"All Blacks" Meet Their Waterloo.

Southland Times, Issue 19725, 27 January 1906, Page 4

"All Blacks" Meet Their Waterloo.

T 1 ’DEFEATED BY ** GALLANT LITTLE WALES.’* WERE THEY SPELLBOUND ? EXTRAORDINARY SOBNE OF ENTHUSIASM. WALES. 8 PTS. (1 TRY) ; NEW ZEALAND, 0. (London Daily Mail, 18th Dec, 1905J Tim all-conquering "All Blacks have at lasted tasted the bitterness of defeat. After 27 consecutive victories—nearly all of them of the most electrifying character—over the pick of English, Irish, and Scottish Rugby football, they were beaten by Wales at Cardiff on Saturday by one try to nothing, amid a scene of indescribable Celtic excitement. It was a victory fair and square, and had nothing of the nature of a fluke about it. Indeed, it is not too much to say that on the afternoon’s play the Welshmen were more than three paints the better team. They deserved to win through their superior excellence in every department of the game, and those steadfast Cymric hearts which quailed not through all the long run of unbroken " All Black ” successes, disdaining the possibility of Welsh defeat, must now be glowing with rare pride and satisfaction.

The scene on the ground was an unparalleled one, even for a Welsh football match. As early as 9 o’clock excited youths and men, some of whom had travelled all night from, the remoter colliery districts, clamoured for admission at the gates. These were opened soon after 10, nndt by noon there was scarcely standing room left. A vast sea of eager, excited faces, packed tier upon tier some 50 or 60 deep, fringed the ground. From it there arose a continuous cackle of ardent Celtic chatter, broken every now and again by the deep, harmonious resonance of some patriotic refrain which, started by a small knot here and there, was caught up on either side until the whole ground became enveloped in n noble volume of sound, perfect in rhythym and feeling, os from some 40,000 trained choristers led by some invisible master baton.

CELTIC ELECTRICITY. An entirely different crowd from the crowds that witnessed the defeat of England and Scotland and In.— land. Full of fire and enthusiasm, with only one thought—the thought of victory. A fervent, almost frenzied crowd, which drowned the bare suggestion of defeat in unreasoning bursts of triumphant melody. This was the spirit which hail carried the ancient Briton through many a hardwon fight against apparently impossible odds—this also was the Celtic answer to the seemingly invincible colonial array before which all the world had bent the knee.

A famous English international said after the match, “ I don’t think, there is any team in the world, siv lected from all over the British Empire. that could beat Wales at Cardiff. They might beat them out of Wales, but there is something uncanny about a Cardiff crowd, a. something that carries an, invading fifteen off its balance. It may he th > cheering, or it may be the singing, but there is a Celtic electricity in the air that, while it loosens our sinews and weakens our joints, lias a marvellously astringent effect on the homo team.”

This may or may not lie true, but certain it is that the ” All Blacks ,r on Saturday seemed to be labouring under some strange. hypnotic influence from the moment they stopped on the field. Even the usually awe-inspiring Maori war chant fell a little flat, and its remembrance* was speedily engulfed in the crowd's inspiring, soulful response to the Welsh team’s lead of “ Land of Our Fathers.” There was a scmi-religi-ous, almost fanatical invocation in the fervour with which the vast assembly took up the strain ; ‘‘The land of my fathers ! The land of the free !”

The “ All Blacks ” listened spellbound to the weirdly beautiful Incantation. They never seemed quite able to shake off its effects while the game lasted. A BROKEN MACHINE.

The Welshmen sported the leek in their coats, but not in their hearts. Fnlike most of the teams whom the

All Blacks ” had vanquished, th*.Welsh fifteen entered the fray not to defend merely and keep the scoring down, but to meet thrust by thrust, guile by guile, and combination by combination. They wore not content* merely to be passive spectators of the working of the hitherto irresistible New Zealand machinery. They meant to break it up—and break it. up they did !

