Coceemtohdeht.) LONDON, November 27. Mr p. J. Sellicks, who was severe In his criticisms of tho All Blacks’ play at Twickenham, devotes half a- column In the Morning Post to a reply to the letter written by “B.D. (from New Zealand).” “8.D." also contributes another letter. In this he says;— “I am perfectly satisfied with the pub-1-cation of that letter CB.D.’s’ first letter), and do not propose to enter Into any controversy with those who may resent this one lonely expression of tho New Zealand point of view. I can quite believe your correspondent, Mr H. J. Leighton, ‘disapproves’ of my tu quoque line cf argument, but I would ask him and others who may have their own Idea of sportsmanship to ask themselves: Is It not better to leave tho game to tho referee, leave him to pnnisb unlawful play, and not to endeavour to ‘run the show' from the aide-lino or the press stand 7 “1 am glad to learn that Mr Wakefield, the captain of the English team, has expressed to certain of our own team the strongest disapproval of the unkind things Bald by some people about tho unsportsmanship of tho New Zealanders.” In roplymg to “B. D.,” Mr Sellicks says: ‘‘ln tho first place I am in no way responsible for the Tender’ of which ho complains. I did not write it, and did not oven hear of it until it was published. But I heartily endorse every word of it. Amid a rather incoherent collection of vague generalities tho few positive statements mode by ‘B. D.’ require contradiction- Ho Ba y* that tho Now Zealanders can make no reply to the strictures generally passed upon their play. This is untrue. A week or two ago an article appeared in Tho Morning lost not merely defending tho All Blacks, but carrying the war into the s camp by practically accusing British half-backs o t cheating and British roforoos of conniving at thoir sins. Granted tho article was ridiculous, and did tho tourists more harm than good, tho fact remains that tho spirit of fairplay caused it to to published, (inis is a reference to on article by Mr Robert Barr.) _ UNINTENTIONAL OFFSIDE. “ Next comes tho incident of Hart, when pressed, deliberately throwing tho ball into touch and being very proporly ponalisetk ’B D.’ says; ‘This occurred on the far side of’tho ground from tho press and comcl not - have boon cleanly seen. We will charitably conclude that ‘B D.’ is ignorant of tlio whereabouts of the press seats at Twickenham if ho is not ho ha# "'flncidolibcrate false statement. fho Hart mei dent took place immediately in fiont of the press seats, barely five yards in fnom touch; No one in thoso seats could help seeing it, no one would accept tho specious explanation that tho throw was intended for a pass. A pass io whom? Hart could see clearly what ho was doing, and tnero was no one to whom bo could pass. “Mr H. J. Dighton, in tho Morning lost of November 21, dealt adequately with 1 n D ’s’ effusion, and was particularly careful' to point out that no comparison is possible between a knock-on and deliberate obstruction or off-side. Tho first is an incidental offence, mare annoying to the player with a ball than to anybody else; tho second admits, of no, such excuse It may bo as well, also, to inform ‘B.D. that unintentional off-side is not pemdisod in this country, and not once has a New Zealander boon penalised for it. Ho says that in Now Zealand every case of off-side is penalised, and says; ‘Should not that naturally make for cleaner on-sid« play amongst New Zealanders?’ I agree, it should. FALSE AND MISLEADING. *• T 3. D.V letter may easily do much harm It might oonvov the Impression that in the Morning Post at any rate, tho victories of tho All Blacks hayo been received in » grudging spirit; that wo can see no good at all m our visitors that Englishmen can no longer accept defeat m a gamo with becoming grace. All this is absolutely false and misleading. The Morning Post has reported more or loss fully every one of the All Black matches, and ha* invariably appreciated thoir clover play and given them every credit for their woll-’oarned victories. It has oven, as on Monday last, defended the team in general against absurdly exaggerated criticism, but it has never hesitated to point out that a fow of tho men do transgress both tlio letter and the spirit of the laws, and to wonder why members of a team of such splendid ability should descend to the employment of unfair tactic* when they are perfectly well able to wm by clean and “ever play. As to “B. D.V contention that home players are_ not condemned for similar reasons, let him wdtho Morning Post account of tho Newport v. All Blacks’ game I , , , <“B D • may rest assured that net even snob letters as his can destroy the feehna of goodwill and admiration felt bv all British Rugby men for their visitors from overseas.” RUGBY METHODS. ALL BLACKS’ SECOND SPELLS. HALF-TIME CONSULTATIONS (Fbom Oub Own Cokbbspondent.) LONDON. November 27. A Rugby International thus analyses In the Evening Nows tho play and methods of the New Zealand players. In considering the scores in most of the matches already played it appears to have been anybody s game up to half-time; after that there was onlv one side in it. , „ ~ “Physical fitness and stamina, says tho writer, “account in part for the great scores in the second half, but they do not explain tho invariable change which, comes over the game immediately after the interval •‘Did vou notice on Saturday that tho All Blacks retired to their dressing-room in tho pavilion at half-time, while tho Englishmen remained, as is customary m this country, on the field of play? They spend the interval in tlio warm dressing-room, «md probably have a quick mb down by those members of the side who are not playing. Their opponents stand out in the cold for several minutes, with thoir muscles stiffentog up and whereas they take a 1> b ™ to'aot into their stride again, the All Blacks lump into theirs from the kick-off. “Why should we not do the same thin o . There is no reason other than custom-ami tlio feeling that once the teams are In it might be difficult to get them out again sharn’y! However, tho real Importance of theTntcrval to the All Blacks la that In the pavilion their manager, Mr S. Dean, discusses the situation with the captain of Ids team. Mr Dean has a very thorough knowledge of tho game and its possibilities Also he has a vary great ability for finding joints in the armour of h lB opponents. and an aptitude for putting his own ho "Agatost rf London this was particularly evident Ho removed Parker from the Covert potior, to the right wing. Whereupon Parker proceeded to scoro ft couple of particularly fine tries. Tho change necessitated Svenson going Into the centre, while M'Gvcgor was brought to the pivotal position at stand-off half, thus greatly adding to the effectiveness of Cooke and Nicholls, who concentrated on the weaker spots in the defence of tho London team—namely, Its left centre (Richardson) and its standoff hail (Lawton).

