ALL BLACKS' TOUR.

Waikato Times, Volume 98, Issue 16096, 20 September 1924, Page 16 (Supplement)

ALL BLACKS' TOUR.

PLAYING SOMERSET TO-DAY. GLOUCESTER NEXT THURSDAY. (By "Drop-Kick.") The All Blacks play Somerset on Saturday as the third engagement of their present tour. This gajne is heralded as being one likely to thor~ oughly test Porter's team. The result will be placarded on the Times' board as soon as it comes to hand, which will be about 10 o'clock to-morrow morning.

The 1905 AH Blacks accounted for Somerset County by 23 points to nil. In the book of the tour published by Mr G. W. Dixon, the manager, the following appears in regard to the game: "From the point of view of our own performances, this was the most satisfactory game we had played. Numerous changes in the team, and particularly the loss of Roberts, affected the combination a good deal. But apart from that there was much faulty, illtimed and ill-directed passing. Stead, at half, although playing soundly, did not get the ball away with the smartness and accuracy of Roberts, and Mynott, only just recovered from an attack of influenza, showed scarcely his own dashing self. Neither was Harper a conspicuous success at centre. He received too many of his passes standing and rarely ran close enough up to his men before transferring to .the wing-threequarter, Several tries were missed in this way. Wallace on the right wing was closely shepherded, but did good work nevertheless, and Booth, on the other wing, played with heaps qf dash and missed scoring by inches only on several occasions. The narrowness of the ground was a disturbing feature, too. We were unlucky to lose Deans very early in the first spell., He sprained his hip and had to go full-back, Gillett taking his place at five-eighth and playing a sound game. Tyler also received a kick during the first 10 minutes, which rendered him of little use during the remainder of the game. The strength of Somerset was forward. In this department they played a hard, bustlins game, and it took our pack, weakened as it was by Tyler's injury, all its time to hold them. Still, we got the ball in the majority of cases and did the bulk of the attacking. Gallagher played one of his best games and got through an immense amount of work. For Somerset, Mead played a sound game at full and Shewring (three-quarter) also did good work, especially in defence. Their passing was faulty, however, and their attack displayed the common fault of lacking individual attempts to beat an opponent." The County Champions?

in Wednesday's issue I stated that Somerset were the county champions of last season in England. Since that appeared an energetic correspondent 'phoned to state (so the message left for me indicated) that Cumberland beat Kent in the final of the English football championship last season. Perhaps it should be the present season! At anyrate, Wisden's Rugby Football Almanack for 1923-24 gives the credit to Somerset. This is what it states in its preface to the county championship: "Arousing keen enthusiasm among both players and public in the Northern and South-western divisions, scarcely so much in the Midlands and only rnild interest, it must bo admitted in the South-east the county championships found fresh holders for that honour in Somerset!" Strength of Gloucestershire. Next Thursday the AH Blacks will play Gloucestershire, which is Well up in the annals of the same in England. In the summary for 1923-24 Wisden's has the following: "So Gloucestershire have at last lost the championship! Its doings since the championship was first won by Gloucestershire in 1910 (when D. R. Gent led them to victory) will rank with those of the greatest counties in the history oi the game. Had Gloucestershire managed to stave off the onslaughts of the Somerset forwards at Bridsewater, it is more than likely that tbey would have won the championship apain. But none could say that the 1922-2.3' side was up to tbe standard of most of its predecessors. Weakness, either occasionally or regularly, was apparent in nearly every part of the team. As clever as ever —and that is saying a lot—tbe forwards hadn't quite the dash they used to have; had tbey possessed this extra bit they would ably have compensated for the de=cided weakness at half-back. Here W. Dix was very badly missed, for without an effective inside half a side is fairly helpless, unless its pack is superlatively good. T. Millington, too. did not strike his best form. This was a pity, for with such brilliant attackers as L. J. Corbett and Stanley Cook waiting for openings the threequarters were potentially strong. It. was a pity that, R. C. Pickles was kept out of two of the three county games, for this sound player would have been of great assistance to the other backs. Gloucestershire were fortunate In their full-back. B. S. Chautrill, the Bristol player, who, without, recalling the greatness of W. R. Johnston, played weU enough to enable him to build up a big reputation. The backs were occasionally brilliant despite the woakv ness at half, and some of the mover ments enpincoro-d by Corbett, Cook, Pickles and Feltham. were magnificent. These men. know each' other's idios<yn-' cracies and play with, that dcJJghJLfUI combination one only finds as' &• rule in club back dbisians. A. T. Vbyac was once again a brilliant whilst the veteran J. ft. Ilolfarjl A: HaU, J. S. Pricks npd i». J. tiovenbtf are also worthy of honourable mnulion in their county's doings." The .1905 in.im took Gloucester's measure ,by 44 to niL