NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALLERS

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1615, 30 November 1905, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALLERS

DEFEAT OF MUNSTER.

By telegraph, Fresa Asa’n, Copyright London, Nov. 29. I Tho match between Iho Now Zoaland I team and Munstor resulted: I Now Zoaland 88 I Munster . ... 0 I I IXhore woro 6000 spectators present, j Tho weather was fine, and • tho ground in I fair condition. Munster wero outclassed from tho start. Abbott (Taranaki) soored two tries early in tho spell, whilo Glasgow I (Taranaki) plaood a penally goal. Tbon Glasgow, MoGregor (Wellington), and Roberts (Wellington) obtained a try oaoh, one of which was converted, all before half-time, tho sooro thon being: Now Zoaland 20, Munstor 0. In tho seoond half Munslor showed improved form. Fast and oxoiting play ensued. Booth (Otago), Roberts, and Stead (Southland) oaoh got a try, of which Glasgow convorted two. Timo was oallod with tho sooro: New Zealand 88, Munstor 0.

The Government message states The Now Zealanders dofeated Munster by 88 points to nil, 8 goals, 6 tries, and 1 penally goal. Abboit soored throe tries, and Stead, Booth, McGregor, Glasgow, and Roberts ono oaoh. PRESS COMMENTS.

s By fclegraph, Press Ass’n, Copyright * I Received 6.28 p.m., Nov 29. / i Sydney, Nov. 29. r Tho London Daily Mail says tho dis- ! play in the Somerset match was in many , I rospeois tho worst tho Now Zealanders have yet givon. Tho team was not so I good as tho aido which defeated Glou* ‘ oestorshire. Tho combination was inferior, and they did not possess the same dash. Tho absonoo of Smith, Hunter, and Roberts seemed to put the machinery out of gear. The absence of Roberts, tho sorum half, was perhaps the most severely felt.. He has to reoeive all the hard knocks and do all the dirty work. He gets none of the oredit if things go right, and all the blams if they go wrong. The little man who forms the connecting link between the two great pieces of maohinery is soaroely notioed, but i£ his work is not done expeditiously the maohinery is liable to break down. His work may not be so showy as that of Smith, Wallaoe, and Huntor, but if tho New Zealanders are to be beaten it will probably be when this quiet, unobtrusive player is absent. If the backs in the Somerßot match did not reach the usual standard of excellenoo, tho forwards wore as good as ever. Somerset, always a famous forward team, did not disgraoe their best traditions. The colonials had to doal with a pack almost as powerful as themselves. Tho tackling on both sides was strenuous, but there were no casualties. Though beaten in the tight scrums, the Somerset forwards ware very good in the loose rushes, while the following up was as keen as that of the New Zealanders. The ground was uneven, rough, and deoidedly narrow. In defeating the Devonport Albions the New Zealanders incidentally gave the Devonians an object lesson in the art of try-getting, whioh should prove of practical value. It was ona of the hardest game the New Zealanders • were called upon to play. For the first time they met a combination- and not - a collection of individual units. It speaks volumes for the originality of tifeir methods and tho genius of tho players that, alter having none the better of a keeDly-fought first half, they gradually wore their opponents down, and at the close scored pretty much as they choose. The first 40 minutes of the game will long be remembered by the New Zealanders. At the start the Albions appeared to be suffering from stage fright ; and allowed the colonials to score a soft try iu the first few minutes. The ease with whioh they obtained it seemed to show the penetratibility of the New Zealander’s armour. Thenceforward the j Albion forwards took the game in our , hands. Keeping the ball as close as they could they initiated their opponents into • tho art of wheeling scrums. They broke through time and again, and swept np the field in irresistible phalanx,, with the ball at the too. Every moment a score ap- I peared to be imminent, but the plack and coolness of Stead, aod tho brilliant kicking of Gillett, prevented a score. Right up to half time did the Albion men keep up their heroic effort; Although five points down they had none the worst of the fast, exciting struggle. In the second spell everyone expected the local men to do even better, but whether the tremendons exertions had taken too much out of them, or whether the New Zealanders improved their game, tho faet remains that there was only one team in it after the change of ends. The second half saw the New Zealanderß at their best, the backs giving electrifying display of combination, interspersed with individual efforts whioh bewildered their opponents. Their ability to change their tactics to suit the ocoasion was one of the chief charms of the New Zealanders’ play. Their men are opportunists in tho best sense of the word. Red tape is entirely absent in their methods. Smith was very much in evidenoe. His pace made him a prime favorite with the orowd.. ■ f