The " All Black ” theory, openly proclaimed, is that the best, form of defence is attack, and they had put it into practice with unmistakable success in ‘27 previous encounters. But, unfortunately for them. Hu* same view is held, and has been held for years, by Welsh footballers also. The inevitable donsequenco was that on Saturday the two teams, about equal in experience, speed and weight, crashed together in a struggle wherein neither enjoyed any tactical advantage, except such as lies in the mere verbal distinction between ” five-eighth ” and *' roving half.” The New Zealanders, lulled into a certain sense of false security by the previous effectiveness of their methods, scarcely dreamed that the> same art and finesse which they employed would also bo exerted by their opponents, added to the considerable advantages which the support of a Welsh crowd affords. From the first minutes it was easily perceptible that they had underestimated the Welshmen’s fire and 1 dash and resource. For the first, time during their tour they wenfaced by men who had made up (heir minds to win, not merely to escape defeat by the smallest margin possible, as had been their experience in nearly every match they had hitherto played—men who knew near- 1 ly as much if not quite as much of the science of the game as they did themselves, and who, moreover, were J ns speedy, as strong, and as confid- hj eht of the result.

Thu machineiy which had worked so smoothly in all their other matches now ceased to act. Every time the wheels began to move some quick', intelligent Welshman thrust in his spoke, and they ceased to revolve. In the first place, the Welsh •forwards—a big, strong, clever pack —got the ball as often, if rot more often, than their rivals. tvnt even when Roberts did got it heeled out to him and had started the mechanism—there was never any breakdown in that perfect " scrum-half ” cog—the fatal defect appeared, Mynott, who received most of 'Roberts's passes, was apparently mesmerised by the crowd from the start, and it was a fateful decision which awarded him his place in preference to Stead. Though a player of great dash and speed, he was never Htoad’s equal for cleverness or judgment. But on Saturday he seemed to lose his head entirely. Times innumerable ho mulled Roberts’s passes, either dropping or knocking them on or passing them forward in the most Juvenile fashiion. He was flurried, oppressed by the shadow of CHIT Pritchard, the "spoiler.” whose mission it was to dislocate the liveeighths part of the machine and thus*, put it out of gear. With a player of jnoro resource than Mynott showed

on Saturday this plan might have been circumvented. As it was, it succeeded admirably. The pivot ol the 'New Zealand attack, the five-* eighths, never got going, at {my point 61 the match, and consequently , whole machinery fell to pieces. Qwyn Nicholls, Cliff Pritchard, and •' Dicky ” Owen nipped nearly every movement iu the bud. Not once did the New 'Zealand five-eighths and three-quarters succeed in " cutting ” their way through these past musters iu the art, of tackling. Every time they went for u man they stopped him. Nevertheless, Mynolt, with a blind, reckless impetuosity born of success against weaker opponents, kept on trying to barge his way through a crowd of opponents, the while his wing three-quarters stood impotentiy fuming, and Stead, currying the touch flag, looked unutterable things. “ No QUAUTEU.”

It was u hard, scrambling game for the most part —both sides wrought to the highest pitch of ex-citement-relieved by some bright flashes of Welsh passing, which, al-

though not making much ground, nevertheless throw into bold relief the incapacity of their opponents in a department in which, although expected to shine, they failed most signally. There was ' scarcely n glimpse of the beautiful precision among the backs that had spread

devastation through England, Ireland and Scotland. But the tackling on both sides was of th» stern, " m> quarter ” Older, and several men on both sides were temporarily knocked out.

Gallagher, who was early in trouble with the referee, received no mercy either from his opponents or the spectators. Indeed, the latter were most unfair to him. Throughout the game he was subjected to a pitiless fusillade of epithets which, to any one save a man who, like Gallagher, has had the hardening experience of actual warfare —the New Zealand captain went through the South African campaign as n scout—t must have been disconcerting to a degree. The wing forward game may not be palatable to those who do not know how to play it effectively, but it has been passed by the best Rugby judges ns perfectly legitimate, and it is aa innovation which, like that of the Welsh four-quarters, ought to be criticised on its merits and not as something to be killed by 'prejudiced clamour. i

