THE ALL BLACKS’ TOUR.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 29 October 1924, Page 4

THE ALL BLACKS’ TOUR.

MATCH WITH SCOTLAND. STRENUOUS EFFORTS. TO SECURE A GAME. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. Received Oct. 29, 11.15 a.m LONDON, Oct. 28. The keenest disappointment and a certain amount of resentment is felt by Rugbyites throughout Scotland at the failure of the authorities to arrange matches with the New Zealanders. Although the Scottish Union is not taking action and is unlikely to recede from its original attitude, it is genially believed that efforts are afoot to arrange one match later in the sea-' spn, -independently of the Union’s management. The greatest difficulty will be in securing a ground, unless the Union sanction th« match. It is pointed out, however, that it might he possible to secure a soccer ground if the match was played in mid-week. , DELAYED REPORTS. (by telegraph—press association. WELLINGTON. Oct. 29. has been received from the Telegraph Department that owing to a protest having been made bv a New Zealand firm against press cables receiving priority the Pacific Cable Board cannot now see its way to expedite the transmission of football reports as promised. It has also been ascertained that there is a great delay in the transmission , of these" reports from the provinces to London. Arrangements were made to lodge the report of the first spell at the interval, but the only result, so far, is that this message comes to hand with the '■emainder lodged at the conclusion of the game. RECEPTION AT PLYMOUTH. FIRST MATCH, SOME IMPRESSIONS. (Special to Star.) Writing after the Gloucester match on September 25, Mr. B. C. Bennett sends us some very interesting comments on the initial " stages of the tour, the reception on landing the impression created by the team and their, play, and the wonderful manifestation of a desire on the part of the people everywhere to do everything in their power to as it were act as their hosts and entertain them riofit royally and well. Mr. Bennett says: ‘ ‘Wonderfully received everywhere, civic reception and escorted bv bands; entertained at banquets, sight-seeing; morning, afternoon and evening going at high pressure; the good feeling is great; New Zealand stands high everywhere in public estimation. It is a great advertisement for the Dominion."’ Continuing, he writes: “Many thousands turn out a.t every place at which we put up; we are cheered at each and every stopping place en route, and it’s all deeply sincere, vWe can thank the 1905 team for a good deal of this, in addition to the way work, which is well known all over England.” SOME SMALL SCORES. Commenting on the small scores in three of the opening matches, Mr. Bennett clears up a rather had impression created in the minds of many when be says: “With our small scores you will wonder what is wrong. Tt's all right. The only dry ground so far gave us 29 to nil—against Cornwal. We have experienced unusually wet weather, and consequently grounds are in a shocking state. Such 'grounds give no side-, heavy scores, and are quite against our style of play, hut the team improves every game.” GLOUCESTER, MATCH.

A very neatly got up “official souvenir programme,” in red and black, printed and published under the auspices of the Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union, has been sent to us by Mr. Bennett, and in addition a series of papers from the various places. This programme describes the match as “Grand Rugby football match : New Zealand v. Glo’stershire. Kick off 3.30 p.m.” The fixtures are given, with details of the “First All Blacks, their names, their total scores, the teams for the local match in 1905, and a detailed description of the physique of the present players—name, district, age, height and weight.” It is interesting to note that the Gloucester team played seven forwards, two halves, one five-eighth, four three-quai-ters and a back. The men all came from Bristol and Gloucester, with the exception of one each fro™ Cardiff, and Cinderford. The information is most complete and will doubtless be read with keen interest. ' j ANOTHER ACCOUNT. The following is from the report in the Western News (Plymouth and Exeter) of the welcome to the All Blacks: —.• GOOD SPORTS-MEN. The Mayor of Plymouth, in welcoming the tourists, said he was glad to have the opportunity of extending to them a welcome to the Westcountry, especially as they had come from the land known as the “British Switzerland.” They came from a land that was marked by recognition of enterprise and hard work. He believed they were successful men, and that they were also proud to belong to the Empire. “We also are proud of what New Zealand has done for the Empire, and we are also proud to claim you as good sportsmen. 5 In Devonshire we have had for a long time very successful teams, and I am only sorry that such a distinguished player as Butcher is unable to be here to-day in consequence of an accident he met with on the football field.” Proceeding, the Mayor said he was glad to greet them, to give them a British welcome in return for the great reception they had given our isailors in the special squadron of ships, including the Hood, which had lately visited New Zealand. “You gave them a very hearty welcome to your country, and we thank you for it.” The Mayor referred to the historic association of Plymouth with the glorious past, and suggested that on the very spot where the Remuera was anchored such men as Drake and Raleigh sailed away to make history. It v r as from Plymouth, too, that Sir Humphrey Gilbert, with seven little ships of 70 tons, left to found the colony of Newfoundland. In England they thought a great deal of the British Empire, and those who had seen it as represented at Wembley knew that New Zealand was no unimportant part of it. Some striking impressions are given in a Home paper which devotes much

