Football.

Southland Times, Issue 19727, 30 January 1906, Page 2

Football.

COMMENTS ON THE WELSH MATCHES. Cur United Press Association'. By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. SYDNEY, Jan- 29. Received 291h, 5.9 p.m. The Daily Mail says that the All Blacks aro cither meeting' foemcn in South Wales far more worthy of their steel than they met elsewhere, or else ihe strain of their tremendous tour is beginning to tell the inevitable tale and they were hard put to it. At Newport thfc visitors left hy far the hardest and most difficult part of their task to the end of the tour. It is asking too much of even so wonderful a football phalanx, as they undoubtedly are, that , after the protracted and exhausting experience of hard-fought encounters they should retain all their pristine freshness. Thera was little to choose between the teams at Newport. .So fur as the actual balance of play went the local men might have won just as well as the New Zealanders, For the first twenty minutes of the .opening halt the visitors had pretty much their, own way. After two line efforts to score Huberts set the other wing in motion. The ball came from Stead to Doans and to Harper. The latter swerved most artistically round Griffiths and scored the dirsl and only try of the game. Harper failed to convert but a few minutes later Wallace dropped a magnificent penalty Kick from nearly half way. It seemed us if the colonials were contented with this advantage as they were seldom dangerous afterwards. In proportion as they fell off Newport improved and in the second half the Usksiders were in their opponents’ territory most of the time and the colonials were fortunate in possessing n lead of six points. Wallace’s coolness and splendid kic’-ing saved his sdc from disaster .more than once and he, Huberts, Seeling, Tyler and Mynott played a great defensive game.

" WHEN GALLAGItEU KCIUiWIiU TMF. scuim.’i (By “ WOOMEItA,” in the Australasian) I am nut well acquainted Willi the rules and practices of Uugby football ; but from what I. read in English papers the success of the New Zealand football team was in a largo measure duo to the handsome way in which Gallagher screwed the scrum. I don't know why he did it ; or how he did it, but none Hie less it seems to me just the sort of thing you would expect a man named Gallagher to do. Uud any other member of the tea.m but Gallagher screwed it. there would have been a feeling of intense disappointment as to that scrum. 1 lie Crystal I’ulace is bright to-day, I Where the thousands throng and cheer, For the best of England are stripped to play And the Maoris' doom is near ; "J'was all no go, they hadn't a show’, And the thousands soon were diiimh. When the Blacks came on with a warli’ c rush, And Gallagher screwed the scrum. They faced n team in the fur-up north, Which is called the Land o' the Ler.l . They wore brown of limb where the kilt stopped short. And lusty with oaten meal ; Ah ! the Highland charge 'is a fearsome thing ! One trembles to see (hem come ; Hut they all bounced hack with an nwfu/ crash, W'hen Gallagher screwed the scrum. The Irishmen, too, were a brawny lot. For a tussle of any sort ; Wl on the men in green take the field to ploy, Why, manslaughter’s merely sport. Hut the blue sky o'er the I’eoeiiix Vnrk Was clouded and all grew glum When Gallagher hefted his shoulder in And sturlid to screw the scrum. The fisher folk by the Card ill const Have shouted theuisejvcs athirst. For Gallagher came with his senum pscpared— But the Welshmen screwed it first ; They've eaten the leek both root and branch, And the Maori war-cry's dumb, But they ask each other in whispers, “ Why Didn't Gallagher screw the scrum ?’’ He screws it up, and he screws it down, He screws it tight and fair. He screws it hither, he screws it thither, Ho screws‘it everywhere; Then a splash of blood on the lush, green grass, And the sinews begin to hum Like the harp of E f'i in Tara's halls. When Gallagher screws the scrum. There comes at length a joyful day To the plnycT-i who crossed tin foam. When all New Zealand is waiting for them, With u thuiid-riug welcome home. The geysers are spouting, the earthlptakes roll, fu the distuie'e a mighty hum ; “Tuimgni Gal'agy, liuere mi : You gihhit 'em, screw de scrum.’