RUGBY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 280, 29 November 1935, Page 4

RUGBY

PROGRESS OF CODE NEW ZEALAND'S PART ASSISTANCE TO AUSTRALIA The manner in which Rugby football in New Zealand has assisted the growth of the game in Australia is traced by an Australian writer in reviewing the progress of the code in Australia over the past 50 years. An improvement in the game of each country has had the reaction in a similar advance in the other and to-day the two countries are equal is status in the Kugby world. The 1884 New Zealand team in Australia was unbeaten, and. it left twoable players to Australia —H. Y. Braddon (Sir Henry) and James O’Donnell. This combination was very solid compared with those met in Australia. But the lessons were slowly learned. Other New Zealand teams came over, and Australians, in their turn, went across the Tasman, Still, New Zealand remained tc-o strong, in spite of an occasional win by New South Wales. Nevertheless, the standard was inproving in both New South Xyales and Queensland, and when the All Blacks of 1905 came over to Sydney to play three games before settling out on the big adventure they found that the magnificent quality of their 1903 team had stirred Australians to ambition. It is no fairy story to say that the 1903 New Zealanders were the , most remarkable collection of Rugby Union players ever seen on the field in Australia. They possessed grand forwards, who, scrummaged and rucked like champions, and dove-tailed into the attacking schemes in the open as though they were all star there-quarters. Australians were made to appear second-raters by the team. But two years later many of the men then in the 1905 All Blacks were astonished to find the New South XVales team vastly better all round.