FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7959, 24 October 1905, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

Criticism on the Devon and Cornwall Matches. A Revelation in Tactics. The Wing-forward Censnrcd. lew Zealanders Wanly Eulogised. (Ikcvivcd Oct. Si, 11.8 p.m.) SYII.SKY, Oct. 2.1. To-day's English umil hrinjrs the press comments on the first tft) Kitglish football matches. In tlio Devon nmtrii. the Daily Mail says : "The New /.valanders' dash! ami lire reuriinled one irf the, liest Irish teams, while their in and out passing and hacking up was in the I**l Welsh style." The Daily Kxpivss s.Tys tlu.t, a|mit from, forward. then 1 was little or nothing in thr;plny o) New Zealand to which a purist could take exception. The.forwards packed like Hie Welshmen, and in Unloose ami line-out they were <jiiite up to the Irish standard. '1 heir dash;was iininjense, and' in only one J respect were they at all disappointing—they broke up rather slowly, the tackling being none too sure. The Daily Ohrjinitju *=vys :—"lff Devon team, to put the matter mildly. completely lost their heads and hearts. They displayed neither pluck nor resource, and. in popular language, they simply lay down and let the Xew /ealandcrs walk over them." Commenting on the wing frrward, tin- writersays :..."He is such an irritating person, and plays such a ih-crdcdly unlawful, game fro» our point of view, that his prudence in wearing shin guards may tw commended. The winger show id a liuc scorn of certain sections of Utile 11, ami if he- had his ih-serts would lie penalised into, ini-fTecliveiiess. For the rest, the New Zralgnders arc splendid. The forwards have robust dashing methods in the loose, and they pack splendidly, while the bucks are all fas? and, clever, « phasing feature being the strong indivkluality of the tacks, in running."

Hk'fi'rring to tiu> Cornwall match. the Daily Mail says :—"Fin-cess was due to tactics as intelligent as they arc original, (icing superior in every way to anything witnessed i" English ic««>l»ll. Hack.*! up ns they are by running, passim;, and kicking of tne highest class, it! ts-~ indeed difficultl to say what British leant .will check their victorious career.. As a factor in\th" attacking aWlith-s of the team, thnnvinj; fonwiM is of umloiiljt.il value, if only for tin-fact that he is the extra man outside the scrum. To litis: ami to tnv admirable wnlgy formation, in a large measure their success i»»s due."