The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER, 3, 1928. HONOURS EVEN.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 September 1928, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER, 3, 1928. HONOURS EVEN.

The All Black team will return from South Africa- with the football honours even. Of the four major games—the test matches—each sitlo has won two. The outcome of the final game will be satisfactory to New Zealand supporters. The score suggests a decisive victory, and on that account there is a worthy climax to the tour. The tour, however, has not been as distinctively successful as former tours. Five defeats is an unusual adverse score for New Zealand football when sending its picked men abroad. But we have to remember that the South Africans, like the New Zealanders, are suiter men at Rugby. When the South African team was here some seven years ago, they managed to finish all square 'on the test matches, so that it will be seen they accomplished here what the New iCea.lamlers have done in South Africa —divided the victories in the tests. This indicates that there can !>e very little between the two countries in the matter of actual supremacy. In the three earlier games South Africa had on the whole a distinctive superiority'} hut that is nullified by the score on Saturday of 13 to ■>. The margin is a good one in test football, and indicates that the New Zealanders were able to play up to their reputation. There were certain disadvantages against the visitors in the variation of tiie Rugby rules in South Africa and these affected the New Zealand play to some extent. There was not the machine-like precision of the play reported, due of course to the severity of the opjiosition. When two teams meet of equal resource, the best laid plans are likely to be disorganised. That was' the case on several occasions. In a, few instances when the All Blacks met obviously weaker teams, their old combination and system worked satisfactorily, but the wheels were clogged often in other games. Then there have been stories of internal dissension among the mmnl tiers of the team—practically from tlia outset. The fact that the deputy cap-5 tain of the tour only played in one test match, and that the final one, has given colour to the reports current that the “heads’’ of the team were at variance. This is certainly regrettable, for on such a mission, to uphold tho prestige of the country which stands so high in Rugby annals, tliere should have lieen nothing of the nature of personal spite within the ranks. Tt seems strange with all the reports flying about that some authentic version has not been given out officially. There has certainly been ample time since the first disquieting stories reached New Zealand to have had the complete story from the Manager who should be an independent authority representing tho New Zealand Union. From tli

source un impartial report should have been forthcoming, and the I'nion could liavo acted and quelled any internal disagreement-. Tin's apart, the travellers apparently have had a good name, and upheld the reputation of their country off the field. In a new country remarkable for its vastness and natural features they must have seen much to impress them, and will return with a wider knowledge of Empire affairs. In that respect the tour will have a special merit. As to thenprowess in the Rugby world they have been able in the final game of the tour to win back some, of their diminished renown and by halving the honors in the tests have achieved something handsome in the end, seeing the odds which were against them.