HIGH ALTITUDES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22052, 7 September 1933, Page 4

HIGH ALTITUDES

— 7 RUGBY IN SOUTH AFRICA • ' .Sf: ■"■■■« EFFECT ON NEW SOUTH WALES TEAM. ' p , (Feom Our Own Correspondent;)’fl SYDNEY, August Some interesting sidelights on the tOtjr of the New South Wales Rugby Un.ipii team’ in South Africa are contained'!in a letter from one of th members of the team, G. P. Bland, who refers to the difficulty experienced by the Australians when playing at centres in high altitudes, especially at Johannesburg. According to his letter that great New Zealand footballer, Mark Nicholls, had told him bow, the All Blacks were distressed in a similar manner during the 1928 tour. He did not attach much importance to the statement then, but he knows how that Nicholls was not exaggerating the position. As the New Zealanders were affected so are the Australians, and ’n view of these statements it is believed that altitude defeated New South Wales in the third test played on Saturday last. Bland writes: “We are finding playing at high altitudes most difficult. Johannesburg is about the worst in this respect, being about 6000 feet above sea level. The air is exceedingly light, and one effect is a severe burning feeling in the chest. After two hard runs at practice we were done. We seem to be choking in no time, and every one of us felt the same. Graham Cook bled from the nose every time we trained there, so some idea may be had of the way the trouble affects the team.” New Zealanders will be interested in other extracts from Bland’s letter. He mentions that the Wallabies met many famous Springboks, past and present, and among them were six of the Morkels, including the famous “ Boy.” The “ Boy ” had been lavishly entertained, and players had many interesting experiences. Shooting expeditions were arranged, and Bland states that when the players visited Kimberly diamond mines, which had ■ ceased working, as sufficient diamonds to meet requirements were on hand, the owners, as a compliment to the Wallabies, set in motion the main machinery used in finding diamonds. The team had the good fortune to see the discovery of three “beauties.” Next day at the mine headquarters £500,000 worth of the most wonderful diamonds were displayed for inspection. Bland describes Victoria Falls as the most magnificent sight the players had seen. Less than 100 yards from their hotel were trees full of monkeys and huge baboons. Bland, who has toured several countries, declares that he has never previously seen such a large crowd assembled to welcome a football team as that at Capetown when the Wallabies arrived. The players found the travelling most arduous. On one occasion the team spent five consecutive nights and almost as many days in trains, and played a game at Salisbury in the meantime, and reached its destination on a Friday, attended receptions and entertainments, and played Western Province the next day. The trains bumped about so much that travelling, when the distance was long, was most uncomfortable.