FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8073, 2 April 1906, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

Mr " Dicky" Owen, the Welsh international serum half, appeared on the stage of the Swansea Palace of Varieties the other night in the unusual role of lecturer on football (says a Home correspondent). The subject of his address was " Why Wales beat the Xew Zcalandcrs." .Mr Coutts, the manager of the Palace, in introducing the noted footballer, stated that Mr Owen did not appear for any pecuniary gain, but simply as a favour to him (Mr Coutts). Mr Owen was enthusiastically received by the audience, and stated that though uot an orator he would " do his best in his own sweet way." He .said Wales went on the field full of confidence in their ability to make their doughty opponents " go all the way " to win. He claimed that W. Joseph, of Swansea, an international forward, had planned and carried out a method by which the Welsh pack was enabled to send the ball out of the scrum quite as often as the agile New Zealanders, aud this considerably altered the aspect of the game which the " All Blacks " had been playing with monotonous regularity. Instead of frequently initiating attacking movements of " apparent brilliance," New Zealand had a taste of play which was aggressive, opportune, ani methodical, and which they needed all their skill and I'oree to combat. In the lecturer's opinion the capital movement which led up to the winning score was the only real opportunity offered to Wales, when two of the Xew Zealand three-quarters were lured on to the blind side of the scrum, ouly to find the ball had been shot across in the opposite direction and their otherwise well-conceived defence pierced.