ALL BLACKS’ TOUR

Hokitika Guardian, 1 September 1928, Page 3

ALL BLACKS’ TOUR

THE FINAL TEST. tSpecial to Press Association). CAPETOWN, Aug. 31. As tho day of tho final test arrives, tho enthusiasm is growing intense, and tho interest swells. Considerable trafficking is being doiio in test tickets, as much as £1 10s boing demanded and paid. Special trains are arriving from all over the country. It is oxpectod that the Johannesburg record for a crowd will bo broken. Both teams have finished training and are (it. AN EXTRA MATCH. Tt Ims boon decided to play another match against a side from Capetown l and Stellenbosch Universities, this game to he played under New Zealand rules and to bo refereed by one of the All Blacks. The Ceramic leaves for Now Zealand oil Thursday at daybreak. Tbp match will lie played on AVednesday.

'Pile Western Province Universities are the nursery of South African football, and provide fifty per cent of the Springbok players. v

UNFAIR. CIMTIOISAI OF PLAYERS. NAPIER, Aug. 31. An inquiry into certain unfair press criticisms of some members of the All Black's team, at present in South Africa, is to be urged upon the New Zealand Rugby Union by the Ilawkes Bay Union. Mr N. A. AfcKenzio introduced tho subject at the Union meeting to-night, when he expressed the opinion that the New Zealand Union should take some notice of these reports, which, he said, were biased and were a reflection on certain memliers of the team.

Tiie manager of the team, he said, should have supervised these ’•-'ports before they came to' New Zealand, and any spiteful references should have been deleted.

Mr 3’. Fletcher, a member of the New Zealand Union, was present at the meeting. Ho agreed with Mr McKenzie,’ regretting that the players should be criticised behind their backs. He did not think this criticism came from the reporter iviio went away with tho team. “The worst criticism comes from an Auckland source, and was wired round tho country,” lie said. He thought tho Union should sub-edit- the reports. The. trouble arose from personal criticism from private sources.

AL 1 Fletcher thought the Hawke’s Bay Union’s motion would strengthen the New Zealand Union in any effort to stop this unjust criticism of the players who were not here to protect themselves.