GRAVE CHARGES

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1023, 14 July 1930, Page 1

GRAVE CHARGES

BRITISH PLAYER BITTEN? MATCH AT TIMARU Press Association TAIHAPE, Today. Most startling allegations concerning the experiences of the British Rubgy team iu some matches in New Zealand were made here at a Rugby dinner on Saturday evening by the president of the New Zealand Rugby Union, Dr. J. G. Adams, of Wanganui. Dr. Adams, who has been travelling with the British team for the past month, said that because his hands day, he had been unable to refutethe many damaging statements on the sportsmanship of the visitors emanating from the Timaru newspapers and broadcast by the Press of New Zealand after the game with the combined North Otago-Aehburton-South Canterbury team. He declared in his opinion one forward—an Ashburton forward—should have been given “marching orders” for offences committed time and again. He further said that the perpetrator of a certain grave injury to one of the visiting serummagers should be put off for life. ORDERED TO BE SILENT After the match, said Dr. Adams, the manager of the British team, Mr. J. Baxter, gathered the members of his band together, and forbade the mentioning of the fact that a certain forward bore a double set of teeth marks, the impressions of which were still easily discernible. When the team reached Wellington some 10 days later Mr. Baxter further warned his team that he would regard any comment outside as to the injury alluded to as a breach of faith by some mem- { her of the team. Dr. Adams referred to the refereeing of the game in no uncertain terms, and told the gathering of five marks, all fair catches, taken by the British players, of which the referee took no notice, usually with the result that the player in question was heavily “dumped.” He said that to assert that, the referee was lenient would he putting it too mildly. He (Dr. Adams) viewed the game as among the roughest he had attended in his life. Dr. Adams concluded by stating that the British team was amazed at the tenor of the Press reports of the match. He considered that those reports east a slur on the repute and sportsmanship of the visitors, while the local side and the referee had successfully “whitewashed.”