THE N.Z. FOOTBALL TEAM

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume V, Issue 1496, 1 December 1905, Page 3

THE N.Z. FOOTBALL TEAM

flfjifillsfPrfeGoiiiiiißiits ' xA lJm A*oeiatlon..-Oopjri|hV »y l " „ tnwa, thu day. 'Buibrim to the mato'b with tie Deporiport Albions tho Dtiiy Mail Bayei "Id defeating DevonportAlbioni the Ntw Zealanders incidentally gavo tlio Dovodfnfanf an object lesson in the art of tr?' ' ge tmgpSbich should p-ove of pract oal \aluo wai om of the hardeit gamo* ihe New Zealandors have boen called upon to play. For the fust time tboy met combination and not a collection ot indi vidual units, whioh apcakß volumes for the .originality oi the methods and genius of Mho players. After having none the better of a keenly-fought first half they gradually wore their opponents down, end, at the close, scored pwt y much the same ;as they choose. The first forty minutes of tho gimo will long bo remembored by the New •Zenlanders At the start the "Albions uppeVed to be suffering from Btage fnehi, and allowed the colon'als to sopre a solt try in tho first few minutes. Tho ease with whioh it was obtained seemed to show a penetrability in Now Zealand's armour, Tbonoo tho Albion forwards lock the g*mo in thou- own hands, and, keeping tho ball as close as they could, initiatod their opponents into the art of wheeling tho sortims, ondbtoko through time and again, and t>wept up the field in an irreeisUblo pbalani, with the ball at their toe. Every moment ft soon appeared imminent, but the pluck and coolno«fl of Sleid,and the brilliant kioking of Gillet'j prevented a score. Right up to ha'f.Hine the Albion men kept up their heroic offort, and a'hough five points down they had none the worot of a fast and exciting struggle. In the second spoil ovoryona cxpeotod the local men to do oven bettor, bnt whether the tnrnendons oxertion,bad taken too much out of thorn or whether the New Zialandirs improved jhur gime, tho fact remains that thore ;was only one toam in it. The ohange "of ends saw ihe New Zoalandera at their 'best,'the backs giving an electrifying dis'play of combination, interspeisod with .individual offor'B, whioh bewildered tuoir opponent!. The ability to ohnngo their tactics 10 sait the occasion is oua of the obief oharms of the Now Zealandert,' play. The' men are opportun'sts 11 the best sepia of the word Bed ttpo is entirely absent in their methods, Smith vtas very much In ovidojics, and his pico nirfle him a prime favourlto with tho crowd, , /Che London Daily OhnnitU, dealing .with the Somerset matoh, says: "The homt team put up a fine game agaimt 'their powerful opponents, but tho nylon of the sides differed materially. The homt team relied on the old forward game, and New Zealand on rapid transfer;, Tho Somersets were always on the ball, and their clever taokling comewliat upset the visitors, who, however, once they settled -down, completely outplayed their* rivals," Tilo daily Telegraph says: "In the absence of Hunter and Smith there was not tb* full strength when they met Somerset It is also ata'ar 1 that soveral members of the team were beginning to feel die effects of the tremendous energy , whioh had characterised their 'efforts, Beaten pointless as Somerset were, tho game was by no moans all on oue side, but the colonials showed marked snpori ority in getting ibo ball away from the scrummage, and their better condition "gradually told, The attendance was fir in excess of any match in th 6 district Whatever result the visitors' triumphs may have on the Bugby game, their vmt is oertninly arousing an BBtonnhing amount of on* v thusiasm," '" Regarding tho Devonport, match tho •Drily Chronicle considers that the gaino was one of ihe finest over witnessed on the Rectory ground, and produced a Titaino itrugglo until midway in the second half, when the Albions tied; Tho impre'siou thai tho scoie would gne, however is enfal'adous, as in tho s'riot nutter ol p)i Vjl accordance witb tho 1 tiles the "fflo one wore us cleyer as their doughty opponents, but lacked the speed and reolJessnem of the N<.w Zanders, who always meant getting there, with a heed less regard as to how the desideratum wis 'cmeved, Judged on tho first half, tho Engl s'i Rugby han lutlo to learn from tbo Colonials' method", Tho New Zoa landers'pissing waseertainly bowiUering. The article concludes: "Thomoral is tpeed arid stamina." .- TheDflt/j/ Telegraph says "Among their many victories, none redounded to -'the New Zaalsudeva' credit more than that at Doyonport. Tbo home team was one of the strongest in tjio county. Wlino the New Zealanders fully dewed the victory, tboy owed it moro to speed and stituma than comb nation, So long ni tho Albions wera able to kpep pace with their weighty antagonists 'hey fought on oven terms, and Iboir football display «uf feted nothing in oompansou to that of tin colonial'. Up to apoiottho Albiomdic much to vindicate tho leputation o English football. Tho forwards and fivo eighths acquit id themse'yes wit! conspicuous eucoeas, an J ihe half back or the who'e tvas master ftf -Lis eppo en' ltoberlß." The paper adds: " Their splen did a 1 tacks were a foa ure of the visitou displsy," ? MATCH AGAINST ESGLAND. Press Association,—Copyright. London, Nov. 50. Intense interest it being taken in th football match Now Zealand versus Eng land, wbtoh in to bi p'ayod at tho Orjsto 2 ake on Saturd >y, The whole of th fifteen thousand reservud eoafs have bee booked, and are'rc-selling at a prsminn * The authorities expect an attendance of ' hundred thoofand, \ 1 Football in Aim lea New Touk, Novsmberßo The Eabtcrfi Colleges of New York ai forming an Association Football'Lttgue,