All Blacks Taken Low By Seasickness.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18448, 26 April 1928, Page 1

All Blacks Taken Low By Seasickness.

SPARKLED UP AFTER TRAINING RUN ON SYDNEY DOMAIN WITH WARATAHS

By GRAHAM E. BEAMISH (Special correspondent with the team)

SYDNEY, April 20. EVEN two days after the All Blacks had walked round Sydney, after they had had a couple of runs on the Sydney Domain, some of them still complained that they swayed on their feet. It was a rough crossing from Wellington on tlie Marama, ofliccrs of the ship saying that it was the worst trip for many months.

Away from the wild cheering on the Wellington wharf and out into Cook Strait; then, for some, the trouble began, and it did not end until the day Sydney was reached. Several of the players did not leave their cabins for the first two days, being complete victims of seasickness and all its horrors. But many of the big forwards were as fit as if they . were training on terra firma.

No training of any sort was carried out between Wellington and Sydney. Those who w r ere not upset by the tossing of the ship found plenty to do all day. They played the usual deck games (when the rolling of the ship allowed) and several of them could always be found in the smoke room with a pack of cards. Struck by Storrt. Towards four o’clock on the afternoon of the third day out, the ship ran into a fairly bad storm. With one terrific lurch and bump, the ship seemed that it was about to overturn. People in deck chairs were shot across the deck to the rails, and half a dozen of them, including two All Blacks, were nursing nasty bruises for the next day or so. When “ buttons ” blew the bugle for dinner, very, very few people struggled to the dining-room. Only four or five blazers with silver ferns could be seen. Four more All Blacks and a member of the party travelling with the team sat on deck, wrapped with rugs, looking all forlorn. However, - they left it to the' steward 'to do the ordering, and that which was brought they ate. Most of them seemed to enjoy it, but one of the Wellington backs vPhs seen to hurry below.

All night long the ship tossed and pitched like a cork in a maelstrom, but next day there was comparative calm. The sun shone out, and people, including two of the team ivho had not left their cabins since the last of Wellington was seen, came, on deck and sat pensively in easy chairs. Towards evening, except for an occasional lurch, the ship steamed more steadily than she had done on any part of the trip. That night a dance was held, and attracted most of the people on board. Tuesday morning and --Spdnev. To some of the team it was to be a new experience; to others, just Sydney, as lovely as ever. There was much excitement among the All Blacks, for all were eager to get around and see the sights. As soon as they were settled at their hotel there were out and about, full of enthusiasm about the whirl and bustle of a great and beautiful city. Training. It was not all fun and amusement for the team. There was training to be done. They had stripped for a gallop on the afternoon of arrival, but rain came, and so the first run was cancelled. Bright and early on Tuesday morning they were out on the, Domain, and ali, considering that they had had a particularly rough trip across, seemed to be fit. They ran a bit stiffly for a start,, but their muscles soon loosened. Some of the Warat.ah forwards and backs turned out to have a run with the team. It was nearly all t'ictical training. To-day all the team is fit. They had one more run this morning, and that was the last on land for three weeks, for to-morrow they sail on the Euripides.