FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 August 1921, Page 10

FOOTBALL.

NEW ZEALAND TEAM. WEIGHT AND HEIGHT. ( __ The New Zealand Rugby team against the South Africans is as follows :-t Fullback: Kingston (Taranaki). Ttreequarters; Storey (South Canterbury), Aitken (Wellington), Steele (West Coast). Five-eights: x C. Badeley (Auckland), M. Nicholli . (Wellington). Halfback: 3. E. Nicholls (Wellington). Wing-forward: ! Donald (Wairarapa). j Forwards: Hughes (Wellington), Duncan (Otago), Moffett (Wellington), MdLean (Bay of Plenty), Richardson (Otago), Whyte (Southland), Bellis (Wanganui). Emergencies.—Backs : Roberts and Algar (Wellington). Forwards: Fogarty (Taranaki), and S. Shearer (Wellington),. Following is the weight and height of each member of the team: —Kingston, fullback, list, 41b, sft. Tin.; Steele, threequarter, I3st. 121 b, sft. Din.; Aitken, tbreequarter, 13st. 11b. sft. Ilin.; Storey, threequarter, 13st. 71b, sft. Ilin.; Nicholls; five-eights, list. 111 b, sft. lOln.; Badeley, five-eights, lOst. 121 b, sft. 6in.; Nicholls, halfback, lOst. 121 b, sft sin. Forwards: Donald, wing, 12st 111 b, sft. Ilin.; Hughes, 13st. 51b, sft. 9in.; Duncan, 13st. 21b, sft. 9in.; Moffitt, 15st. 11b, 6ft.; McLean, 14st. 121 b, 6ft. o%in.; Richardson, 15st. 41b, 6ft. 2in.; Whyte, list. 31b, 6ft.; Bellis, 14st., 6ft.

THE BEST FORWARD. AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION. Who was the best forward New Zealand ever turned out? It is a big question, almost impossible to answer, but it is one that a number of Taranaki sports endeavored to answer the other afternoon in a Taranaki grandstand. "C. Seeling was out on his own," said one authority.

“What about D. Gallagher?" Queried an other.

"If you’re going back into history," said No.- 3, "I reckon Tom. Pauling, of Wellington, never had an equal as an all round forward. He really was a wonderful chap." “Not more so than Barney O’Dowdn,” chimed in The Oracle, who proceeded to sing Barney's praises and recount his exploits on the Taranaki and New Zealand fields. "Well, you can have them all, but I believe Jimmy O’Sullivan, the Okaiawa stalwart, was as good a forward as Taranaki or New Zealand ever possessed," came a voice from the back.

"After Jim Lambie, from tho Waimate Plains,” said No. 3. “Jim played like one thing. Remember what he did on the Australian tour in 1892, when he shone amongst such giants as W. Watson, W.. Pringle and Ellison.”

"Ah,” exclataied No. 2, "now you’ve hit it. Tom Ellison was probably the greatest forward New Zealand has ever seen. He, of course, went Home with the Maori team, In which he was a tower of strength. He possessed every attribute, of a perfect footballer —power, speed, mental agility, and resource. We've never had another man like him.”

“Yes, he was a great man, alright," said No. 1, himself a man who helped to carry New Zealand’s banner in the days gone by, “but it is difficult to say who was the best footballer, forward or back. Times and conditions change so. Our minds dwell on the players of the past and conjure them up as wonderful men, but I believe we have just as good men playing to-day as ever we had, but we have to sort them out." "You’re right,” chipped in No. 4, "there’re a few men in the team to play in the tests against the Springboks who. If reports are true, are as (jood as anything we’ve had in the past. There’s Richardson, Otago's lock, who is reckoned to be a truly wonderful forward. Bellis, the Taihape elephant, is l another. You see; the South Africans when they meet them will not have things all thoir own way.” Then the whistle sounded and the ball was kicked off. WW: THE ROBERT'S. A REGULAR WELLINGTON INSTITUTION. Writes "ex-Wellingtomian”;—Your football correspondent on Saturday made the following statement in reference to the WellingtonSpringbok match: "They (Wellington) cannot put it down to tho absence of their "Freddy” Roberts, who captained the team.” This is probably a typographical error, he obviously referring to the much talked of "Teddy Roberts.”

“Freddy 1 " Roberts was the famous original “All Black," who had the great record of playing in every match of the tour in 19041905. He retired from active football fully eight years ago.

It Is an interesting fact that. Wellington has had for more than a quarter of a century a Roberts to represent them in New Zealand football.

First there was Harry Roberts, who is the father of the at present much discussed "Teddy."

'fhen came that fine little half-back, "Cocky" Roberts, who, with the great old forward “Joe" Calnan, was suspended for, I believe, a couple of seasons after an Australian tour. After "Cocky" came the All Black "Freddy.” who was no relation to either of the other Roberts, ’fcho in most people’s opinion is tte best half-back we have ever had. "Freddy” played representative football for many years after the "All Black" tour, finally gave place to "Teddy” Roberts, often standing down in representative football to give the younger player a chance.

The present player "Teddy” toured California with the New Zealand team a yeai or two before the war, and has since represented us on many occasions to our greal advantage.

Our football contributor is indebted to "ei-Wellingtonian" for the above Interesting notes regarding the various Roberts, who have been of such service to Wellington and New 1 Zealand football. “Cocky” Rooerts was one of the most versatile backs Wellington has produced. "Cocky," if writer recollects aright, was in the New Zealand team of 1897 of which Alf Bayly was captain, and which also contained Arthur Humphries, L. Alien, W. Wells, and H. Mills.

That 1897 team, by the way, put up a good record. The first test against N.S.W. resulted in New Zealand’s favor by 19 to 8. but the second was won by N.S.W. by 22 to 8. The New Zealanders made no Mistake in the third test, winning by 26 to irhey also won all their other matches, jUainst Western District, Central and West ißrlcls. North Districts, Queensland (2), and Weensland Sixteen. The team scored in H 229 ; points while 73 were scored againsw them. lOn their return they were defeated bjr Auckland by 11 points to 10. "Cocky" Roberts did some sensational work in the third test. He was playing centre three-quarter and for a time kept ot‘ feeding his speedy wings. Then he gav ß "the dummy,” beat the full-backi and t'Auchcd down behind the line twice or thrice . i succession. "Cocky,” Calnan and Harris got Mo a scrape at Auckland on their return, an I were "put up." In 1903 New Zealand sent anothe team across the Tasman. This tour was a 'series of unbroken triumphs. The team won 11 the ten matches played; they scored 276 points and only 13 points were scored against .them. The match ngainst all Australia was v n by !22 points to 3.