NEW. ZEALANDERS AT HOME SYDNEY, January .8

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 58

NEW. ZEALANDERS AT HOME SY DNEY, January .8

me liauy letegraph says that the 2few /ieaJandeiß.- showed a gratifying" improve--ment;in_ their ymatch against a "combined «de.of the Dewsbury and Batley Clubs. *±ae: gam©: in the .early, stages -Vas "very .evenly, contested, and the" only score- in £he -firat '.half. -was r a".tTy-.obtaine4 by -the -half crowded pwith exciting , incidents, " marking exceed"clever play'lon 1 ' rthe part . pf r the backs. :Thisr however, was' not .before _Dewsbury,= had added .another try.' rFrom this" point the All Blacks attacked very strongly,: and in quick succession tries were- obtained by Johnson, Smith,'; and Wynyard,' -while three goals were kicked by Messenger, rthe colonials • winning "by 18_.points to 8. : ; . In- TOference to the Times? comments on 'the ~~' New. "Zealand . "football team, cabled briefly on! December 3, the newspapers now- to hand show.that the extract was taken from a lengthy by a ' correspondent,"- who in _ the -course : of his" review of "the? players ■ and their -doings -.saye that the- visit" was" a" much" more "serious raff air . than " was ...generally, anticipated.- The - team was - certainly, not* "as : Jgood-mSir foreman as- Gallaher's team (the L-team_that -toured'England "last yeaf), but' the writer's impression -was that at tEeir" .were" quite as stfong-individaally and; 'collectively , as a - fair -international ; 'side Jitf ; that" -.country.- - Unlike j Gallaher's" -team} ,;however,~:tliey- had_not .been .care- ' iul |olieep" in : "gojGia -condition; ' The finah-' -dal sttccess'of : the tour-rth©-70 percent, of gross which" was -fcheiTS ;by- arrange^ Inent "with; thV- Northern Unibn;'~having' , brbught' :-m- yearly' ■ twice ' the . to ",have-. def moraljeed- ..several lmiembeis'- of the- team, ' r who, .whefr-. at^ :home;-" wer€ " 4nerely~: wag©--labourers--who. weree -well- contenV.to earn" ~£2..xa. ' weelf -int fields or {factory: - "Tf. was "highly ~'probable:-ihat"the'majority' of the- ■ visitors-, w^uld^ey^tually--^accept ' engage r mentfi with \th4>Nofih§rn Union clubs," -- In the course of the- article the writer, also- says- there, 'is no"" doubt • the New Zeajinders h'ave^been;-an'd still are, handi- . -.capped by- the -Tinfamiliar and unnatural! rules invente'd--by p the Northern Union., They. .have notr- yet -overcome X natural ; ,jdesire.to"try-.tq;take.-th.e ball away- from a. tackled -player: - -•'---- ' _.»-