Football.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 4, 6 January 1904, Page 4

Football.

THE PROPOSED NEW ZEALAN'D TEAM FOR ENGLAND.

Apropos of the proposed visit of a New Zeultutttl team to England next j\«ar an English paper Ways '—To jL4jt»e iroui the form shown by the New Zeataders in Australia, the lUifejoy footballers of the Did Country are likely to prolit very confwdoitfiUy from the encounter—in experience. The footballers of the you*ig " island Colony " haw U ought tlw Uug'by game to a state Oi perfection, amd their style of play appears* to mark an advance on what we are accustomed to h*re—ewn in Wales. Tlw? arrangement of tlfO team in the iiekl is different fioin ours. 'llik.'V play a fullback, tihi«eo threejtjfuarters, two livefifejlus, cute half, seven forwards and aw '-'wing" forwatd. Tested against tbe icrur three^4 uaj *tor ajnd two halfback system, which obtains in Australia as at Homo, the new formation worked wonders. The seven forwards are trained to the wedge fctnn&tiani, aaud to effort in a scientific mo/nner, to which we—uusysteiuatised in our methods, erven in matters of sport—are strangers, lijo seven were invincible aga/inst U*e strangest eights they encountered. More thu» holding their own in the scrums, they were m the ojx/n irresistible. The superiority of the backs was, of course, accentuated fcCvlnd sucK forwards, the extra man giving the side ait enormous advantage. The one clever little halfback Worked the ljase of the scrum to perfection, and kept his fleet threequarters well supplied with the Jaall. The bocks generally showed remarkable comjymaticm, their short p|*uck passing cjuite puezlingi the -defence. There is one point that is worth noting. By the miles of the ftrjgjby Union it is not permitted for tfoe forwa/rds to wear shingjuards. Tiie New Zealand forwards—or, at -least, soane of them—to ji4d<ge from the antipodean photographs, wear gjuaivjs of the type worn in Assbciaticuir fool) mi over here, would hbive to be left behind if, as everyo4iS2 hopes, expectations are reaLised, ami these stundy young Britons come from overseas. That, as played in the antipodes, it is exceedingly popular, may be gathered from the atteiJiaaice at the cricket ground at Sydney whon tihe team playod a chosen fifteen of New South Wales, whes 32,000 spectators witnessed tb& cwnitc3t. Such figures would mak? gtad the hearts oi oiur Union Officials. There is no reason why the gaure sahouid not rise so far in popular favour here. The New Zealanders may show us how that paA be done.