McKenzie Gives Good Report of Tour

Chronicle (Levin), 1 July 1947, Page 8

McKenzie Gives Good Report of Tour

Press As^ociation

By Telegmph-

AUCKLAND, June 30. Eiglit membei's o± tJie Ali Black team •whicli touced Australia, and tixe assis ■ta.ut inanager, M.r JNr. McKenzie, arriveu in Auckland by 'Tasman flying boa. from Sydney this afternoon. Eigin otlier players were oii'-loaded owing ,to bad weather and the nec.essity of earry iiig extra ixetrol. The players who ar riv-ed weie K. iD. Arnold, E. H. Catley J. C. Ivearney, jR, W M. Heott, J. B. Umith, .J. (j. Sirnpso.il, P. L. Tetzlaff. and N. H. Thornton. The renxainiiq. Ali Blacks are expeeted to arrdve to uiorrow afternoon. ' ' We had a most enjoyable tour anu the hospitality all round /was .outstand ing? ' said J\ir. McKenzie. "Enthusi asm -for Eugby in Australia was realiv surprising'. ' ' Speaking of t'lie hospitality extendec to th'e A'll Blacks, Mr. McKenzie sain he was surprised to read the statemem of the manager. Of the tSouth Afriea-i. soccer teani, Mr.-J. A. Barbour, regarct ing the treatment met.ed out to that team in Australia. He did not khov\ about the semi-professional or the pno fessional aspect, but the Wallabi.es Rugby. team whicli "toured South Afriqa in 1933 tendered a dinner to the visiit ing youth African soccer players wliih ,fhey >vere in Australia. Mr. McKe.m.-.ie did not wish to make any eomparisons between the preseai All Blacks ainl past combinations. Tjhc preseut team, he said, had made a re cord which had never been attempted by^ any otlier All Blaclc team. It played •nine matches in 23 days and four games in' eiglit days, including a test, two games against Queensland and one against Kew )South Wales. It travelleu lo,000 miles during this period. The whole of the All Black teaan entered into the spirit of the tour with the paramount desire to help Rugby in Australia., said Mr. McKenzie. Every member of the team played in keeping with his reputation and all were, a credit to the country and the provinces they represented. "I have never trav.elled with a fmer team. The players wiilnngly did everything asked of them. rhey were always punctual and in spite of the overwheliiiing hospitality, all at tended the official functions, " he .added. ' ' The players created a very t'avourable imyression througliout Aus l ra'lia. ' ' (Tjuestioned on the standard of Rugbv in Australia, Mr. McKenzie said it was nigher than he had expected. He con nUered the Australians would do weh ou their tour cf England now they liad adopted the Kew Zealand style oc for .. ard pjay. This style was adopted in the last test match due no doubt to tlucoaching of the foriuer AU Black, H Masters, with a good measure of sueeess. ypeaking of individual Australiau players Mr. McKenzie considered that C. Burke, halfback, had stood up welJ to a severe gruelling and his passing from the scrum had improved. A. vValker, centre, had impressed liim a great deai and if Walker went to England he was sure to establish a reputation. T. AJlan, centre, was another fine player but owing to injuries he playeu only twice against the All Blacks. G. Cooke Av^ts undoubtedlv an outstandijng •foiward. His style or play was simihtr to that in Kew Zealand. Asked liis op.inion 011 the standard of tcfereeiu-f exper.ienced Mr. Mclvenzic said the Australiau officials were t'ho rough ly impartial. . It was only natura. that the difference in interpretation of ruies in sonte aspects was upsetting to the All Blacks. He had no doubt that Lhe Australians experieaced similar dif liculties On their Kew Zealand tour last season. AJ r. II. A. Tolliurst, who epa trolled the last New youth Wales gaine, gave a ruling more in keeping with Ihe Ncw Zealand idea of tlie internationa! rules. He was an internationai playeand toured New Zealand witli the Aus cralian team in 193(1. The hard grounds experienced exactpd ra'toil :pf ^he-All Blaekr players, c^ntin; , iiecl • Mr. McKenzie. "In tlie gaiixe (at? foowoomba the team was reduced to eight fonvards including four front r.ow players. Webster, fullback, was emergeney forward for that day. The club spirit in Rugby throughout Australia was remarkable and particulai ly well orgaxiised. Three clubs, es pecially Randwick, St. George and Western yuburbs, were iavish in tlieir entertainment oi the All Blacks. The facilf•ties for training and location of tlie touring team were exeellent and attention devoted by all the Australian oiiicials could not be excelled. .