HOME AGAIN!

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 239, 9 October 1928, Page 8

HOME AGAIN!

TANNED AND SMILING. AUCKLAND'S ALL BLACKS REIURN.

MEMORIES OF A GREAT TRIP. ■ BROWNLIE TROUBLE "ALL PIFFLE' ! With tanned and smiling faces, their j football kit-bags under their arms and travelling cases full of souvenirs to remind them of their wonderful four months' tour of South Africa, Auckland's ( five representatives in the All Blacks , Messrs. F. W. Lucas, T. R. Sheen, R. G. , McWilliams, S. Jladley and I. Finlayson (Northland), came back to their home- : land by the Marama to-day. The party were welcomed home on board the steamer by Mr. H. Frost and other Rugby Union officials, and there was a crowd of players, supporters, and friends to give the quintet a cheer as they filed down the gangway. All five looked fit and well as they waved cheery greetings to their friends and relations on the wharf while the Marama moved into her berth. "What kind of a trip did you have, Freddy?' camcs voices from the wharf, but the smiling Lucas was far too busy talking to a little lady down below him, The bantering Finlayson, towering above the rest, smiled and chidded. "How's she going, Bunny?" somebody called to Finlayson. "Ask Freddy when he has finished arguing' with his wife," said Finlayson in hip jovial way. But all this bantering made not the slightest difference, for these five All Blacks had been away from their homes for six months and had much to talk about and much to hear. Even Sheen's moustache, quite a neat affair, cultivated during the trip, went unnoticed in the excitement of his welcome. Down the gangway they lumbered under the weight of heavy travelling cases—-lion skins, shot in Rhodesia (?), and Spring' bok heads concealed—and as they stepped onto the wharf there was a rousing cheer from those who had gathered to greqt them. "Piffle," "What's ajl this trouble about Brownlie T" one of the team was asked. "Well, I don't know where this story came from, but you pan bet pn it that them's nothing in it. It's all piffle," he said, "I don't know how anyone could suggest there was any funny business with Maurie. Everything went smoothly from start to finish. This story of twe camps was ail rot. All the team pulled wtsjl together and the only time arguments took place was at 'team talks, 1 when tactics were thrashed gut. Then there were real arguments, b«t that wag what the 'team talks' were for. "Yes, it was a great trip," said Hadley "but it was very hard. The amount of travelling we had to do took it out oi us a good deal. People at home seemed to expect us to romp through, putting up reco?d scores everywhere. They seemed to get disheartened when we lost Apparently they have forgotten New Zealand'* 1021 experience, They don't seem to realise (or they don't want tc realise) that South Africa knows just as much about Rugby as wa do. And don't forget South Africa had the box seats.' "I am not quite certain, but it is quite likely that I Shall never be abie to play again, ?? said Reg- Sheen wheij asked if his knee had mepd e d> " Stick To Our Own Rules." "Sjtick to our own rules," said Lucas when he was asked whether he thought New Zealand would go back to the old iules. "I don't think he knows much abput it, because he only played In one of the Tests," smiled Mrs. Lucas from undei her pretty little hat. ♦ f I really don't thjnk for a moment that we need to go back to the old rules but I certainly think wa w}U pa.ve tc start serious scrummaging. That is the biggest lesson we learned from the Springboks. ' I believe there has been a lot of talfc While we have been away about adapting the or the 3—4 —1 scrum. Personally, I don't believe there is any need for that. My idea" is that we will have tQ train ojif wing-forward, or rQY§F» to play as a 'loose head' wfr en occasion arises. If our coming rovers are coached and skillfully taught the method and the value of 'loose head' play, they can still be the bustlfng winger In ordinary matches, but still hold a trump card to play , w hen they find tfcgy are up against a pack. "If eyery rover was taught how to play as a 'Jopse head,' »n4 drummed intfi him In early foptbal] days, he woujd ppver forget it, The result would W that in a few years' time ouv royprs wqu}4 %!! gP°4 Jspow: ledge of 'loose head' play- TJie yt&y Stewart worked the 'loose hpad' in fbe final Test was a great piepe gf work,' said Lucas. < f What <lo yqu think P f South African backs ?'•—"They a? e lu'1 u 't e a g°Pd 4 lot and several of th e Ul are exceptional under the old rules,'' Lucas i coijtinped. "Bennie Osier is a master with his boot and is a clever al!7rouu4 player, yafl der Westhuizen is another box of tjicks.' <'Do you think South Africa backs are as clever as- — f'Hurry up, Fred, the taxi has been waiting for a long time now," prjyinpted Mrs. Lucas and off they went.

PRESTIGE UPHELD.

SUCCESS OF THE TQUR

"We are all glad to be home."'

Tliis is what each of Auckland's five All $lack representatives gaicj, }n a Rightly different way, q,t the official welcome extended to the quintet by the Auckland Rugby Union in the Chamber of Gqmmerce at mid-day today.

"I wish to welcome you home on behalf of the Rugby Union, the players,' and the Auckland football public,?? said Mr! J. Arneilj president of' the' local union. "As members of the All Black team, I congratulate you oh tl)e success of the tour." Some people will say that the tour was not a great success, but the Important fact "is that you held your own in the Tests. For the final {•awe ngainst South Africa you re: f ordorl in right good fashioh." (Applause.)

Apart from the sporting aspect of the tpur, sajfl Mr. Arneil, ther was no doubt that the team had done a Jpt pf good from an Imperialistic point of

view. South Africa had been more talked about in recent months than for thirty years, and good results had to come from the tour. The local members of the team, finished Mr. Arneil, had worthily upheld the honour of Auckland football, and he hoped that they would again don the jersey next season. A welcome on behalf of the citizens of Auckland was extended by Mr. A. J. Entrican, the Deputy-Mayor, who referred to the great interest that had been taken in the tour, The All Blacks' visit to South Africa was one of the best advertisements New Zealand had ever had, as practically the whole world had been interested in their doings. "The performance of the All Blacks on their tour is one of which we are all very proud," declared Sir James Qunson. Throughout the ebb and flow their fortunes I never lost faith in the team, and I am certain that other Rugbyites didn't. I am quite satisfied that the team that has just returned constituted a team second to none that ever left New Zealand. The hopes of New Zealandera were justified in the last Test. No team ever upheld the prestige pf New Zealand football better than the 1928 All Blacks. The honours of the tour were even, and no doubt both teams benefited. We can improve our game, and we shall have to improve it if we are to hold our place in the Rugby world," added Sir James. "We have had a great tour, but the more we gaw of other places the more we valued our own country," said Mr, F, W. Lucas, in replying to the welcome. "South African football speaks for itself. They are jolly good footballers and hard scrummagers over there. They taught us something, but I think that we also taught them a little. After this tour I think we ean hold our own under New Zealand rules," he declared. Speaking of the reported dissension among members of the team, Mr. Lucas said: "You can take it from me that all that talk is tommy rot. We had a few arguments at times, but that was only natural. There was never anything at whieh to take exception." The other members of the quintet, Messrs. I. Finlayson, T. R. Sheen, S. Hartley and R. McWilliams, also briefly replied. Following the meeting there waß a wealth of handshaking.