“TOO SERIOUS.”

Waipawa Mail, Volume XLIX, Issue 148, 5 September 1928, Page 1

“TOO SERIOUS.”

THE ALL BLACKS ON TOUR. ALWAYS IN DEADLY EARNEST. Were the All Blacks too serious ? Interesting comment on the demeanor of the team in South Africa has been made by the chairman of the South African Rugby Board, Mr A. J. Peinaar and by an experienced journalist travelling with the players. Mr Pienaar spoke of some of the difficulties of touring teams, particularly overeas teams visiting South Africa. “One great disadvantage which a touring side has to contend with,” he said, “is having for months on end to live in a Rugby atmosphere all the time. The effect is psychological, but it is too often under-estimated. The waking-up with Rugby, spending a day at it, and then going to bed with it, all bring about a mental strain from which the home side are almost entirely free.” “These remarks of Mr Pienaar’s are, of course, very true,” states Mr F. M. Howard, “and in my own view the 1928 All Blacks, with the very best intentions in the world, are, I feel, tending rather to over-einpha-sise that handicap. That at least is the conclusion I have come to after living with them day in and day out for the past six weeks. In Great Britain in 1924 the time silent in travelling was far less, and almost negligible in quantity compared to what it is on this occasion. The team also struck a far greater number of large towns during the tour, where the opportunities for real relaxation from Rugby football, so essential to avoid mental as well as physical staleness, were more numerous and more varied. “DON’T KNOW HOW TO RELAX.”

“In my opinion these 1928 All Blacks have been taking their tour too seriously. They are inclined to suffer from the drawbacks of their very laudable qualities of great keenness and deadly earnestness. They train too rigorously, too conscientiously, for the purpose of such a long and exhaustive tour, and they do nol know how to relax sufficiently. They do not laugh enough, let off steam enough, or endeavor to a sufficient extent to take their minds off the whole subject of Rugby. Far be it from me to presume to lay down the law to our visitors as to how they should or should not spend their time between matches, and in any ease this criticism is, of course, meant in an entirely helpful and friendly spirit. “It is a great pity there is not among members of the present team more musical talent, especially of the banjo or ukulele variety. One never hears them indulge in healthy, full-throated singing even on the long and weary train journeys. The sound of a banjo or even a mouth organ is unknown among them, and day in and day out one does not hear half enough good whole-hearted laughter or cheerful noise. One docs not even see many smiles. I feel convinced that if our visitors onlyunderstood better how to relax, and. at the right moments, how to let off steam in a healthy and perfectly legitimate manner, they would have a better record to show on this tour. Not even the 1924 All Blacks trained more conscientiously or were quieter behaved. RIGOROUS TRAINING HARMFUL “Both these facts are in somewhat striking contrast to some teams I have toured with. But, praiseworthy though this is to the All Blacks, there is also a reverse side to that particular medal. One naturally wants to keep a right and proper balance in the matter, hut I feel absolutely certain, from a good deal of experience, that it is quite as harmful for a touring side to train too rigorously and to take their daily life in too deadly earnest, as it is to overdo the letting off steam business. “However, the All Blacks on their return to Johannesburg from their Rhodesian trip certainly gave the appearance of being in a more jollyframe of mind than at any other time yet since their tour began. They played with fine abandon at Bulawayo, although admittedly against a weak side. “If they ean avoid any sort of brooding and mental staleness during the present week, it is quite on the cards that they will give a far more virile and dashing exhibition next Saturday than they did at Durban. ROLE OF “AUNT SALLY.” “Another very just remark made by A. J. Peinaar was that a touring team like these New Zealanders perforce fills the role on tour of a sort of ‘Aunt Sally.’ Every one of their opponents has a jolly good shy ai them. For the home side that one match is ‘the’ match of the year, perhaps of years; hut the tourists, with a limited number of players at their disposal and long distances to travel, have to try to husband their resources of every kind to tide over the whole three months’ tour. In a countrysuch as South Africa, that breeds a race so splendid physically, and where grounds are frequently on the hard side, this point assumes quite considerable importance. ’ ’