All Blacks Awed by Victoria Falls

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 418, 1 September 1928, Page 13

All Blacks Awed by Victoria Falls

TRIP DOWN ZAMBEZI MATCH WITH RHODESIA (From Our Special Correspondent.) BULAWAYO, July 24. ’ We arrived at Victoria Falls Station on Wednesday moruinst. alter three nights spent in the train. After lunch at the Falls hotel, which is under the control of the Rhodesian Railways, we changed into football togs, sou'westers and raincoats. There are three ways in which the Falls impress one; the leaping and falling cascades; the steady sound, especially at night, like the beating of waves on the shore, and the sight of the spray, which rises high above the Falls and for a great distance from them. When we got near the Falls, we had to pass through a part of the Rain Forest, which is kept ever moist and green by this cool spray. Here we found tree-ferns and that delicious air that we have in New Zealand. We pushed ou a few yards, and almost hidden by the dense spray, we could see a section of the Falls. At certain times of the year it is almost impossible to see very much, because of the flood waters from the Congo; but we were fortunate in striking the dry winter season for our visit. From the effect of the Falls upon the individual —it would seem that Nature was determined to evoke homage by inspiring awe. Next morning we were up, in the cool, blue morning, readv * launch trip up the Zambezi. We were lucky in seeing three o. i... diles lying on the banks, for all the world like pieces of wood. Our trip took us as far as Kandahar Island, and we roamed around there for half an hour, and knocked down vegetable-ivory nuts from some tall trees. These are about the size of a small apple, and when the outer covering is taken off the white centre dries and hardens rapidly, until it is almost like real ivoryWe pushed off again down the left bank, and over the course used by Barry and Arnst in their sculling match. It appeared an ideal place for an oarsman or sculler, with little chance of rough water, and an easy current. It was good fun stalking baboons with cameras and watching troops of them disappear down a steep face, to remain there till they were sure we had gone. Friday mid-day arrived, and we were ready to be off. To the Bulawayo train then, In scanty garb, because the day was wonderfully hot; the temperature must have been nearly 90 degrees. but we felt not a bit uncomfortable, because of the dryness of the atmosphere. Soon the last spray cloud from the Falls disappeared behind a hill and we were steaming south behind two powerful engines. Late that afternoon we stopped at Wankie, the centre of an enormous coalfield, 100 square miles in extent. One is impressed by the remarkable mineral wealth of South Africa, much of it as yet scarcely touched. We reached Bulawayo next morning, the day of the match against Rhodesia. We were to have exactly 24 hours here, during which time we had to play our match, and attend a dinner and dance given in our honour by the Rhodesians. The Rhodesian game was one of the most enjoyable games of the tour, and in spite of the fairly large score, was not an easy game for us by any means, Rhodesia is such a very young country that the Rugby game has not become really powerful there, but the standard is quite good. The crowd, which assembled from all parts of Rhodesia, was said to be the largest ever seen in the colony. Many came hundreds of miles. The ground, which had been carefully looked after for weeks before the game, was in what appeared to be good order, although a trifle hard; but in the second half the dust rose badly and we had a torrid time of it. The weather was perfect, but it was really too hot for good football. Our scruqf was steadily improving in this game, as in the Kimberley one. and we were finding out methods cf exploiting the 2-3-2, which we had not known before. Against the 3-3-2 or other similar formations, the lock must push evenly and steadily, and at times, when we have temporarily lost possession of the ball, the front-rank ers shove as well, and we have the wedge formation at its best. The Rhodesian back line was not strong, although there were two Irish internationals in the inside positions, and their outer men were good on defence, and tackled very well. Onr own back line has had to stand too shallow in many matches so far, because of the amount of defending it has had to do, and we were actually penalised in this match for our backs being off-side while a loose ruck was being fought out in our twenty-five. There were 10 tries scored to one against and some really pretty movements that delighted the crowd. We also gave our haka, after repeated demands from the sideline.