But though Cullagher kept cool, under provoking circumstances, many others of the team were visibly upset, auci an air of nervousness seemed to pervade the ranks. Not only Alynott, but Hunter and Beans, usually so safe, failed tt? take or give passes time after time, and that with no opponent near them. While as for (illicit, tilt* fullback, lie appeared almost unnerved, as if the greatness of tin* occasion wcce too much for him. And the more hesitating uml anxious the ” AH Blacks

grow, the inure confident and daring became the attacks of the Welshmen, urged on by the frantic cries of tincrowd. Of a truth the Cymric incantation was working well. 'Things were in this state when Owen got possession in the New Zealand -o and, drawing the defence to the right by a superb feint, threw a long high pass* back to Cliff Pritchard who passed to (<abe. who in turn transferred to Morgan, for that speedy winger to race down the left tonchlinc and. evading Oillett, .s tackle, ground the ball just over the goal line. Wales had scored a try—its it turned out. tin* only store of the match—and for a few minutes it seemed as if every throat in the Principality, from llorme’s Head to .Milford Haven, was celebrating the event. Every one of the do,ooo Celts gave full rein to his passionate temperament. Sedate-looking men screatried themselves hoarse in incoherent ecstasy, while fhe more excitable preened and spluttered themselves purple in inarticulate spasms of frenzied delight. Wales had scored a try ! Wales was winning I ! Whiles would win ! ! ! This was twenty-three minutes from the stari, and the battle was renewed with tmdiminishod vigour, with Wales still holding the upper hand. They had the best, of it. mi the serum, tit back Winfield was kicking

superbly into touch, making fifty or

sixty yards every time, saving his own forwards and running the other pack off their legs. A finer exhibition of clean fielding and sate kiek-

ing—in marked contrast to the Colonial full-back's work—has never been seen, considering the importance of the occasion, and Wales owes much of her victory to Winfield's faultless display. DESPERATE ” ALL BLACKS.” The teams turned round with tin ” All Blacks ” three points down—not very much to worry a team to whom three points every five minutes has been for months their normal rate of scoring. But, now threi points seemed to assume the magnitude of thirty. As the minutes slip-

P**d by anti no score came, nor looked like coming, the thrust with which Morgan bad pierced their armour assumed serious proportions. Though ” not so deep as a well, nor

' so wide us a church door,” it began I to look ns if, after all, it would be j enough, would serve to make all the difference between victory and defeat. And so it proved. Strive though they did with might and main, they , could not cross the Welsh lino, which j was defended us bravely and as tenI ncionsly us the Britons of old held their fastnesses against. Uoinan and i Saxon assault. Time after time the | ” All Black” hosts surged right up Ito the Welsh line, but never quite j over, though time utter time Welsh hearts leapt io their throats in ag--1 onised fear that they would. Once Huberts, who headed tierce attack on attack, was pulled down only inches from the line, and from one corner flag to the other there ensued a scries of wild bullies and scrums that threatened disaster every minute to the defence. But still no score came. Again and again the Welshmen—particularly Nicholls anil Winfield—raised the siege. It was now that Wallace, (haling under the prolonged inaction which the Colonial three-quarter Hue had endured, rushed, with the desperation born of despair into the thick of the fray. Gathering the ball from an opponent’s too he tore his way through every obstacle, and in a trice was speeding down the field with Deans on his flank and onlytwo opponents to pass. It looked an absolutely certain try. Winfield went for Wallace a dozen yards from the line, but ere he could, reach him the ball had been passed out to Deans, racing down the touch-line, lie, too, was collared, but, not before he had crossed the Welsh line, though the referee, whose decision is bound to be accepted in such matters. declared that ho had been “ hold up,” and ordered a "scrum” instead of a place kick. In a few more minutes the end came, and amid another indescribable scene of wild enthusiasm the victors were hoisted on to the shoulders of the jubilant crowd and carried to the dressing room. The enclosure echoed for . several minutes afterwards with the exuberant cheers of the triumphant Welshmen, and thousands of waving hats and fluttering handkerchiefs kept up the rejoicings long after vocal resources had been exhausted. A FORWARDS’ VICTORY.

