ALL BLACKS BUFFETED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 700, 27 June 1929, Page 15

ALL BLACKS BUFFETED

ROUGH PASSAGE ACROSS TASMAN TOUR OF ENGLISH TEAM SYDNEY, Wednesday. The members of the New Zealand football team landed this morning and were glad to feel solid ground under their feet, after a voyage which most of them will remember as the worst they have ever known. They hope with practice in the afternoon and steady training during the 1 intervening days to be able to meet New South Wales on Saturday in a condition to give their opponents a proper example of All Black play. The team was officially welcomed by Mr. Wood, president of the New South Wales Rugby Union, at its hotel, when a large and representative gathering of sportsmen enthusiastically endorsed Mr. Wood’s eulogies of the visitors. Mr. Wood also expressed regret at the earthquake calamity which has visited the Dominion. HEROIC STRUGGLES Messrs. McLeod, Porter and Dean replied on behalf of the team. Mr. Dean mentioned that the visit of the English team next year was expected to be the most important event in the history of New Zealand football. It was announced that it had been arranged for the Englishmen to play seven matches in Australia, instead of five, as originally planned. As the English team will be the strongest possible combination, the New Zealanders anticipated that heroic struggles would mark the tour, and regarded this visit to Australia as a testing time for the men to meet the Englishmen, whose presence in these southern lands should make for the growth of the amateur game, which they al held so dear. The All Blacks will be given a civic reception at the Town Hall.