FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8036, 26 January 1906, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

THE MEETING OF THE GIANTS. THE WELSH MATCH. The enormous interest taken in the above match is amply borne out by the Home tiles to hand by the 'Frisco mail. The scene on the grouud is described an unparalleled one, even for a Welsh match, and there were between 10,000 and 50,000 spectators present on the historic, occasion. It was a hard, scrambling game for the most part, both aides wrought to the highest pitch of excitement. There was scarcely a glimpse, of the beautiful precision among the New Zealand backs that had spread devastation through Kngland, Ireland, and Scotland. But the tackling was of the stern, "no ipiarlcr " order, and several | men on both sides were temporarily knocked out. Gallagher, who was early in trouble with the referee, received no mercy either from his opponents or the spectators. But though Gallagher kept cool under provoking circumstances, many others of the team were visibly upset, and an air of nervousness seemed 10 pervade their ranks. Not only Mynotl, but aiso Hunter and Deans, usually so safe, failed to lake or give passes time after time, and that with no opponent near them. As for Giliclt, the full-back, he is described as appearing almost unnerved, as if (the greatness of the occasion were almost too much for him. Things were in this slate when Owen got possession in the New Zealand " 25," and drawing the defence to the right by a superb feint, threw a long pass back to l'ritchard, who passed to Gabe, who in turn

transferred to Morgan, for that speedy winger to race down the touch line, and, evading Gillctl's tackle, ground the ball just over the line. A scene almost indescribable, amounting to frenzy, followed. The second spell opened desperately, the New Zcalauders lighting as they never fought before. But strive though they did with might and main, they could not cross the Welsh line. Time after time the "all-black" hosts surged up to the Welsh line, but never quite over, although time after time Welsh hearts leapt to their throats in a-jonised fear that they would. Once Roberts, who headed fierce attack after attack, was pulled down only indies from the line, and from one corner (lag to the other there ensued a series of wild bullies and scrums that threatened disaster every minute to Wales' defence. But still no score came, the seige being raised time and again by Nicholls and Winfield. It was now that Wallace, chafing under the prolonged inaction which the colonial three-quarter line had endured, rushed with the desperation borne of despair into the thick of the fray. Gathering the ball from an opponent's toe, lic|tore his way through every obstacle, and in a trice was speeding 'dQjvn the field with Deans on his flank and only two opponents to pass. It looked an absolutely certain try. Winfield went for Wallace a dozen yards from the line, but before he could reach''him the ball had been passed out to Deans, racing down to touch line. He, too, was collared, hut not before! he had crossed the Welsh line, though the referee, whose decision is bound to be accepted in such matters, declared he had been "held up" and ordered a scrum instead of a placekick. In a few more minutes the end came, amid another indescribable scene of wild enthusiasm.

Some of (he big dailies, chronicling the match, ask "Were the Xew ilealanders spellbound ?" Tlie machinery : which had worked so smoothly in all i their other matches, had apparently ceased to act. Every time the wheels began to move, some cpiick intelligent Welshman thrust in his spoke, and they ceased (o revolve. In the first place the Welsh forwards got the ball as often as their rivals. But even when liohcrls did get it heeled out lo liim and hail started Ihe mechanismthere was never iinv breakdown in Hint perfect "scr -h df" c„g-the fatal defect appeared. Mynoll, who received mosl of liobcrls' passes, was a]iparcntlv mesmerised bv the crowd from the'slarl. and as one Welsh paper remarks, i! wa- a falel'ul division which iwarded him his place in preference lo Sleail. Though a player ol'givi chrsb .Hid speed, he was never Stead'-' ciptnl . fa' cleverness and judgment, lint in i l!ii: inairli lie seemed lo |...-c his head I entirely Time . innumerable lie mulled I liobcrls' paws, oil In r dropping or knocking lliem on m- passing them ' forward in the most juvenile fashion. ' He was Hurried, oppressed by (he shallow of I'r.tchard, the "spoiler," whose mission it was to dislocate the live-eighj's play. With a player of ' more resource lhan Mynolt showed, ' this plan might have been circumvented. As it was it succeeded admirably. The pivot of the Xew Zealand attack, the live-eights, never got going at any point of the game, and coiiscipiently the whole machinery fell lo pieces. The ' Welsh tackling was accurate and deadly. Nevertheless Mynolt, with a [blind, reckless impel uosily born of 'success against: weaker opponents, kept on trying to force his way through a, crowd of opponents, (he while his wing threc-iptarters stoodinipotently fuming, and Stead, carrying the touch Hag, looked unutterable things. Writing after the match, tlie very able football critics of the" London Morning Lender" and " Lloyd's Weekly Xews," assert most positively that the referee blew his time whistle two minutes too soon at the close of the first half, and some of lliese writers add that at that particular moment the "Xew Zenlanders were going strong," and the play was decidedly in their favour. Secondly, the very aeule and impartial critics of the "Morning Post," " Sportsman," "Telegraph." "Mirror," "Times." "Daily Mail," " Athletic Xews," " Weekly Dispatch," and " Evening X'ews" distinctly assert that in the last moments of the game a try had been actually gamed by Xew ' Zealand—"the equalising try," one writer calls it —which in that case would have made the game a tie, as indeed more than one authority pronounces it to have been. There seems to have been a general consensus of opinion that the Colonials played below their usual form and displayed nothing like the skill and vigour thai was so noticeable in their I previous mulches,

Gullaher is said to have remarked on Saturday: " I was never so much impressed in my life as when Wales sang their National Anthem " The touch judges of the match ("W. .1. Stead, .Now Zealand, and Ack Llewellyn, "Wales) were tliereci|iienls of (lie Hags used, constructed of light, blur silk and embroidered with the silver fern, the l'rinee of "Wales' plume, and I lie ]ilnee and date of Ihc malcli --a truly pleasing lnenieuto "f a great game.