esSanv to football especially. Dealing first with a compamcm with old times, the writer A clear measure of the improveait? U l ™^ hsh Ru « b y football was ffiven at Plymouth to-day. The wonderful “All Blacks” New y Zea,knd Si Jo w % £ a,tch could onlv manage to beat the Devon county , side by 1 goal and 2 tries (11 points) to none. ■RloS r P re decessors, the All Blacks of J 905. ran up a cricket score ot more than 50 points in their similar match against Devon. It was a football surprise the way the sturdy, men of_Devon battled against the NeuJ Zealand giants, and in the end were doing most' of the attacking. THIE OPENING/ Twenty thousand spectators of oa me from London, watched the game. . The Rectory Oround at.Devonporfc is a pocket affair between a railway line and a river, so small that the spectators had difficulty m not overbalancing and crowding on to the playing field. The whole place was so packed that if every one had taken a deep breath together half would have been in the river. It was a far, far tighter squeeze than a Derby Day or a Cup Final. - THE TEAMS. Devon.-i Capt. Baker (Services), W. R. Syms (Plymouth Albion), SubLieut. Lee, Lieut. Garratt (Services), 7^ ewto ?) i halves, J. Hanley (Albion), R. Knapman (Service®) Lieut. Douglas (Tinerton); forwards! F- 'W. Sanders, L.: R: Stephens (Albion), J. C. R. Buchanan, T. R Jones, W. Rew (Exeter), W. Mole : (Newton), Boddy (Albion). New Zealand.^ —Nepia, Svenson, Brown, Lucas, Nicholls, Cooke, Dailey Porter, Munro, Donald, Brownlie, Masters, Stewart, West, Richardson. The forwards are mountainous men, every one, and the backs are thickset and solid. The Maori war cry was the All Blacks’ first success. It is a most, complicated chorus business of gutterais, accompanied by aptions with i the feet and fists, and finally a gentle I arm trembling as the tune dies into t silence. G. E. Nepia., the pure blood New Zealand native and brilliant fullback, headed the war cry. As for the game, it was in the first stages a “dog fight,” with both teams v aw-edged with excitement. The New Zealanders are amazingly fast, thev forwards overmastered by their bulk and hurricane rushes. Their footwork is not particularly good. Behind the scrum the backs seemed to play too close to their forwards for English ideas, but their passing is quick, and they are specially skilful at the reverse and in-and-out passing movements. They do not make as much ground as they should, however. It seemed to me that a good wing forward would play a great deal of havoc with their scheme of attack. THE GAME. And what a glorious fight it was! Not notably scientific, perhaps—the weather prevented that—hut as vigorous as you please, the sort of- game, that only men bard as British oak could survive. Although people had come from all parts for the match it was not found necessary to close the gates of the ground, which will not hold more than 20,000 people. But when the All Blacks came running on to the field the spectators cheered with a volume that would have done credit to a- 50,000 strong crowd. It was a splendid Westcountry welcome, a thing to remember. Then came the New Zealanders’ w&rcry—which combines something approaching a war dance. They kept perfect time; but the affair suggested a foreign “turn’’ in a music-hall programme rather than the prelude to a Rugby match. It served, however, as an amusing interlude to the very, very business of the match. ANOTHER, ACCOUNT. STOPPED BY PERFECT TACKLING When the county fifteen, muday, soaked with rain, happy, very tired, but by no means exhausted, walked off the field at Devonport on Saturday it was impossible pot to feel that their triumph had been greater than that of the men who had just beaten them. The All Blacks attacked from the kick-off. They went on attacking for some time. They almost crossed the Devon line a dozen times; and when at last, after half an hour’s play, R. Svenson swerved and scored, even the most loyal Devonian was willing to admit that they had deserved that try. A few minutes later A. E. Cooke ran over, and G. Nepia converted. Right at the start of the second half IT. W. Brown obtained a third try; hut after this Devon did practically all the attacking.