How John Bull Shapes at Rugby. Notes and Impressions. Northampton Match.

Free Lance, Volume VI, Issue 282, 25 November 1905, Page 19

How John Bull Shapes at Rugby. Notes and Impressions. Northampton Match.

Thur&day, September 28th, 1905. We were again hospitably entertained at Northampton, the members o^ the team being shown round various large works and places of interest in the neighbourhood. Had a fine day for the match, a capital ground, and good attendance. Our New Zealand team was: "Wallace, full; stead, Harper and Abbott, three quarters, Mynott and Hunter, fivpeighths; Roberts, hailf; Tyler, Glasgow Cunningham, Nicholson, O'Sulhvan,, Seeling, Corbett, G. Gillett, forwards. Referee Mr. F. Nicolls, Midland Counties. This was a hard game for the fir»t fifteen minutes, tihe tackhmg of the Home side being good, and the forwards vigorous. Our passing was too erratic in the early stages. Once the ioe was bioken, however, the scores ©am© pretty freely, and at half-tame oui total was 21 to nil, and the final score four goals, four tries — 32 points to nil. Harper played his first game of the tour and shaped, well, his passing being quack and l accurate. GalleU inadle a very excellent wing-forward, and was never once penalised for offside. He tackled well, was always on the ball, and was responsible for lot of good work in the- line-out and in the loose. All the forwards again shaped well, it being dkflioult to sort anyone out specially. Team much too fast all round for opposition. One of the best features was the accurate line kicking of the whole of our backs Miles (a last year's international) was the best back on the Home side, and is the best three-quarter we have met so far ; he possesses a good swerve, and 1 tries for opening®. The two halves, Pieston and Malkin, also did very well indeed. The Home side generally played a hard game. The scores were obtained 1 as follows . — 1, from scrum to Roberts to Mynott to Hunter — try, 3, 2, from sarurn Lo Roberts to Mynott to Hunter — tiy, 3, 3, from loose to Mynott to Steads — try, 3 ; 4, from scrum to Roberts to Mynott, to Hunter to Harper, Wallace converted — 5 , 5, following up a long kick, Home three-quarteir mulled, Mynott to Hunter, Wallace converted, 5; 6, Gillett followed up his own high kick, secured, amidi passed to Tyler, Wallace converted — 5, 7, from scrum, Roberts on blind sidte to Mynott^fcry,3 ; 8, from line-out, Nicholson to Stead' to Mynott to Hunter to Harper — tiy, 3. Total, 31 points. We left next day for Leicester, and were met on arrival by Mr. Crumbie, secretary, and a number of officials, and were comfortably quartered at George Hotel. Here, again, ample opportunity was afforded the; team to visit a number of large industries. The football ground 1 here is the best we have yet seen in England, both as regards playing area andl accommodidtion for spectators. We had a fine day for the match, and the attendance was very large I—approximately1 — approximately 16,000 New Zealand team : FuM, Gillett ; three-quarters, Abbott, Smith, Wallace ; five-eighths, Mynott and Stead ; half, Roberts; forwards, Tyler, Casey, Cunningham, Nicholson, O' Sullivan, Seeling, Glasgow, GaJlaher. Referee, Mr. Percy Coles. This was a very hard match indeed. The Home forwards played an exceeding solid game, and the tackling on both sides was Al. The line kicking of tihe Home backs, A. O. Jones especi•ally, was very fine, whilst our men (Gillett exoepted) were not so successful as usual in this, respect. After about fifteen minutes' play, O'Sullivan picked up from the loose, and crossed the line, but a scrum was ordered outside. New Zealand continued to press, and twenty-five minutes from the kick-off .. pass from the line-out went through a couple of hands to Smith, who raced over. In the interval before halftime two more tries were secured and both converted. New Zealand held the upper hand during the greater part of the second half, and secured three more tries, the whole of which were converted by Wallace making the final score 5 goals, 1 try (28 points) to nil. This was far and away the hardest game yet played. Leicester, having evidently made up their minds to beat us forward, dad their uttermost <x> keep play close. They played a. seven pack, and had an extra man outside. Their backs rarely got going; in attack, and when they did 1 the passing was too mechanical and right across the groun<? . Braifchwaifce (half) was very good and a solid little chap, and Jones (full) kicked really well when not pressed too closely.

For New Zealand, GaJilett was the only back to consistently find the line, and he played a very sound! game. All the three-quaiters did well, as did also Mynott, Stead, and Roberts. The pack wias splendid alii round, eveay man going eyes out, and tackling unerringly. Line-out work was also very good indeed. The tries were seotued by Smith, Wallace, Tyler, and Nicholson (on-e each), and Mynott (2), five being converted 1 by Wallace. Th& order of scoring was as f ollowo . — 1, from, lineout through two hands to Smith — try, 3 points; 2, from loose, Nicholson to Roberts to Wallace— try, oonverted, 5- 3, from sorum, Roberts to Mynott to Wallace to Mynott to Abbott — try, converted, 5 ; 4, from forward rush, started by Seeline, Gallaiher picked up and handed to Tyler — try. converted, 5 ■ 5 from scrum, Roberts to Stead to Mynott — tiy, converted), 5; 6, from scramble near line, Niehoteon — try, converted, 5 ; total, 28 points. Smith made a sensational diodgy run in this game, and' Mynott an equally fine swerving ran. In each case the opposition was badly beaten. On Monday we arrived in London, and put up at the Manchester Hotel. Amongst the roumber of other New Zealand callers upon the team were The Hon. W. P. Reeves, Aitken Carrick of Auckland, "Long Drive" Walker of the Thames, F. Logan of Napier, and P. A. Vaile of Auckland.