FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7970, 6 November 1905, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

New Zealand v. Blackheatb. Complete Yictory Over a Powerful Combination. Wallace's BriiliaHt Play. (Received Nov. 5, 1.22 p.m.) The Biackheath match was one of the fixtures, of the lour possessing an unusual amount of interest, the club holding a prominent place amongst the English combinations. To-day's leain was exceptionally powerful, as as it 'included no lewrY than eight International players. The spectators (about, 15,000) were given an excellent opportunity of judging the New Ze alandcrs' mi-nils, as they were playing at tlii-ir lop form. The visitors quite outplace;! their opponents, and finished with'the. convincing record of 32 points to nil. The weather, was fine, but dull. Oct ting to work right, from the kick-oil', the New Zcalanders made a cyclonic attack,, Wallace (Wellington) securing a try within two minutes of the start, and his shot as goal abided the major points. He followed up I liis success . 'by placing a penalty, goal to his credit, and, in quick succession, twice more crossed the line, but both attempts to convert failed. Before half-time, McGregor (Wellington) secured a further try, but the kick at goal Was again unavailing. The spell endedNcw Zealand 17 Biackheath ,'" 0 The scoring was hardly so'fast in he second half, though the Maorilanders kept the local team steadily on the. defence, continuously pressing thorn. The first to cross the hue was Gl aS g oW (Taranakf), ami Wallace converted, MacGregor and Stead (.Southland) c ach added a try lea her 1 ,"* 8 Wa!tace put thc ' eal 11 wn n lhe Posts ' Timew as laneu with the score—*cw Zealand ... m . Blackheath, ... "' "" i

The Premier's Message, The Premier received the following cable :-"New Zealand beat Blackheath by five goals, one penalty, and three tries—32 points to nothinK— Wallace (lure, McGregor two Glas-* gow and Stead one each. There wasa great gathering ot New Ztalamlers present, cheering the team. RESULTS OK THE TOI/H, The results of the matches plaved arc as follow : Match. jh ß . f,,,.. rtß affst Devon nn 4 ' Cornwall n o "'■islol -II c Soi'thuiiiploii 32 (J Leicester o a „_ Middlesex , ; H 0 Durham ]„• 3 Hartlepool 63 "() Xorthumuvrlaii'd ~., 31 0 (iloiifi-sloil 44 o Scinerset 00 y PevonpoH Albion " 21. 3 Midland Counties < 21 5 •Surrey ..,' u 0 Illackhcalli ... ... , :{o ~ ?u 1., . " 'L~ - Total 45)2 15 COMMENTS ON THK KKW ZK\LAND TEAM. GRKAT INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS. Referring 0 o the Nortliamplcn gamu a football writer in the Morning Leader says :-"lt is a striking testimony to (lie prowess of (lie New Zcalauders that just -before the, match a.l: Northampton cvcry%dy was speculating as lo by how many pomls the local club would be Ileal - en, On a first acquaintance with the New ZL-alaud style of play it is not altogether easy to give a definile opinion, because the methods are so dilTerent in many respects to what we are educated to in England. Yet I came away with a very clear opinion as lo the general strength, ability, and effectiveness of the twin. The speed of the whole team is little short of marvellous, and it is this quality rather than the High, degree of combination which they have attained which makes them so dangerous and prolific scorers." iba lame writer continues :—"A good deal of. the New Zealand at Lack seems on the surface to be rather wild and Unfinished, but their play changes its character so rapidly and so often according to necessity that whal may seem aimless is simply part of their system. The backs do not exhibit that bewildering intricacy and accuracy of passing ithat Swansea would give yOU| r or j„. stance, but they can pass if they, like and very well too, wit], a cool deliherakness that surprises the opposing defence i-nlo a sort of paralyse! admiration. Passing, however, is only a mere detail with the New Jfcalawlers, and it is the individual nimmig the sprint .straight through Hie backs, th c bird-lik,. SWoo p swerve, (lie feint and dodge that will! commend themselves to th s respect and ear of English teams. Not sincti tic days of Stoddart have I scon this art of individdal effori so finely illustrated. We have 'combined'" the individual; player out of exis-knee nowadays, but the New Zealandeis have happliy preserved the twofihalt-t-ics, making a combinali| M i and inc jivuabsm one happy • prc aucti¥o mend. If their visit does nothing .else, and we Englishmen have much to learn from them i n the way of enterprise and originality, H c example cf.th-c New Zeala'nders should at le a st cause a revival of the ininduajwho had almost .iiecome '- tmct since the four thriVijuancr game came into vogue."

WHAT THK WELSH CAPTAIN .SAYS S

"Before play slarlnl at Bristol writes ''Old Stager," "I had opportunity of hearing tin- Welsh captain repeating his conclusions on the New, Zealand game, and lie seemed to lie convinced that the British fifteen would have gained a substantial victory had the game been played at the opening instead of the end of tb.' tour. After the match was over 1 bad another chat with Llewellyn now_ joined by Ciabe. They frankly admitted that they were agiccfNy surprised at the display of (be visitors, whose, kicks and forwards sluick ,em at Inning come on a "'' "' .■!.'« interval. I„ their match I >e Hnhsl, forwards were beaten in strength, and the wing forward co hampered the British halfbacks that, be threequarters were not give„ a <al chance, to (day the Welsh game "«(■ no one would class the forwards who went south with Ili-dell-Siviight; as being equal to an international Pack, and basing their Conclusion on «e relative weakness of Hie BritM, l<>'inng scrunimagers, Ihe Welshmen considered that, while the NewZea landers might win most of (]„. cll „ matclus on their t„ur, they w otl | f , beaten,n (he bigger engagUX' ' «as (be ijiialilies of keenness al ,i reputation of be n- L } l 'f , tlu ' ""« Praises of t *,'„,! IT ,01, d »' i'y the i.hvJJ n|f, «lmess shown ( " ■bel.Mhe acn!or Ul 'r. W,illnol '' ;l ■ avoid <l c fea Th' .]• , Cond,Moll to Y-ot / J l^fe a;r ß,,s,o l 'C'cil i» s opinio,, lint in..,-,, > • ■" is a Not o lie came HVlm, "■ ■■l'linilU.,l about (he v*?*, w h V; r Vl '!'-'l'<T Were ahvavs o„ V