FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8000, 12 December 1905, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

THE GAME IN AMEBIC A. NEW iYOKK, Dec. ii>. Thirteen American colleges have agreed to reform football by eliminating brutality. NEW ZEALANDER3 TO GIVE THE YANKS A Tl RN. WELLINGTON - , Dec. 11. The New Zealand) Rugby Fuion has cabled to Mr Dixon, suggesting that the, team should return by the I'nited States ami play some exhibition matches there. The English Union is to bcuconsulted in tho matter. "WIZARDS FROM MAORILAND." THE GLAMOUR OF VICTORY. So much has been said and written to suggest that the New Zealanders owe their successes in England to the fact that they possess powers beyond those with which tho Englishman is endowed, end. ito soma mysterious advantage obtained by the way they dispose their team on the field of play, that it is ijjuito refreshing!to,find a writer who takes a common sense vjowi of tho victories, and dees not endow them with supernatural qualities. Many of our English ) pressmen . write as though the New Zealandcrs were individually !Possessed of the strength of Goliath, the fleetness of Mercury, the cunning of; an oft-hunted fox, tho dexterity of Ci»(<juevalle, tho slippori ness of an eel, and the poweij of dematerialisation when, tackled. They tell the teams that aro to oppose tho visitors, in so /many words, that their task is hopeless, and, generally speaking, do their level best to discourage the bomc side. ''There is no question which side will win to-day; all that cur men can hope for is that they will not be the victims of a record score by the New Zralanders" is the sort of thing you see the 10-' eal papers encouraging their men with. "If our team can prevent Zealand scoring more than 20 punts wc shall feel satisfied," was the remark made by a member of the Durham executive on the evejof a match. The result of that match, which the New Zealanders won by 16 points to 3, was acclaimed one'paper as "a moral victory) tijr Durham l !"—New Zealand Times. "SOME HOT STIFF." AN INTERESTING LETTER.

Mr Xewton H. Whttt, who was one 01 the Electrical Construction Company's oflicers in connection with the erection of the tramway service power-house, haswTitten from Loughborough, , Leicestershire, the" following to Mr "Davy" Gage, of Wellington, the well-k.iown representative Rugby back :— *' .... My word, Davy, you have stmt some hot stuff over this time. Where in the world di<l you got them from ? It is now quite certain that this country has never seen a team like them. If they stand the winter and do not overplay themselves, they *yill go. back to Maoriland with the greatest record a team has ever won. At the time of writing they have piled up about 280 points lo one dropped goal and one try, and by the time this reaches you they jvill probably -be well on for 400 points. Already we think great things of Durham for getting that try !, The Rugbyj game has been given a shake up that will do it a worM of good. For the d««» "'got or nine years it has bi~n steadily declining, ami attention has been stea< dily drawn away Iroir. it by the Association game, with professional teams run by limited liability companies. Now .everyone is talking about Hie New. rZealamlers. The public schools and 'varsities ore studying New Zealand, tactics, and now clubs arc Ijcing formed all round. I hol>e in future years the NV'W Zealand teams will be as keenly looked forward to as the Australian cricket teams. Thero wilfbe a splowjid light when the Kiwis meet the Welshmen, and I feel pretty sure that 'there will lie only one side in it.'' AGAINST PEVOXPOUT-ALIiION. "Westward Ho" in the Morning Leader :—"The New Zealanders availed themselves of every chance that was not a real opening- while on the other hand, notably with Deans and Jago in the first half. Campbell in colonial defence was clearly outwitted. Until thd moment that their strength gave out, Albion's exposition compared more than favourably with that of their rivals, and In no phase except that capacity for scoring and devilry of the forwards were the colonials superior. The comßination of Albion, in the .first haU reached a very higto standard, and at half Jago was tetter <J*an Roberta Deans five-eighths. At fimpTWjuarter. Smith the Bier , cerried off the honours, Stead acting as a fine pivot in this department. The Sew, Zealandcrs had 'the advantage es an attacking division, but as defenders 'lrwin, Hawking. v*i Ho r. vndre Lillierap played grandly a) back, and the Albion pack performei magnificently aga nst a whirling get of httmanii l .''

THE SOMF.RSETT MATCI. The Standard's special corVspondent, writing' after the Souerset match, says :—"lt will indeed be truly astounding if the visitor.l when not quite at the top of thei-J form, do not on some occasion suffr deIwit. No reason ,at present exists for supposing that any particular side will earn the rtis'inctionsuch an achievement would bring, J>u/ WIIK of the New Zealanders have suffered slight injuries, and others fi-I bad effects from the climate. . . These little untoward incidents have so far floly s<-rved to bring out all the more plainly New Zealand's Wonderful strength, awj Saturday frnn'shod a case in point. TV fcs l «nt h «hieh illness bothered them woU<l j\ot seem serious from the way ij(, men played, and despite the abfcnoe of two or their most brlliiant exponents of the game, they gave a dis\Ajiy ir, dash certainly quity e<|ual to thei<r liaiini high slaudan."

A. .1. Oould. in the Daily Mail : "That our visitors ore a woHh-rfiilly fine and clever lot of footliallers there lh not the shadow of a doiibt. ami it will take a particufurlv powerful team to lowr their colours. If they ar« able to get through Ihvir intern,' \-jal engagements successfully wit Scotland and Ireland, and come mit Wales on Dec. Hi, with an unbeaten certificate, the t.'ardilT Arms Tark will not f>e large enough to hold tho'crowd." S. M. J. Woods :—"Some of theii passing is Vjuite crude. Stilt, the pace of the playcrß counteracts tins and it is generally one of the r own side viho gets the ball." E. .1. Vivian | (International) :-. "Hunter is certainly ther star artist, but Stead and Smith arc also very clever. F.vrry man is a trier, ami this 'is the cause of Jtheii success."

It is announced that Wales can now put eight first-olass forwards into the field, who will not |be outwvighixt even -by the New Zealand pack. The following nine forwards an- as clever and sjicedy as they are heavy :—I). Jones (l.">st 7lb), Harry Jones (list 8lfc). W. Neil (last 41b). J. J. Hodges (13st 2tb). .1. F. Williams (UJst 21b). Dick Thomas (lasl), C. lYitchard (12st ■ 101b), and, A. V. Harding (12st 101b). The ground of the Cardiff Club, on which the New Zoalanders will meet Wales on Dec. 16, has accommodation for ■lO.ooo spectators. The \V;'N!i Rutiby Tnion an- jrivine th.- visitors half the na'e. with a ii:;iTiiinim (.'iiniMiilre of C.'iOO. so thai ih-i- rofi'.-i- will prolrably ]«. r.|.1.-iiis!..«! i,. Hi., .'\t.iil nf s.-iii.'-thing like iil.'i'ut. W.il.'s will have to find suhstitutcs for their two' thr.>e-<piarters of last season, as B. T. Morgan aird W. M.. Llewellyn have boch definitely retired from active participation in the game.