NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALLERS AT HOME.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 8280, 23 October 1905, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALLERS AT HOME.

- ♦ Somerset Defeated.

London, Saturday

The match against Somerset, played at Taunton, drew an attendance of nine thousand. The New Zealanders led oil' by invading Somerset territory, and at an early stage Mynott (Taranaki) crossed the line and Wallace (Wellington) added the major points. For the remainder of the first half the local team made a gallant resistance, countering the visitors' many attempts to cross the line. Seeling (Auckland) eventually succeeded in placing a second try to the colonials' credit, but the shot at goal failed. When half-time was called, the score stood: New Zealand 8 Somerset 0 The New Zealanders made the pace much faster in the second spell, and ran over their opponents. Gillett (Canterbury) was first to draw blood dy dropping a penalty goal with a kick. A little later on Seeling added his second try which Wallace converted; then Wallace crossed the line, and Mynott secured another try, neither of which was converted, the game endingNew Zealand 22 Somerset 0 The New Zealand team have now played •eleven matches, all of which have resulted in easy victories. They have scored 407 points, and only seven points have been scored against them.

The N.Z. Times, commenting on'the New Zealand footballers' tour, says:—" If things in the football field go on much longer as they have been doing ever since the New Zealand team kicked off in England, the tour will become almost absurd. Eleven matches have been played, and already our " stalwart and athletic sons " have passed the fourth century of points scored, with only seven points against them—four hundred points to the good! The question inevitably arises, " Can they play football in England at all, or should their national game be ping-pong or marbles ?" The apologists for England have made vague remarks to the effect that the teams now being met with are not representative teams. To this we have one answer—among many. The present team representing New Zealand, were it pitted against any New Zealand provincial or club team, could not hope to register such a huge score against their fellow-Colonials as they are doing day by day on their triumphant tour through England. It is too much to expect that our team will be able to keep up its extraordinary rate of scoring—else we should soon be looking for the first try-getter to score his century of points. There are sturdy international teams ahead ; and those who have played in county matches against our men doubtless will have learnt something about our methods of play and individual prowess that they may be able to make use of when they meet the New Zealand team again in the big test matches. At present, however, the business is rather monotonous."