FRENCH RUGBY TEAM.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 January 1922, Page 3

FRENCH RUGBY TEAM.

PROSPECTS IN NEW ZEALAND. ENGLISH INTERNATIONAL’S VIEW. Although they might not be just as brilliant as the Springboks, the French Rugby players have improved so greatly during recent years that they will -be very difficult to beat, said the ex-inter-national English Rugby captain, Rev. M. Mullineux, who arrived from France on Saturday by the Tahiti. The Rev. Mullineux, whose work of caring for the graves of New Zealand soldiers in France brings him here on a short official visit, gave a representative of the Times his impressions of the French players who were expected to leave in the first week of May for a tour of New Zealand, Australia and , South Africa. The progress of the Rugby game in France since the war, was, he said, nothing short of marvellous. They defeated England, and are now regarded seriously by all the competitors in the international competition at Home. WONDERFUL KNOWLEDGE OF GAME. “You 'will find that they have a wonderful knowledge of the laws of the glime, which they play strictly according to the English Rugby code,” said the famous English half-back.

“They are very fast and keen, and, like the Maoris, when things are going their way, they are unbeatable. I have seen some of their passing rushes in Paris and in the provinces, where the game is booming now, and they are equal to anything 1 have seen in my career. They are typically French, fast and enthusiastic. They have not yet, however, quite mastered the fine points of scrummaging tactics. But, if the team they send to New Zealand is any better than their iateru»tioa»l team of

last season—and they say it will be better—their matches against New Zealand will be worth watching. Their style of back play and yours is very similar, the only difference being in the forward play. They will be in charge of Mr. R her ford, the secretary of the French Rugby Association, and they could not have a more capable director. WHEN FRANCE BEAT NEW ZEALAND. “Most of the men who represented the New Zealand Army team in trance will remember that they were not altogether up against the Rugby skill of the French, but the French temperament, which never admits defeat, in the old days we used to think they were weak in defence, but they have gone through rapid changes lately, and their skill has just grown like a mushroom. They recall with pride that they beat New Zealand in 1919. In that 'match Carpentier played in the three-quarter line, 1 think. It was his last match before he entered the ranks of professional sport, and he was very sorry to leave.”