FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7979, 16 November 1905, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

The New Zealanders' Play. Latest Comments. ""(Kcceivwl Xov. I">, ltMa p.m.) S.YDN'EY, Nov. f>. Thi! following are some of the latest English newspaper comments- on football : 'l'he l>aily -Mail, referring to t-l\6 Durham match, says : The .Vew 'Aiilanili'i's go on from victory lo victory with startling' regularity. Kug-i hy football circles 'are . «*comhig alarmed <it, -the vConlinuous rout of Knglish picked lifUens. Wales seems I to l,u the only hope, and opinion is by no. means unanimous thai the. Welshmen wiil 'he able lo hold their own with thu forniiilab'i. colonials. In the Hartlepool Dint eh the visitors daz/li'(l l'he crowd ol nearly 20,0110 Teesiders with the most brilliant display of Kiigby ever witnessed ir. the County of Durham, ol' for that mailer any ['art of the United Kingdom. Old internationals, who have seen and taken part in many exciting struggles, stood to watch the New /.ealamlers' amazing exhibition of speed, strength, and cleverness with sparkling eyes and bated breath. The game from beginning to end was a succession of football pyrotechnics), so brilliant and .so varied as to defy description The paper 'denominates Wallace as

"the prince of all ltugby players." Two okl internationals declared ithat lio was the finest full back who ever wore shoe leather. The < Daily, Telegraph says : "fur the lii'sl quarter Durham played two men short, for ihe lirst half the scoring being equal. It was only after changing ends that the visitors assorted t hejiiselves, and -their decided superiority. Hveu then ihe play was not wholly one-sided, the homo team becoming 'dangerous suHicicnt-ly often to -demonstrate that, brilliant, as t'lio New Zualumters -are, 'it is not impossible to hold thein in check, and even make the colonials strugvgle. Not only jilid > Durham make the New /enlanders battle hard for a comparatively small score, but actually overcame their defence."

"At Hartlepool," saysi tho Telegraph, '-'the visitors' cleverness and indefatigable energy were never seen to more advantage, the local men being completely outclassed."-

TIIK NEW 7,10 A LAND TOtT'li. NOTES AN IJ COMMENTS. ' UhVIM)N, Oct. G. "Somewhat unexpectedly the visit of Hie New Yjeatanders," says . the Daily Chronicle, l"'has 'attained to the diynity of the tour of the Australian cricketers. A year or so ago live suggestion that the supremacy of (Ireat JJritain and Ireland in football was immediately to lye challenged as determinedly 'as the Australians challenge English cricket would have been laughed to scorn ; yet there are some thirty New Zealanders who, though not playing the same fifteen ini consecutive matches, are, with! a series of brilliant triumphs, fully vindicating their right' to live imvrnational trials which they claimed."-

In a 'brilliant series of manoeuvres by the New *'>lealanders on Saturday, one of the most rem-arkable episodes was a run by (Jeorgv Smith which, in ils audacious! cleverness, recalled the feats of A. K. Stoddart in his test days. <letting possession outside the enemy's twenty-five. Smith thread* d 'his way like an eel through a swarm of Leicester men, swerving here, dodging* there, out-pacing n third, leaping- over a fourth, wriggling through Hie arms of a fifth, until he actually crossed the line and touched down. The try was not allowed, the referee 1 rulwg 5 that Smith had been held just outside the !'"<» : but though unsuccessful it was the most brilliant vpisude of the match, and one of/\the greatest ieats'l have ever witnessed on a foot ball field.

"This resource is marvellous," observes the Morning Leader. reguriing tin' colonial victory over Middlesex. "No iiialler 'how lvard theyara pressed, the hacks retain their prestlice of mind, ami t'hey arc ever really to turn defence into attack. Wallace, rn one occasion, was swung round in the air by a couplt of men. His arm holding the ball was free, and while his! Middlesex friends wore conducting him on a circular tour) lie got his kick in, and found touch forty yards up the field. , One could multiply instances of amazing agility."

Hunter put. in sonic very clever and tricky work at five-eights on Wednesday, and fooled the opposing backs time and again, lie received a nasty knock in the stomach 'in tho second spell, and had to.go fullback for a while ; but, quickly recovering, lie'went, into'the attacking line again, -and scored tile litml iry.

"I was privileged to seel he match i «" H«luniny (against; Leicester), and [ Jihall remember it as the grandest Ijanie 1 have ever seen," says W. 'P. A. Men re, in tte Daily Jfispress. "It was ail exhibition (rf tile very linest, forms of Uugb>i play given by a uragnilieent team of athletes, whs played it I in the ) thorough, wholehearted way in which it should •be. played." This critic waxes very en? thusiasfic over Smith's display ami declares him to be the greatest ullround three-iquarter 'he has everjseen.