FITNESS AND SEASONA. “The part that fitness and «tamin» play is cf tho utmost importance in tho All Blacks’ schema of things, Fitneoa means that tho mind acts at once, instead of a fraction of a second later when the' opportunity is gone. In defence there are olwoys players to cover up, and an All Black is always fit enough to got there—instead of taking a breather end hoping somebody else will make tho effort, la attack there are players oa each ride cod behind to taJco advantage of tho opening made; tho attaching player is not left on his own In the hope that he will got through himself. This fitness end stamina—how is it acquired? Regular boors, plenty of _ exorcise, and throe games a fortnight with as mooh fresh air as possible. The AH Blacks have nothing else to do brat bo fit. When forwards leave men unmarked la the lineout or stand and watch somebody else catch the ball instead d getting there to assist, It is & sure sign that they are taring and are not fit. The All Blacks hove none of these faults; they concentrate on tho ball tho whole time. Tills deadly concentration, right to tho last minute, is tho true test of fitness;’' ALL BLACKS* TACTICS. THE ALLEGED OBSTRUCTION AN EXPLANATION OF DOMINION PLAY (tfnens Otm 0w» Coebespondemt.) LONDON, November 27. Lika most enterprising Sunday newspapers, The People, whose Rugby correspondent *ather ovei stepped himself m mi criticism of the All Blacks' play after the Loudon match, now makes a virtue out of what they term their frank attitude. It will bo remembered that the correspondent stated among other things. “I saw repeated instances of unnecessary charging, tripping, hacking, tackling the man when he hadn t the ball, kicking on the ground, slinging fists, obstruction, end two or throe sharp prtctices in iho play itself. This sort of thing will do English Rugby no good,’ After reading this, according to iho People, tho team immediately too counsel together, and tho tactical movements —pat ticularly the “spear-head” and “scissors’ attacks—were reviewed from tho viewpoint of our criticisms STATEMENT BY AN ALL BLACK. It » explained that one of the members of tho Now Zealand team called on thp editor of The People, and said : “Although the referee in the game against London n ade no complaint, we saw from your article that there might be something in our play which was distasteful to English eyes.” “ Tho manner in which tho AD Blacks faced our criticism last week,” the editor hero interpolates, “and frankly inspected and ovorhaolod their own tactics, speaks eloquently of'their sport* men ship, and then determination to meet and beat British teams not only on their own grounds but according to their own traditions.” “Wo must admit,” said the represent* tiro of the All 1 Blacks, “that at times at Twickenham we showed a little unnecessary vigour, but some of the London forwards wore not too particular in their methods. As for our alleged obstruction and offside practices, wo do not resent criticism. W e know British sportsmanship is tho best traditional fair thing we have always believed it to bo. But wo should resent most strongly criticism inspired by tho feeling that British teams have not yet beaten us. _ " Tho main game wo play in attack, ’ tho All Black explained, “is either what is known as tho ‘spearhead attack’ or the ‘scissors movement.’ It depends for its success, very ofton, upon our extra men outside tho scrum forming a kind of protective defence for tho man with the ba*'Sometimes it is one of the fiveeighths and sometimes it is _ tho wing forward. When a movement start? among our backs this player runs a little In advance and In front of the centre of the attack. Technically, he Is offside, and sometimes ho is guilty of obstruction. If your referees think this Is unfair, they can easily stop It, and our men are perfectly willing to take their decision. “It Is, perhaps, unfortunate that we have been allowed to exploit these tactics without being hauled up for them. In New Zealand it is a perfectly understandable game; and Is the result of much practice in defending an attack. You must re member that tho Rugby game In New Zealand Is played under different rules from the game here. We have suffered a lot during our tour from ‘loose head.' Last Saturday, during tho first half, It was particularly bad, but wo do not grumble, and your criticisms are, from your point of view, quite right.” AMATEUR STATUS. “The Insinuations made In some quarters against the All Blacks’ strictly amateur status have aroused their fury, the editor remarks. “Before we left New Zca-and, said the member of the team, “we cabled the English Rugby Union asking if our players could have out-of-pocket expenses similar to those which had been granted to British teams touring in the Dominions. The English Rugby Union refused, and consequently our men will be very much out of pocket as a result of tho tour, We are particularly annoyed with Scotland s attitude In refusing to allow us to play in a country which has such close associations with New Zealand. “You mutt remember that many of our players have looked forward for years to the privilege of playing on British grounds which are to them sacred soil. And so we fire very hurt at what wo think is the are fens of thousands of Scottish Rugby liuthoritios. I should not be at all aurprise-d, however, if before the end of the tour wo (day a couple of exhibition games in Scotland at Glasgow and Edinburgh between ourselves. Wo would give the proceeds of tho gates to charity. We are certain there are tons of thousands of Scottish Rugby enthusiasts who would Hko to see tho All Blacks and who oro annoyed at tho ban placed upon uo by tho authorities.” It -was added: “The team would Gko to thank The People for their frank attitude and genuine help in this matter. More politeness to us means far less.” All very excellent, of course, but one suspects that tho editor is more interested in increasing the circulation of The People than in what tho All Blades think or do not think.