RUGBY

Otago Witness, Issue 3802, 25 January 1927, Page 16

RUGBY

NEW SOUTH WALES TEAM FOR ENGLAND. ‘SYDNEY, January 18. The New South Wales Rugby Union has agreed to the itinerary of 1 matches to be played by the New South Wales team in Britain this year. The tour commences on September 17 against Devon and Cornwall, and finishes on January 7 against England. , « " THE FRANCO-IRISH INCIDENT. LONDON, January 17. Arming from the incident in the FrancoIrish match in which Mr Scott, the Scottish referee, was assaulted, the Scottish Rugby Union has decided to cease sending Scottish referees to matches organised by the French Federation. If this attitude is maintained it will jeopardise future Franco-Irish fixtures, as the Irish Union demands a-Scotsman for its referee in Paris. NEW ZEALAND UNIVERSITY TEAM TO BE INVITED. SYDNEY, January 18. The Sydney University team is to invite a New Zealand University team to visit Sydney. It may play three test matches, and probably a game against a combined New South Wales team. THE MAORI TEAM. ARRIVAL IN CANADA. ST. JOHN (New Brunswick), Jan. 19. Twenty-nine members ofthe Maori football team arrived here to-day. WHERE THEY FAILED. (Fbom Oub OWn Cobbespondent.) LONDON, December 15. “The Maori Rugby tourists,” says the Athletic News, “will not enter history as super-footballers, but they will be remembered as a very cheery and\ sporting team, and on the eve of their W. Barclay, their ; captain, paid due tribute. “Barclay has been very unlucky, so far as accidents are concerned;.indeed, illness and mishaps have had not? a little to do with the failure of the Maoris to win more than seven games. The captain suffered a broken rib in the game with Yorkshire at Bradford, and it was not until he . was halfway through the match with-the Harle- . quins on the following. Saturday-that he ■' discovered• what was troubling him. One of their drawbacks has been the failure to finish off good movements. It has often been pitiful to see briliantly inaugurated attacks end up.in the tamest way with a dropped pass. Three passes given ..and taken perfectly, the defence all to pieces —and then the fatal error! • “Another failing has been the absence of any definite plan of campaign, and the team’s inability to make the best use of their gretest asset?—the pace and strength and swerving power’s jqf the wingmen! The cross-kick to the wing ws rarely exploited. Mr Parata, their manager, says he does not think the Maoris have learned anything from a football point of' view; neither does he claim that they have been • able to teach us anything. The Maoris have been particularly impressed, however, by the way our forwards pack,-heel, and ■ dribble. Also, by their welcome.” At Bordeaux,-in their first match since returning ■ to Fran-e, the Maori Rugby

team defeated a selected French fifteen by one dropped goal and three tries (13 points) to one try (three points). The match gave some indication of' France’s strength in the coining -internationals,for their side included such wellknown players as Jaurreguy, Graciet, Du Manoir, Piquera], Cassayet, and Etche-. berry. The Maoris owed their victory mainly to their strong, fast running, and" quick breaking-up of the-scrummage. Phillips was their outstanding player, his fine work being applauded frequently. For the French Jaurreguy showed that he still is a brilliant three-quarter and Du Manoir and Graciet also played up to form. Commenting on the Maoris’ victory, the Matin says that the Maoris showed themselves much faster, stronger, and better trained than on their first appearance in France. They gave an impression of extraordinary strength and speed. The Auto says their play was perfect, and this descriptipn is also given by the Echo de Paris.

Writing in English Life, Mr L. R. Tosswill says of the Maori footballers: — “The Maoris have turned out to be very much the type of team that 'we had expected to find them; they have plenty of energy and dash, they are very adaptable, but they lack experience. Perhaps the most striking weakness in the side is the lack of any settled plan or policy in play.. With such fast, and dangerous wings as Falwasser and Phillips, one might expect them to adopt tho orthodox method of playing ±o the wings, but these two players have been consistently starved, for which their opponents may be thankful. The forwards who. though of fine physique, were not expected to excel in scrummage work, are. improving very fast; they have taken their lessons to heart while touring in England and Wales, and their dribbling has improved out of all knowledge. “At least, the Maoris have made themselves very popular over here; they are always good-tempered, and no suspicion of foub- methods has fallen upon them -—they should return to New Zealand with happy recollections of their welcome, and an enhanced knowledge of the game; they can'scarcely fail to increase the prestige of British’'Rugby when they return to the Dominion.” The selected team from the clubs of the Pyrenees region put up a splendid fight against the .Maori touring side at Toulouse on Sunday afternoon, and in the end were defeated by a single point, the Maoris scoring three tries (9 points) to a goal and a tryNB points). Grace opened the scoring for them soon after the start, .but the French replied with a try under the posts which was not converted. Before-.-half-time, Rika gave the Maoris the lead with an unconverted try. For some time'? after the interval neither side could make any headway, but eventually S. Gemmill intercepted a pass and ran well toscfoss.’for the Maoris’ third try. The French played hard, wad there was tremendohs excitement when brilliant play just before “no-side,” yielded them a try which was converted.