RUGBY PROFESSIONALS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 15, 12 October 1907, Page 9

RUGBY PROFESSIONALS.

CHANCES OF. SUCCESS. (By W. M'Kc'nzio.) The""All Black Professionals," tlio; Rugby' adventurers of -Maoniand have ' commenced" thole-tour > iiu Great Brit-i ain, and upon-, -thcirvi'cliances - : of suc- ; cess hangs the future of New Zealand;. Rugby. Should their be' success-., ful,' then: up will- go the apple-cart of amateurism as at; present , constituted; Should they be .unsuccessful, then, so far as New Zealand is concerned, they will \.bo '■ Rugby outcasts, ' and professionalism will-liave received a serious set-back. .. A. Miracle. ....; It --is somewhat lucky ■■ for' the Now Zealand Union that the " All Black." Professionals, have a . cpinparativ.ejy poor chance , of making their tour a triumph. : liv,any case;, it would bo a miraclo if they could emulate. the .achievements of their predecessors, tho ." All Blacks."' "Assuming; that ;a professional, in! anything .is> a-- better exponent than; : anAaraateur.ptho men > of* the Northern'! Rugby- Union should bo 3 tho :champidir.'f6otbal!ers of the'world. BaskivilloV pla'yors' are not eveh the' best in~Now-Zealand, and to add'tol their troubles they are going to tackle ft.gamd 'whicli,. ,iii a 'great .measure, must .be new : to them'.' iS '- :.'f This now game is,a; .racehorse, gamo,* That will not 1 ' Effect''tliti'" New'~Zoalail-' ! dors to an injurious extent.if' their back division is what' it is represented to be, ■ but. there are, grave, doubts ex-, .pressed;in our- Rugfcy-worid th'it Bonie of."askervillo's.; backs,. . notably..',; Smith and M'Gregor,' are going; to, bury. thoir great football reputations on the Yorkshira: grounds, as some of the British generals did theirs on the battlefields of South Africa. y An Important " If." .If Smith wore tlio Smith of - old; M'Gregor only;; half as good, as ho was, at' one time, and Messenger only half, tho maii tho Australians think, ho is,, the " All Black " Professionals would sometimes make things, hum. . Thov • would'put up big fights ill, big matches",, and would-make a good showing all round. But even then they ; coulil hardly expect to win tho most important fixtures,' owing to the fact that tho'Northerners; ,if pressed, can make. .a;;.seleetion, from tho. whole of Great Britain. . . ■ - Every one of us knows that this .team is only a mediocre combination;' but if it had stuck to Now Zealanders only there would liavo been a .few more of us who would have wished it greater success. However, it secured Messenger of Now South Wales, and,'.with tho modesty, which is characteristic of thorn, ,tlio Australians are already saying that. tho" Cornstalk three-quarter back will bo responsible for tho victories which are to;bo woiv The results"of-..t1i0 igamos.'will be awaited herd' ,with keen interest, " The Native Team. Tho Native team which visited Great Britain in 188S-ISS9 numbered twentyfive players, with Mr. T. liyton as manager. Tlio.team was composed of: .Fred, Arthur, William, "Joe," and Alfred Warbriek; ''Tab.'," H and Georgo Wynyard; W. Madigan, D. R. Gage, E. M. M'Cansland, P. Koogli, H. Lee, C. Goldsmith, Nohua, T. 1?. J3llispn,' R.; Taiaroa, W. Anderson, 1). Stewart; J.. Rone, G. Williams, W, Elliott, Ihimaira, Webster, and MayHard.-' ■ •• Tho t%m- played .',74 matches, won 49, drew.' 5; lost- 20; ..points-': for, 394; 'against',: 183.' Goals; for, 93;: against, 43: .Tries, 115; against, 59." - : _ Of this, team tho following, have crossed the Great Goal -line,: * W. Warbrick, " jod ". .Warbrickv F.' Warbriek, C. , Mndigari, H. VLee,' Goldsmith, TV R. Ellison, Wobstor, Arthur Warbriek, Maynard, J. Reno, W. Anderson. The " All Blacks." Tho " All Black " team which visited England consisted of the. following players:—* ■--• ■ Backs, G. Gillett, R. G. Deans, E. T. Harper, E. E. Booth, W. J. Wallace, D: M'Gregor, F.: Roberts, H. D. Thomson, G. W. Smith, H. J. Mynott, J. Hunter, H. Abbott, J. W. Stead. Forwards: S." Casey, A. M'Donald, W. Johnstone, C. Seeling, W. Cunningham, G. Tylor, W- Maekrell, W. Nicholson, F. Glasgow, J. O'Sullivan,' W. S. Glenn, F. Norton, J. Corbott, D. Gallagher. Manager: Mr. G. Dixon.' Coach: Mr. J. Duncan._ .The'team played thirty-one, games in tho United Kingdom, and .won every match excont' .tho ono against .Wales, which was lost by 3 to nil. A game played in Franco resulted in. a win by 38 to 8, and throo games .played in America wore won easily. _ Tho team scored 830. points in tho United Kingdom, and had 39 scored against it ; 103 goals wore scored for and 6 against, and 109 tries for and 5 against.