It has long been the contention of competent Welsh critics that the supremacy gained by the Principality at Rugby football has been as much due to the fine work of their forwards us to the combination mid

I. T''-" "1 ."It. ’iHi'i^T ctevarneas of tboir bodu. This theory received ‘ample proof on Satur4 day, os it was her forwards whom Woles had mainly to thank lor her. victory, For the first time since their ’arrival in this country the New Zealand pack found themselves beaten for cleverness in the scrum. The Scottish and Irish mutches had shown that the New Zealand for- | wards were not invincible, but then both the Scottish and Irish lor wo ids I played their traditional game of wheeling or currying the “ scrums,” ;aud in. the art iof heeling and settling their backs in motion showed themselves decidedly inferior to the •*All Blacks,” This, however, is not the Welsh method of attack, Their forwards, though clever enough with their feet in the loose when the occasion demands it, play very much the same style of game as the New Zealanders in that they regard the scrum as an integral part of a piece of machinery, of no value without the aid of the backs to clinch homo the attack.

Ou the New Zealand side all the forwards played well, but for oi;co in a way mot a pack as heavy and skilful as themselves. Roberts, at half-back, was as skilful as over in getting possession of the ball, and it was certainly not his .’anit that the New Zealand backs did not make any uso of numberless opportunities.

‘'THE BETTER TEAM Wt.A

Tllli RIVAL UA PLAINS EM CHANGE JERSEYS.

’• Dave ” Gallagher, th-,i captain of (lie New Zealanders, was one of the first to congratulate Gwyn N’ictiolls on the triumph of his team. Nicholls heartily reciprocated the. compliments, and then the rival captains exchanged jerseys. Gallagher was wearing the red dragon raiment of the victors when he gave his opinion of the match. It was a rattling good game, played out to the bitter end, with the result that the best team won, he said. ” Is there any point about the defeat which you regard as unsat isiartory ?’■’ No," was the 'reply ; " the better team won. and f am content. ■■ What of the refereeing'.’ Have you any opinion favourable or otherwise to express’?" Gallagher smiled as he replied, "I have always made it a point ne'er to express a view regarding the referee in any match in which 1 have played, so you must excuse me now.”

SCENES IN THE STREETS

HOW THOt’iSANBS EOLI.OM El* THE CAME BV SOINB.

Nothing bill the visit oi I loyally could have tilled the street*, e.s they were filled on Saturday. Many the fifty excursion trains wltteh ran to Cardin' before noon had two engines at Inched, am! all were packed. At the Cl rent Western railway station. when there were still twenty trains to arrive ten thousand excursionists had- already been pouted to the streets, and by noon the Taft Vale and Uhymney lines had rushed no less than twenty thousand people into the city from till quarters. It had been arranged that the. gates of the field should not he opened until noon, but before eleven o'clock as far as the eye could stretch there were queues four. five, and six deep on the pavements and in the roadways, and it. was only by (lie exercise of the utmost tact on Hie part of mounted and foot police that some ugly rushes were stemmed. The stream seemed interminable ; nor did those uho lotined it. stop lo think whether they should pay one. two, or three shillings-the chief object with most people was lo gat into any queue which looked likely to at last bind them inside the gates. Had the accommodation for the public been twice as great, it would have been crowded. As it was, between forty and fifty thousand were admitted, and were packed like tierrings in a barrel. I.ong before kiekiug-uIT time the gates wen* dosed, but .the disappointed took their hard lot philosophically and followed the struggle in imagination, ami when the greatshout went up telling that Wales had drawn first blood the ct> <u, triumph was caught up and went rolling along the streets like the crash of artillery. Every vantage point was wi/.ed. the windows and roofs of hotels and warehouses facing the field were fully occupied, the tall, gaunt trees lining one end of the field were alive with youngsters, and many schoolboys waded through the icy but’ sluggish water of the river Tali', which skirls one side of the enclosure, and in Ibis way dodged the gatekeepers. 'fhe pungent, leek, the emblem of Wales, was in evidence every w heie. ami men of all classes were to be seen wearing the biggest vegetable procurable as a " buttonhole. Every restaurant and fruit shop and pastrycook's establishment, was raided after the match, and until late in the evening the streets were filled with demonstrative crowds all rejoicing in Wales's historic victory and the downfall of the "fm lari files.”