Sport and Sportsmen.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18547, 22 August 1928, Page 9

Sport and Sportsmen.

Football enthusiasts will regret to learn that “Angry” Cross, who, twenty years ago, was one of New Zealand’s best-known forwards, is in hospital in Wellington suffering from spinal trouble. He represented New Zealand in Rugby, and in 1907 was with the New Zealand League team in England. On the results of the three Test matches the palm must be handed to the Springboks, who have proved themselves a better all-round combination than the tourists (says the “N.Z. Herald”). On account of the recent run of successes of the All Blacks it was thought another victory would be registered by them on Saturday, but they were l>eaten at their own game. The news that tbe tourists were defeated in line-out play is not at all reassuring, as this was a department in which the All Blacks had always held the advantage in games played up to Saturday. Apparently all the New Zealand players gave of their best, and not one of them failed in his individual position. The only cause for complaint is the fact that Carleton passed back to Lindsay in such a precarious position, and this cost the Ail Blacks five points. Such an obvious mistake is not expected from players of international standard. At the dinner to the English League footbail team in Dunedin on Saturday night, Mr E. Osborne, manager of the visiting side, said that in any game like Rugby League there must be hard knocks, and those who could not give and take hard knocks should not play at all. However, there were some cases where overstepping the mark had occurred, and there were some things which should be left out of the game. The speaker uttered the exhortation that from now on all the unpleasant stuff should be cut out. In the next two matches they should have good games, crammed with good, hard tackling, and clean play. “Having used the cane,” added Mr Osborne, “I will just say that things went a bit too far to-day. However, we forget all these differences as soon as the game is finished. We have had a splendid tour in the south, and have tried to further the interests of the game in Otago, where, unfortunately, there is a lot of prejudice to be overcome.”