FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7960, 25 October 1905, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

Our Footballers at Home. What the Papers are Saying. English papers arc taking great 'interest in the New Zealand footballers, and are even devoting leading articles to thorn, their country, and their doings. One paper says :—"The New Zealanders play a ratter old-fashioned game, and Engiland may very well hopo to teach them something. Their forwards, big fellows, ranging from 12st lit) to list 611>, 'are, ..theoretically, at least, too heavy for the rapid combination •game cf run and puss, which, as far back, as 20 years a'go, • began to make for a lighter and ia freer scrum. Nor are they said to dribble well. Their tracks, instead ol being two halves and four threequarters, nrit om) half, two Jiveeighths, and three three-qiiarters, nn arrangement which may have its merits, but looks unlikely to produce a free, fast game. Hugger men are always willing to 'learn, however,) and the interest of this colonial tour is, in any case, greater than that of tho occasional visits of, French teams. Now or later, one expects a good deal from a colony -in which one,'mail in every three is .said to play the game, and most men understand H. .... It will be a popular tour none the less, for, apart from its appeal to the world of sport altogether,' it has a sort of Imperial meaning. Anything col'onial rcceiy|bs encouragement in these days, and the Motherland will bo uncommonly well pleased if these.New Zealanders givo our men 'a dressing. "- Another paper says :—"There seems to be a general expectation that the chief anatchos pi the New 'Zjealand Rugby team will bo essentially battles of styles. This belief owes its origin to the fact that tho New 'Zealand system of back play differs from that in vogue in the Mother Coun--1 try. Unfortunately, the expectation is not just Hied by facts, for New Zealand H|ack pla,'yi' in spite of all the talk about ' the two Jive-eighths, and so forth, is very much tile same as I'.ritish back play, and for all practical purposes is lire Welsh game, or as good an imitation thereof as the New /.calenders have been able to attain."

I'wler the heading, "Slatc-.A'itled Football," (he Daily News says: "The New Zealand Uugby footballers are probably the first team to receive. \Sl.ato reeogKiffioii.' They ha,ve arrived in-this country with the full blessing of Mr Sodden, the Premier ot the colony, who told then.- when they left New /.calami that football, | was a manly, •healthy, public'game, and in order to •encourage it he it&x made arranej''iuents with the Itou. W. I'. lleeves, the High Comrmss-iouer in Lcndon, In ca'blc out to the .(Jovernlnenl news of the varying 'fortunes of the team. From .Mr Walter Ki-ima-way, secretary to the High Commissioner, a Daily News rcpivseutativa discovered how far the. (iovcrmncnt oi .New Zealand are ullloially prepared to encourage tlwi 'national sport. 'lt is an excellent wlca,* s-ai<l Mr Kennaway. 'The team is, so to speak, yet another instrument for the welding together of the Empire. Of course, it must be understood, that beyond receiving them at' Plymouth, and seeing that they arc suitably accoiiimoilalcd, we have nothing to 'do with its organis-ation oe. its expense. Our pari is simply to send the news of their victories or. , defeats to'l'lw {liter i. Ride ufj tju» world for the ■'benefit of the football public. The Now'jZlcalanders aro possessed of the, true, sporting instincts, , and all'hongh t'hey cannot imistcr.out-tr ol (heirentire population of 800,000 (which is only n trifle -in excess of that of tilasgow) a. cricket team like the Auslralinns, they 'arc thoroughly proficient in all other 'brandies of sport. The love of football is as firmly embedded 'in the New Zealander's 'breast us it is in our own people, and Che tact that; thejiliverniiient will 'lie responsiolo for cabjjpig the news onghi to 'lie a greater in- " centive to the winter game.' "

Farther Criticisms on the Sew Zealanders SYDXKY, del. 24. The Times, commenting on the) .Xew '/k-aiaw\, foot'h'nllers,, says :—"They g-ained a reinnrkivblc victory mw l>ev(iii. So unequal were the shies that no score wcnild. proportioivittely set out the .overwhelming Hiiperiority possessed by Xew it>aianders in pace ami skill. The wingy-fonvanul position is, however, n startling,innovation. His position imperils his team, umloir tlio oIT-sRIcI rule, oiwl much trouble may be expected in'future matches If Ms work is conducted cm thef samel lines ,as in* the. Devon match."

The London Daily Teh-graph says —"ln tire startling triumph aehiovwl byj the: New 'Z/ealamlers in their opening match, the prestige of Devon football received a severe blow. fTJiafc the visitors would probntdy win was expected, but no |um« was, prepared for the utter rout. At all points, the ; visitors were clearly superior,, and were in no way flattered- by thescore, (iMavy as lit 'was< The' Xew Zealanders, who are a , physically line set of men, set. aboutithelr task in a workmanlike manner, and had I heir opponent sji demoralised with astonishingi, rap+dily. Quite ih« "" best feature of the Xew Ztealaivdci-s' ptjaj - W'ak 'the wxtrl; of tlie(r „, forwards, who were more that a

match for their exponents' eight." The paper adds that if the English team should 'be compelled in self-de-fence to play a "winger," the game from a spectacular point of view will not likely 'be improved.