THE FOOTBALL TESTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 August 1921, Page 11

THE FOOTBALL TESTS.

DOMINION’S FINE RECORD.

FIFTY-EIGHT MATCHES.

(By C. S. Tendall, in Auckland Herald.) Test matches the ( world over have a fascination and interest all their own among all sport-loving peoples. They bring to the playing field the cream of a nation’s athletes and a scientific and highly-finished exposition of a game. For this reason alone all international contests will draw their thousands. Apart from this, however, these great games are a matter of moment to far more than the mere spectator. Two nations are struggling for supremacy, and to the winner of the rubber the coveted honor falls. Their importance carries their results across many miles of ocean, to city, town, and village, to hamlet and isolated farm. The scores are discussed in drawing room and village inn, in shop and factory, in school or college, with jubilation or regret. And this is as it should be, for a healthy love of sport is for the good of all men. Armstrong’s cricket eleven and the Englishmen have provided us with a never failing topic of debate for many months, and now, with footballers from overseas invading the Dominion, we have a. still further intrest in the doings of picked players from the Rugby arenas of three countries—including our own—right within our doors.

The South African footballers played their first test, match against New Zealand on Saturday—and lost. Every one of us will delight in victory, but our satisfaction should be tempered with a very genuine admiration for the vanquished, who, by the way, have still a chance to turn the tables on us in the next two tests. Admiration is the Springbok’s due, for he represents all that is best in Rugby football. Conservatism is his only fault, if it can be classed as such. The Springbok sticks to the old rules, and the slower type of game suits him best. He plays the game for the love of it, and it will be many years before the professional will gain a footing on the playing fields of the Union. The “dirty” player is almost unknown in South Africa, and is quite unknown among our present visitors. Football is New Zealand’s great national game, and for a country of her size she has a remarkable record in international trials of strength. Saturday’s match was the fifty-eighth test contest in which the All Blacks have participated, and of these games they have won 48, lost only 7. and drawn 3. A truly remarkable record for so small a country. FIRST TEST IN 1884. It is a far cry to 1884, when a New Zealand team first came into prominence in the football world by defeating New South Wales in three straight tests, and from then follows a long series of successes. Those were the days of J. A. Warbrick, H. Roberts, and G. H. Helmore, the famous backs, and Milton, the great Canterbury forward, who captained the side. What a long list of mighty players New Zealand has produced since then, and we can take no small satisfaction from the fact that our present team is worthy of the old traditions!

Harking bltck to 1884, I have found a brief but interesting description of the All Blacks’ first test match, which is given in the Herald of June 2 of that year as a cablegram from Sydney, dated May 31. as follows:

“The New Zealand footballers played a match this afternoon against a strong team representing New South Wales. The weather was splendid and the ground hard and in excellent condition. The attendance was large, fully 3000 persons being present. The New Zealand team played splendidly and were victorious by two goals and one try to nil. The winners* first goal was obtained by Warbrick by an excellent kick from the field. The second was secured by Millton from a touch-down obtained by Taiaroa, who throughout the afternoon showed magnificent form. A try was also secured by Robertson.” DOMINION’S TEST RECORD. New Zealand’s complete test match record is worth repeating, and is as follows:

From the above it will bo seen that the All Blacks have played many countries in the course of their football history. Their clash with the South Africans on Saturday adds another to the list, as they have never played the Springboks before. Our new acquaintances are worth cultivating, and it is to be hoped that their present tour will be the forerunner of many pleasant meetings in the future, and may the. games be always fast and clean, and the best side ,wi»!

1884—New South Wales ... .. won 11 to 0 . . won 21 to 2 .. won 16 to 0 New South New South Wales ... Wales ., • 1893—New South Wales ... .. won 17 to 8 New South Wales .. ... lost 3 to 25 Queensland ... won 14 to 3 Queensland ... won 36 to 0 New South Wales ... ... won 16 to 0 1894—New South Wales .. ... lost 6 to 8 1896—Queensland ... won 9 to 0 1897—New South Wales ... ... won 13 to 8 New South Wales .. ... lost 8 to 22 Queensland ......... ... won 16 to 5 Queensland ... won 24 to 6 New South Wales ... ... won 26 to 3 1901—New South Wales ... ... won 20 to 3 1903—New South Wales ... ... won 12 to 0 New South Wales ... .. won 3 to 0 Queensland ... won 17 to 0 Queensland .. won 28 to 0 Australia ., won 22 to 3 1904—British XV ... won 9 to 3 1905-—New South Wales ... .. won 19 to 0 New South }Vales .. ... draw 8 to 8 Australia ... won 14 to 3 Scotland . ... won 12 to 7 Ireland ... won 15 to o England ... won 15 to 0 Wales .... ... lost 0 to 3 1906—France ... won 38 to 8 1907—Jiew South Wales ... ... won 11 to 3 New South Wales .. ... lost 0 to 14 Australia ... won 26 to G Queensland ... won 23 to 3 Queensland ... won 17 to 11 Australia ... won 14 to 5 Australia ... draw 5 to 5 1908—Anglo-Welsh XV. ... ... won 32 to 5 Anglo-Welsl XV. .. ... draw 3 to 3 Anglo-Welsh XV. ... ... won 29 to 0 1910—New South Wales ... ... won 21 to 8 New South Wales .. ... won 17 to 11 Australia ... won 6 to o Queensland ... won 19 to 15 Queensland ... won 21 to 3 Australia ... lost fl to 11 Australia ... won 28 to 13 1913—Australia ... won 30 to 5 Australia ... won 25 to 13 Australia ... lost 5 to 16 1914—New South Wales ... ... won 27 to 6 New South Wales .. ... wort 25 to 10 Australia ... won 5 to 0 Queensland ... won 26 to 5 Queensland ......... ... won 19 to 0 Australia ... won 17 to 0 Australia ... won 22 to 7 1921—South Africa. ... won 13 to 5 954 311