FOOTBALL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3117, 10 December 1913, Page 57

FOOTBALL.

Bl 1 ,- ULL Uack.

RUGBY.

The members of the New Zealand team are nearing home, and if all one reads in private letters from Otago players is correct, they will not be sorry when they set foot again on New Zealand shores. The tour has evidently not been all smooth sailing, and experiences are spoken of that are quite foreign to New Zealand football. Still, the members speak of having enjoyed the trip, and if they have not, gained knowledge in Kugby tactics they have left much information in that direction behind — choice subjects for reflection by the Americans for many days to come. The success of the tour from a playing point of view was expected, and there is not much satisfaction, if any, to be derived from the fact that the New Zealanders won all their matches. Indeed, herein is the cause for some disappointment. Had the opposition been stronger. New Zealanders and Americans would have gained considerably more benefit than appears, though in the case of the Americans the benefits may be expected to be realised later. By their easy victories the New Zealanders appear to have developed individualism as opposed to combination. This would be more apparent in the later matches of the tour, when they were cure of victory almost before going on the field. Unlike the famous team of 1005, the New Zealand tram of 1913 has not stuck closely to team play; hut it is on record that in more than one match in England the All Blacks took turns at scoring! Still, on the whole, the New Zealanders in Great Britain exercised their combination more religiously than the New Zealanders in America appear to have done in the cloning matches of the tour. Of course, in the case of the 1905 team, it, was meeting the pick of Hho Rugby clubs in Wales and playing the hardest nfatches of the tour at the tail end, whereas the New Zealand team in America met with practically no opposition from start to finish. One member of the New Zealand team, writing to (lie press, stales that in his op : nion the team is not' the equal of th" All Blacks, and quotes in support that Alex. M'Donald, who was one of the best forwards in the New Zealand team of 1905. proved eight years later to be the best in the team of 1913. This is not a judicious comparison, and can scarcely be accepted as a clinching argument that the All Black team was superior to the present combination. T do not think the New Zealand team now returning from Amer ; ea is the equal of the team that toured Great Britain, but at the same time if had no real test of merit', and on that account is an unknown quantity. We do know that the All Black team had several "try outs'' and met teams jn the national game, whereas the New Zealanders in America were meeting sides quite hi the infant class of Rugby. It is unlikely that there will be any further tours by a New Zealand team for some seasons to come, and, South Africa having declined New Zealand's invitation to send a. team to tour the Dominion next season, leaves the future open so far as international engagements are concerned. The English Rugby Union mav extend Another invitation to a New Zealand team at some time, but rlint time is not, yet. PROMISING AUSTRALIAN. LONDON. December 3. Smithee, of New Rnnth Wales. Tins been awarded his Rmrby blue for Oxford, and will plav wing three-quarter against Cambridge University. LEAGUE FOOTBALL. AUCKLAND. December 4. The executive o>f the Auckland Rugby League has been disqualified during the pleasure of the New Zealand Council. The suspension of the league as a wiioie has been lifted. NEW ZEALAND AND SOUTH AFRICA. Tho South African Rugby Board acte<l wisely in declining tho invitation to send a team to New Zealand next year (says a South African writer). There are two reasons why a team should not go in 1914.

The first is that sufficient time has not elapsed since the return of our players from an extended tour in England, and, therefore, such of them as might be chosen to represent South Africa again could not reasonably be expected to take another six months’ holiday so soon after the one they have just had. The second is that all the preliminary arrangements have been made to hold a Currie Cup tournament in 1914at Durban. The authorities at that place have been looking forward to the competition as likely to prove an attractive feature of their season, and under the circumstances it would be a gross breach of faith to cancel the fixture for a New Zealand* or any other tour. So far as the Transvaal is concerned, however, an invitation from the Now Zealand Rugby Board for a Springbok team to tour- the Dominion in 1915 would bo appreciated and strongly supported. It la felt that tire exchange of visits between players of this and the Old Country haa done the game an infinite amount of good, and there is every reason to expect that real benefit could accrue from a similar exchange between ourselves and the New Zealanders. The opinion here is entirely opposed to the idea that if the South African players did make a trip to the Dominion they might come back with notions inconsistent with the standard of fairness which has up to the present been associated with the name of “Springbok.” Such an attitude is “ Pecksniffian,” and unless‘dropped it. is more than likely to neutralise the effects of the excellent spirit which South African players have always shown. As a matter of fact, it is not. the active players of Rugby who offend by taking up tlrs prudish standpoint, but the old fogies who arc never happy unless busying themselves about the conduct of others. But he this as it may, the covert remarks uttered from time to time derogatory to the . fairness of the Now Zealanders find not only no response in the Transvaal, but actually cause irritation. It is not forgotten that what little ie known of the alleged sharp practices in the play of the All 'Blacks came to us second hand from an English source, and it is questionable whether those who distributed the information were competent to judge. In a Rugby football sense, the Englishmen of that day were asleep, and the drowsy subject invariably resents t l>e means which wakes him up. Unfortunately, the sanctimonious prude is so fond of airing ha particular views on this jroinfc of the New Zealander being not quite so fair as ho rniglit lie in matters of Rugby, that however unjust such views may be. and whatever may bo offered against them, there is small hope of obtaining silence—-so wo must suffer his noise as resignedly as wo are able. There is another point which has been made against a South African team going across to the Dominion. The men who went would necessarily bo absent during the whole of a South African football season. Now, does anybody really put such an argument forward and expect it to bo seriously considered? If all the players had to be taken from one centre the objection might carry some weight; but this never has happened, and is less likely to do so in the future than in the past. The standard of Rugby ie being evened up to more of a common level as between the Western Province, Griqualand Weet, and the Transvaal, and, as that is the case, the drain on the resources of the. different centres is not likely to bo severe, even though a team was sent out of the country during the winter season. What difference would the absence of a dozen players make to the game, say, down in the Western Province? None at all that would bo perceptible except to those young fellows who would thus be able to get a place in one of the senior teams, instead of being field back among the juniors. The feeling among the Rugby men in the Transvaal is that, for their part, they are willing to suffer any inconvenience which might come also nr through players being away during the South African season, and consider that the objection which has been raised by other centres has only flimsy foundation, and is merely a quibble. Under the conditions that at present exist, it would naturally have been much more convenient if the AH Blacks had been able to come across hero first, and. if that still wore possible, the Now Zealanders may be assured of a cordial reception. Against such a plan, however, is the fact that tho South African Board has received several invitations from the Dominions during the last eight years, which have all been answered with a half-promise that a team would be sent at some later date, and it. would bo churlish to haggle now whether the All Black or Springbok, team should make the journey first. Even at the cost of taxing the tune of our players somewhat heavily, even though the arrangements of a season may in some small measure be upset, this long-delayed but none the Ices definite engagement with the New Zealanders should be brought to a tangible issue by naming a date when we can send a team. As before stated, the Transvaal, would prefer the tour to bo undertaken in 1915 rather than at a later date, and feels that South African Rugby is occupying a humiliating, not to say equivocal, position, by thus continually shuffling out of an. engagement, the date at least of which should have been fixed long ago. ASSOCIATION. ENGAGEMENT FOR NEW ZEALANDER. LONDON, December 3. Boyer, a New Zealander, has signed on with the Aston Villa Football Club, and will arrive here in a few days. ALLEGED BRIBERY. LONDON, December 1. The prosecution in the football bribing case stated that Paten stipulated for a defeat or draw, and paid Pennington in the presence of the detectives after a drawn game, it was practically certain that be represented a huge coupon betting association. Paten was remanded, with & view to the Crown taking proceedings.