FOOTBALL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12658, 21 November 1905, Page 5

FOOTBALL

THE NEW ZEAL ANDERS AT HOME

PRESS COMMENTS

United Press Association—Copyright

Received November 20 9.43 p.m. SYDNEY, November 20. The following comments are made in the English newspapers on the football matches:—•

The " Daily Mail," on the Northumberland match, says,tbe defeat was mitigated toy the reflection that they did better than they expected. The New Zealanders do not shine so brightly under the stormy weather conditions which prevailed . Their scientific methods are so well thought out and so mathematically correct that such weather upsets the perfect working of their machinery. If the New Zealanders are fated to receive a beating at all it will probably happen when their machinery gets •blown out of order and tiheir opponents, trusting more to good luck than good combination, take advantage of the elements to secure an unorthodox victory. Therefore, all to whom the prestige of British Rugby is dear will probably pray for dirty weather for the Internationals. The paper pays a high tribute to the visitors' camaraderie and absence of jealousy and selfishness, to which is due their homogeneity on the field. Even the New Zealanders themselves were surprised at the brilliancy displayed by their brilliant little, five-eighths, Hunter. Five times getting the ball from behind the scrum he wriggled his way through an almost solid phalanx of his opponents, all the time scarcely deviating from a straight line. A more meteoric display would b einconceiva'ble. Oommentirig on the Gloucester match, the paper says:—For a time the Gloucestershire forwards nonplussed the' visitors by- their low tackling. The Colonials seemed surprised that their opponents should have tihe impudence to attempt to put the only proper methods into force against them Their experience against London and the Northern teams led them to imagine- that the high tackle was the only method adopted in this country. The game was a triumph of mind plus matter over pluck and grit minus physique and originality. The Gloucester men worked twice as hard as the New Zealanders, but lacked; their combination and method. Their tackling was supenb and their pluck against the clever and physically stronger team magnificence, Wallase, the Admirable Grichton pi the New Zealand team, gave a really glorious display at wing threequarter. His kicking and fielding was .always above reproach, but it was left for the Gloucester match to bring, out to . the full his wonderful powers of s attack. 'Per Press Association)., , WELLINGTON, November 20. The Now Zealand Rugby Union has not received any intimation from Manager Dixon as <to whether the matches 'between the international fixtures ~are to be dropped. Mi" Dixon was empowered to do so if he chose, but the Union •has not so far troubled to ascertain whether the suggestion has been acted upon. It is, therefore, unknown at present irh€*h'»r the matches against the West of Scotland, this week, and against Munster next week,, are to be played or not. _____^