The Welshmen's Win.

NZ Truth, Issue 110, 27 July 1907, Page 3

The Welshmen's Win.

When the "All Blacks" heat the Kangarooites ion their first match on the 13th inst, the writer formed the opinion- that they had- done capitally m the light of their stormy passage across the Tasman and only fifty-six hours- left to recover their sea legs before starting on their campaign. The debacle on the following Wednesday dumbfounded New Zealanders, but I must confess to a feeling of pessimism when the news came through before the contest of the defection of so many sterling players from the team by reason of injuries and other causes inseparable from the lot of a toehaller. The replacement of Mitchinson and Mynott by Booth J and Eckhold m the rearguard and the substitution of Colman for Gillett must have weakened the combination terribly. I agree with an r other writer, that possibly one of the chief causes of the drubbing administered to our men was the absence of Gillett, whose trickiness and cleverness m taking advantage of any possible opening for attack and a "three-card" system of juggling with the tall when bowlin-g it into the scrum m such a way as. to give his frontrankers an easy task for possession, was so pronounced the provincial crowd at the Park. G-illett has been described as one of the right bowers of the '•'All Black" combination, and has loss for the rest of the tour is a serious one, from the New Zealand viewpoint. It seems strange that such an expert hooker as Casey should have been beaten so repeatedly for the ball, but one cannot, tell what smartness was underlying the work of the light blue vanguard. However, our men went under, and all the exchses m the world won't alter that fact. A hundred years hence that "1-4 to nil" will he standing m the records of Australasian Rugiby, as thc "3 to 0" verdict at Cardiff will m the world's international contests. We should be fair, and give the Welshmen every credit for t^eir victory, which will act as" an incentive to them to achieve similar success m the future. The talk one hears at every street corner m explanation of the defeat of the fernleaf wearers, that there must have been something "crook" ahout the players, that they were getatihle for "splosh" purposes, and that the professional element of the team was doing well for itself hy standing m with th_> book-making, fraternity m the hope of reaping a rich "harvest when the next battle's issue was decided, is such utter balderdash that I don't think there is any necessity ,Jox me to harp updn- the subject 1 . ' The plain unvarnished fact is that the Welshmen played right out of the box, whilst the Dominioniste! were all at sea and unable to make any headway when once their square was broken. Saturday's game against the Australian team shows conclusively that one must ibe prepared for extraordinary reversals of form, a not uncommon occurrence m other sporting pastimes. The light blues, to do "them credit, established a .superb victory, and the verdict on 'the 17th inst. is sure to popularise the game m 'all parts of the State and give it a fillip, the far - reaching effects of which cannot he correctiy gauged. The suggestion to send reinforcements over is one that is hound to meet, with universal condemnation from one end of the Dominion to the other, and I should be sorry indeed to see the 1893 experiment repeated. Let us win if we can witto our team now m Bananaland. Its representatives are .neither war-worn nor travel-stained ; on the contrary they should be m the viery pink of condition for engaging m the hottest tussles ever fought m the Rugby arena under the Southern Cross. The selection of Nicholson hecause he happened to be on the spot is not a step which commends itself to many people. There are plenty of

forwards m New Zealand at the present time who could walk rings round Nicholson, notwithstanding the fearful skite from Auckland concerning his prowess this season.