THE ALL BLACK TEAM.

Waikato Times, Volume 117, Issue 19604, 17 June 1935, Page 6

THE ALL BLACK TEAM.

The team of footballers to represent New Zealand in a tour of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales during the ensuing football season in Britain has been chosen, and critics generally are of opinion that it is a combination calculated to give a good account o± itself against the redoubtable opponents who will take the field against it. . Rugby football is New Zealand’s national game, and previous tours of the All Blacks in the British Isles and elsewhere have shown that our players are able to hold their own against the best. There is no reason to think that the 1935 combination will be any less successful. ... ~ The opinion has been voiced in some circles that the quality ot football in this Dominion has declined in recent years, but it is doubtful if such a view can bo substantiated. There are always those who dwell on the glories of the I ast and deride the present. Ibis is foolish as well as unjust. New Zealand’s Rugby record undoubtedly has been great, and there has been no cause to be ashamed. But it is safe to say that that record will not he dimmed by tho combination that was selected on Saturday, for the members will realise that they have to maintain past traditions and establish fresh ones for those who follow in their steps. The indications are that the task of the selectors was to exclude rather than include. They had so much excellent material to draw upon, and the merits of the players were so uniform, that the team chosen can be regarded as an excellent sample of the hulk of New Zealand football. New Zealanders will place full confidence in their champions who are to leave for London next month, and are satisfied that the members will worthily uphold the honour of the Dominion both on and off the playing field.