All Blacks Lose Tension And Seriousness

Chronicle (Levin), 26 July 1949, Page 5

All Blacks Lose Tension And Seriousness

(N.Z.P.A.-

— Reuter.

ComiHaht)

Received Tuesday, 10 a.m. BULAWAYO, July 25. Those who have followed. the All Blacks froni the begihnihg of th'eif ' I tour are amhzeck at ' the ' t'ransfor'mation among\the players. Gon-e is the tension and jextremen jseri©us"r. . hess of the early stages. v. ' 1 A prominent South African jour-. nalist who, ,s4aiy rthem-4n ^lapou-st mood f Ba4SUday?s marke'd': "This'is'now a feal rugby team. They are playing well and relaxing well. They- have got the bit between their teeth and will .take a power of-stoppihg:"'" ■ I The team is a remarkably happy one. Personal' ' disappoiritments have been accepted with excellent ,grace and two stories exem-plify I this, I When the team- for the Rhodesian match was announced, Delamore, who has played iu only three games and who is now at centre, said to Kearney and Allen: - "If you chaps don't let the ball out smartly we will drop you from the social team and put; you back in the A side." I The second- story relates to a discussion on Catley being penalised after a particularlv fast heel from a scrum. The suggestion was made that the proper cure was the perfection of a slow •heel.' whefeupon Wilson piped up: "Why not put me in the side. I can do thaf^." Team talks have been a fegular feature and the-riiahner in which criticism is given and aqcepted has .^wther add-ed -.to the gQod rela- , tioiis. . i . l v -