ALL BLACKS.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 September 1924, Page 4

ALL BLACKS.

WIN AGAINST DEVON. HARD Kul! WAD I) PLAY. lUHTBALIAN AND N.Z. GATII.E ASSOCIATION LONDON. September Id. The All Blue!; team of Rugby footballers to-day opeuetl their tour, with the mat'll against Devon. It "as payed on the Dectory. around. at ! 'evonpert. The New Zealanders won hy eleven 1 units to nil. The All Bhc-ks hal a t • emendoiis re ep.lion from the rrov.d. nun:ls«*riup; It!,!.IkI. wliieh taxed the ground to its ctm -.t cii| m it.v. The turf was in an exi client state, and all the conditions v.eve i’avoiirahl.' to a fust-class game. Devon won the less. 'I he All Blacks immediately opened up an attack, hut the term displayed on hath sides was verv rained. Iliis was. to some extent the lesiilt of over-ke.oiii.'ss hy the players which led them into mistakes. ’I lie Devon men made a sur| risiugly fine stand, and. to the general surprise, they hell their adversaries in the s TUinmaeo.s. I Icy really made fremeiidinis elloris again-t sin h ledould- : hie ■ ] clients, but. in a'tmil iruth, there "as little lines-e er method oil either side. Half an hour of hard, i ougli play passed belere the first score , c*. during which the All Blacks acre mostly in the loimty men’s i|iiarI us. Some fine ]a- dug l lien put Sveiis 111 over, hill il aa- do-. ■ to the corner, and N'epia failed aitli the ki'l. at :',cal. New Zealand II : D"Voil !L Shortly alier llanl.'.v almost potted a goal for Devon. The ill-ide New Zealand lacks then ant to work, and a hunt of cool pas-in;; I To: in the scrum evcntmiDy '-•ave Cooke an opening. (' h Lc a cut over and I his time Nio.ia

Ml-.col. I mill bp l.i"h at g"d. N /,. ilaI" I S; D.v-.. «l

Tliis I't’wr- * did uni di-■ »«n• I In--1 ■ :>nu' sid". Imt it seemed h Imrilcii them ii]i. mill tin l All Marks wi n- lere<d il.i.vn twi in i:i I: ill sun i. II"* lir.it spell then fin!.'l "itli tlif si-ores iiii'.limifjCi'il. Tin' New Zeala inlets hud iii'der-estimatr I tin' stivi.ftli ill' the fi.nvaiil ii|'|i:'.siiinti, mid tli.'ii. alter m iiitiTV.il thay .shout'l inrleasii'.T min' Mini ami cli'Vit | lay. Sv"iis' l ll fnllnwim up his Il\V|| Kile. | :l1 in.'varil t' li'uv.n. and ill" 'I a I'm a lii re| ri'senla till' da dll'll :r l ess tin' lini*. hat N ■l■ i: did nat i dnvol t. New /a aland II K'.'Vim 0. I-'ikiii this mi there was an Inrll'i'i i.i'iif, tlii> frame «■ iiili l1 LC in a win ii i tl„' All Macks liy II tn nil. Ti:i' rniwiti'il.s tinivi' nr h". 1 an!' charfrc id' tin l ,'iami' and tin'll' wit. continual .si i*iiininatf's and Inii'i' si ramhll'.s which Si'OlHl'll tn illlhll'l' I nl|n|l play nil lintll sides. 'l'lii' I assinp; nl the New /lalanile s was in t up tn their usual standard. all’iniinh they weie Generally

vis: rssful ill gaining lac-session <il the I,all I rum tlu- scrummages. I , 'r ■*•<!mm l |;iii.,-i.s on spoiled their moveiiieiil.s, :iml I icvci.lo.l them 11 bringing their 1 -;'.i :• m; limit i t i :i. sileies:;! I:.) issue. ’I lie I.'non | I ive:s linil ilnir turn

now, twice they enine ueiir #t-wr-ing, lilt the di-fcin c liehl goed. lIIU sure ' insuring sto]i|eil tln-ir hursts There "us t|-i'f|ilent il-e of the hideline hy the Devon hacks. This approrially slo -.i :l ila.'n the game, and provenled the visitors from giving a .spectacular exhibition.

The general loiuenstis of oj iuion is that the NT w Zea'and team is ron- ' :di rahlv overrated.

Cooke and Svenson to-day wire the best of the hacks, and Hichardson mid .M. fin aiiVc were tin- best of the forwards. The New Zealanders had the advantage in "eight. hut their play was not convincing. The Colonials j ;ntwi re surprised at the line showini' made liv Devon. Imt they regarded the All [Hacks’ form as hardly an index of the future.

NEWSPAPER COMMENT. (Received this day at 0 a.in.') LONDON. .Septcmlier 1-1. 1 The “Sunday News” says: “The New Zealanders, on a hard ground, will he difficult, to heat, hut it will he surprising if they even approach the record of their predecessors.” Hie “News of the World” gives a similar verdict and expresses the opinion that Dailey and Cooke are likely to distinguish themselves. It states

that Porter’s mission as extra half—-wing-forward or rover—does not appeal to English footballers. For most of the time lie a)as purely an obstructionist, and his style is not wanted here. The “Observer" states: ‘•The New Zealanders on this showing are not as powerful as the previous team. Their forwards are not a whit ill advance ot Devon, hut they have a decided pull outside.” The “Sunday Express” states that some of the New Zealanders’ wavs in the serums displeased the spet tutors, the crowd at one time demandin'; that two should lie sent off. The team is amazingly fast.