"MOST SUCCESSFUL"

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 4, 6 January 1936, Page 7

"MOST SUCCESSFUL"

THE TOUR REVIEWED

COMMENTS BY SELECTOR

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

GREYMOUTH, This Day.

Mr. Alan Adams, one of the selectors, interviewed by the Greymouth "Star," expressed the opinion that the All Blacks' tour was most successful. The team was unfortunate in the matter of injuries and sickness, and strain was placed upon the players by the number of Thursday and Saturday fixtures arranged.

Discussing the win by Wales, Mr. Adams said that in 1905 New Zealand was beaten by Wales, which was then at the peak in Rugby football, and the 1924 team with its unbeaten record were fortunate to find Welsh football at probably its weakest period since the war. Last season the Home critics were agreed that Wales was fast approaching its pre-war standard, so that the performance of the 1935 team was splendid against a country which had previously scored wins against the 1905 New Zealand team and the 1908 Australian team, and had only lost by a penalty goal to the 1912 South African team. ENGLAND'S WIN. "Although the record of twenty-seven games played, with the constant travelling and the necessity of keeping in regular training, is a big strain on the plyers with the likelihood of staleness developing, nothing can detract from the splendid victory gained by the English side over our boys," continued Mr. Adams. "It is obvious that the visit from New Zealand and the visits by the South African and Austra'/m teams have developed the tactical play of the Home countries, who always had individual talent and. e.-^ept Wales, were generally content to rely on it rather than on combined effort. Successive tours to the Old Country have shown us that they have players of a calibre equal to our own and the lessons learnt from touring sides have been taken to heart, and now England Ireland, and Scotland are able to place in the field teams capable of measuring up to the best Dominion standards, all of which is for the good of the game. I have always been of the opinion that Wales, despite a few lean seasons, has always been in the front rank in international-Rugby.

"I am sure that the 1935 New Zealand team has proved a most popular body of men on and off the field and have been worthy representatives in every respect of all that is best in New Zealand sport. They have been very fortunate in having at their head Mr. Meredith, who has had a most difficult task through the injuries and the illness of many of his team. When the record of the tour is written I am sure we will find that no touring team from New Zealand has ever had as the manager one more capable of looking after the interests of a team and of upholding in every way his position as the representative of New Zealand's national game. "ONE JARRING NOTE." "One jarring note in connection with the tour has come from within New Zealand, where' some ex-players rushed early into print and at the commencement of the tour were determined to see no good in the team ov its manager and were obsessed with the idea that the only footballers produced in New Zealand were of their time, and that, incidentally, they themselves had set up an unapproachable' standard. They adopted a most ungenerous attitude towards the touring side. The 1935 team can rest Satisfied that whilst they by their sportsmanlike conduct both on and off the field have built up a wonderful reputation for themselves and New Zealand Rugby, the reputations of these vindictive writers have dropped considerably in the minds of all New Zcalantlers loving fair play."