THE ALL BLACKS’ TOUR

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27410, 24 July 1954, Page 3

THE ALL BLACKS’ TOUR

BOOKS BY JOURNALIST AND BROADCASTER

Bob Stuart’s All Blacks. By Terry McLean. A. H. and A. W. Reed. 21C> pp.

Round the World With the All Blacks 1953-54. By Winston McCarthy. Sporting Publications, Wellington.

Each of these books about the recent tour of the All Blacks was written by a man who had a special and privileged vantage point from first to last. Both Mr McLean and Mr McCarthy saw the trials before the 195354 All Blacks were selected, both travelled with the team and were j members of the official party, both saw I 'all the matches. Consequently, their : accounts of the games and their | lopinions and conclusions will be readi ‘with interest and respect—if not alI ways with full agreement—by Rugby followers in New Zealand. i Both writers take their task very seriously; in both books there are analyses of most persons and things I connected with the tour. Some of the I analyses will contribute usefully to a l critical examination of the merits and faults in New Zealand Rugby. However, it is hard to see the need fori I others —for instance, for Mr McLean’s analysis of various players almost to the point of psychoanalysis. It is dif-1 ficult to believe that Rugby followers are greatly interested in who was‘ moody, who was homesick or shy, or even who was respectful. Or has the | time come when New Zealand Rugby followers take their “stars” as seriously i as film addicts take theirs? ‘ Both writers give impressions of the All Blacks’ opponents, their methods, land standards. These impressions go a long way towards showing why the New Zealanders had an exacting tour ‘ and, measured by the quality of the opposition, a highly successful one. Mr i McLean’s impressions of Welsh Rugby are specially illuminating. Both writers have interesting observations to make about the conduct of the tour, playing policy, and practice methods. Both writers comment at length on what has become known as the “Haig-Bowers controversy.” and both writers suffer from a misconception about the strength of feeling in New Zealand on this point. For instance, when writing about the selection of Haig for three internationals out of five, Mr McLean says- “While the team itself took the decisions well, New Zealand appeared to be outrageously disturbed.” The impression in New Zealand at the time was that the persons most disturbed were Rugby writers for the British newspapers. Again, at the beginning of the tour those persons were bitter critics of the All Blacks, but it is difficult to believe that New Zealand was as upset about what the Britisn critics were saying as Mr McLean seems to think when he writes that| “even the Prime Minister of New Zealand, the Rt. Hon. S. G. Holland became aggrieved at the tone oi British criticism of the team. His bitterest political critic would not so ingenuously accuse Mr Holland oi having failed to grow up. . . The literary styles of the two books are in striking contract. Mr McCarthy’s is homespun; in fact, as one reads one hears the voice of Mr McCarthy. which is so well known to New 'Zealanders who have heard it from the broadcasting boxes of many famous football grounds. Mr McLean has a different touch, as those who read his cabled reports during the tour know. It is a pity that Mr McLean’s book is marred in places by hastv writing. Both books have excellent statistical sections and many good photographs. The photographs in Mr McLean’s book are very good mdeßecause players on the tour are prohibited from writing about the tour for two years, presumably these two books must suffice for :some time to give Rugby followers throughout the world permanent impressions of tne tour. It is doubtful whether the prohibition is thoroughly fair to the players or of advantage to New Zealand Rugby.