NEW ZEALAND MAORIS Full-Back—Walters. Three-Quarters—Menzies, Walsh, Katene. Five-Eighths—Taitoko, Gray. Half-Back—Davis. Back Row—Pryor. Middle Row—Potae, Hill, Hiha, Emery. Front Row—Clarke, Kite, Hohaia. From the side-lines, the features of play which brought victory to the Springboks seemed to be: *The exceptional power and mobility of the South African pack from the first scrum onwards. *The almost complete domination of line-out play by the South African forwards, especially Claassen and Du Rand. *The latitude allowed the South African half-backs Strydom and Howe, who ran almost at will and simply tore the Maori defence wide open. *Glorious kicking by the Springbok captain Viviers, who converted five times and kicked two brilliant field goals. *The strong running of Nel, Kirkpatrick and Briers, whose task was made easier by the absence of any Maori cover defence. The ineffectual tackling by the loose forwards and Maori inside backs were features which did not appeal to the large crowd. The Maoris were defeated; they were outclassed by a team that was fitter, faster and more brilliant on the day, a team which showed that they were worthy of the name Springbok. It was a great disappointment to the thousands of Maori people present, especially those who had travelled long distances. The score was hard to believe, but the people were loud in their praise of the Boks' display. Amongst the rows of buses and cars outside the ground, one could sense an almost unnatural quiet, the people were subdued, the overwhelming defeat had come as a great shock. However, there was little time for immediate regret and it is typical of the Maori that win or lose there should be some form of celebration. In homes and halls all over Auckland thousands met. The people found an opportunity to have family and tribal reunions and others found a good excuse for just having a party. The scene at Te Papapa—a hall hired by a private Auckland citizen to entertain some 120 visiting relations—was a typical one. Here the programme took the form of a hangi kai followed by a social which lasted till the early hours of the morning. At these gatherings the traditional songs and dances of the Maori made up for the day's disappointment. The game was over and now the opportunity came to sum up the pleasanter aspects of the weekend. Most memorable probably was the way it brought people closer together. Maori and pakeha mingled with one another, new friendships were created and old ones renewed. Rugby showed that it was not just a sport but also a social institution for forming healthy relationships. As the Minister of Maori Affairs said the following day when the Springboks were welcomed at Turangawaewae: ‘Sport serves as a channel for the instilling of goodwill and fellowship among people, races and nations.’ Walsh (New Zealand Maoris) passes the ball to Menzies on being tackled by A. I. Fitzpatrick. Pat Walsh, a schoolteacher, played as full-back in the first two tests, and as centre in the Maori match and the fourth test. (NPS Photograph)