RETURN OF "ALL BLACKS."

Colonist, Volume XLIX, Issue 12015, 16 August 1907, Page 2

RETURN OF "ALL BLACKS."

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. (Per United Press Association). Wellington, August 15. The members of the "All Black" football team who returned to-day by the Monowai are .— -E. Wylie (manager), Wallace, Koberts, Mitohinsun, J. Spencer, G. Spencer, Hunter, Mynott, Hogan, Eckhold, Paton, McDonald, and Casey. The Auckland division was to leave Sydney for Aucklnd yesterday. Fryer will leave on Saturday, and Booth and O'Sullivan intend returning via Melbourno. Joanston, as expected, will join the professional team. Speaking of the tour of the New Zealand football team, Galbraith, who accompanied them, says: "It was form thafc beat our men, with accidents and epdemic influenza. It was a disastrous trip. The whole time men were more or less, and 1 consider that not in one single match did the team show their true New Zealand form. No form was shown as good as that witnessed in the match against Wellington or in the Inter-island game. The Australian forwards beat ours in the last match; in my opinion, however, the New South Wales men have not improved any in comparison with the team that drew with us in 1905, but, there is quite an improvement among their backs, wbo have learned "cuttin-in" tactics in their passing attacks, and tbis is quite a new thing over there." Galbraith principally went to Australia to attend the conference of delegates to discuss the arrangements for future intercolonial campaigns. The old agreement of 1901 has expired, and New Zealand desires better terms in any future programme. In the past New Zealand has taken the gat 9 money for mat T cbes played here, and has paid its own teams' travelling expenses abroad. New South Wales has followed a similar practice, but, it is considered this policy gives Australia much greater advantage. NewZealand's enterprise has helped to put the New South Wales Union in

a strong financial position, and it is manintained that the Island Colony should be able to get better recompense. Delegates were generally inclined to the opinion that New Zealand should receive more favorable treatment, but, they did not reaoh definite agreement, and the matter will be the subject of further correspondence. Galbraith has no „doubt that thy country Will get something considerably better than it has had in the past. Probably the next team to invade New Zealand from Australia will be a Commonwealth combination. Speaking of the referees, Galbraith said that there was a certain amount of difficulty about the refereeing, because it was found on the field that the Australians were playing under some, decisions that were two years behind the times. It was discovered that either by neglect of the Secretary of the English Rugby Union, or the Commonwealth's representatives in London, that case law rulings received in New Zealand a couple of years back had not yet reached Australia. However, as a result of the recent Australasian conference of referees, at which New Zealand was represented by Wylie and Robb, this undesirable state of affairs is not likely to be repeated.