“COMMONPLACE CALIBRE”

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1928, Page 11

“COMMONPLACE CALIBRE”

CRITICISM OF ALL BLACKS “THEY ARB AN OVER RATED SIDE.’’ AFRICAN VIEW OF LAST MATCH. By Teiegraph—Press Assn —Copyright. Australian Press Association. Received June 12, 12.10 a m. Johannesburg, June 11. Mr. F. M. Howard, late of ths London Times, who toured England with the 1924 All Blacks, and who is now with the Cape Times, said: "Saturday’s match, far from realising the expectations of the keenly awaited trial of strength between Transvaal and the All Blacks, was a frank disappointment. The vast crowd came away feeling that th© All Blacks were much over-rated, having witnessed scarcely any spectacular play such as they had been led to expect on the part of the visitors. “To anyone who had never before seen an All Black side in action it must have appeared almost incredible that so much could have been written about a team of such commonplace calibre. No one could blame the public for holding those views after Saturday’s exhibition. The Transvaal backs were lamentably stereotyped, Brownlie, instead of playing the forwards’ own game, should have conjsentrated on getting the ball out to hie undoubtedly superior backs. “The New Zealand forwards must find an effective cheek counter to the best African scrummaging if the side is to win any of the tests.”