The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. AIONDAY, JULY 6, 1908. SATURDAY’S MATCH.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2235, 6 July 1908, Page 2

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. AIONDAY, JULY 6, 1908. SATURDAY’S MATCH.

From a spectacular point of view the match played between tho British team and representatives of Poverty Bay was an attractive display that must have fully compensated those who went to considerable trouble to be present. The unstinted applause of the large crowd when the visitors executed some of their swift passing rushes or cleverly engineered a 6crum was e rtent'indication.that the spectators 'cor ..lore than- satis-,, lied from the p Jilt of view of mere entertainment. Aloro important, however, is the consideration of what the great match should; have 'taught our local players, for such visits lose their chief value if,bur own athletes do not profit from what they see; No one could fail to admire the British team as they took the field for they were physically a magnificent sot of men, yet as individual units the representatives of Poverty Bay , showed that on the day they were little if at all inferior to their doughty opponents. True, they lost the match by a substantial niargin, but the entire score could be safely attributed to the superior combination and the knowledge of the finer points of the game possessed by the Britishers. It is, of course, scarcely expected that a Ideal representative team with few opportunities for combined play can attain 'that machine-like precision which comes to a- fifteen which has trained and played together for a lengthy period, but a good deal snore could bo done than was on the present occasion. The selection of a representative team in the future should be made, much earlier, and once chosen no stone should be left unturned on the part of players to secure combined practice. In the important department of line kicking our representatives compared very unfavorably with tho visitors, the result being to put an infinite amount of extra work on the forwards. Afany of tho Britishers, moreover, showed excellent aptitude in kicking from any position, and the ability to kick the ball accurately over their own heads was proved to be of excellent value when tho back' is retiring from a forward rush. Our backs too, should have learnt something from Saturday’s experience dn the art of passing. In place of tho wild and. apparently aimless throwing of the ball .which is usually seen in local matches the Britishers sent short, swift passes, always well timed, and landing just where ■it was intended they should, land, namely, in the hands oPthe nearest back. AVo were shown, also that even the All Blacks have not learned all there is to learn in tho science of scrum work and the methods of the visitors, in this connection are worthy of : close study. Where local players' excelled was in the brilliance of their tackling, and -the great dash until which they played from start to finish of the game A pleasant feature of the match was the sportsmanlike spirit in which it was played, and in this respect the visitors undoubtedly left an excellent impression. Their visit should have sot up a new standard for local Rugby players, and given them many useful hints for perfection in this popular pastime.