FOOTBALL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7936, 9 January 1906, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM. The following is from the Loudon Daily Mail:—"Casey played a sterling game against Ireland on Saturday. Before be left New Zealand his father, who, it is perhaps somewhat unnecessary to state, is of Hibernian extract, is reported to have said: 'Steve, me bhoy, ye ueod not be after troubling to come homo if yez dou't whip the Onld Country' " Whether or not Casey, senior, said anything of tho sort, his son may go homo with a clear couscienco; for the "Ould Counthry" went under at tho football match lust Saturday. The attendance at the International match at Dublin last Saturday has boon officially declared to have reached 11,500 and tho takings to £950. Of thi9 sum the Now Zealauders receive £350, which represents half the net gate. For the Munster match at Limerick tho "AT Blacks" received £SO, this sum having been previously arranged and tbey take no share of the gate. Tho Thames Police Court magistrate in disposing of a case in which boys were summoned for playing football in the streets, said their conduct was not to be wondered at when the New Zealand team created such interest. But the boys were player "Soccer," as nine hundred and Mn9ty-nine boys do nowadays. You can't find a piece of vacant ground anywhere in or around London these days which is not in the hands of youngsters kicking a ball 6t some sort about. But never by any chance do you come across an exposition of tho Rugby code by the youngsters. And though every Board bc'uool boasts its football team or teams, you never hear of the Rugby game being exploited dv them. It is all "Soccer." Under these circumstances can you wonder at there being such a dearth of Rugby talent in the Old Country. It is all very well for Mr P. A. Vaillo and others to point to the New Zealanders' triumphant caree"' as evidence of the truth of their assertion that the Englishman is decadent and altogether an inferior being mentally and physically to his colonial kinsman, but the truth of the matter is that the Rugby Union has never made any attempt to impart the love of the handling code to our youngsters, whereas the devotees of Association football have encouraged the spread of their game by every means m their power during the last twelve or fifteen years. The result is that whilst Rugby is entirely neglected by the great mass of the rising generation, Association football has a stronger hold on the boys and young men of to-day than any other sport, not even excepting cricket. Mr Crawford Fiulay, who was in charge of the whistle at the IrelandNew Zealand match, officiated in the "All Blaoks" contest at Cambridge, and he now frankly confesses that when he first refereed in a Now Zealand match he was frequently puzzled and taken unawares by the rapidity and novelty of the colonial movements and methods. Now that he knows them better he appreciates the correctness of much that he doubted bofore. There was of course, no truth in the rumour that the New Zealanders protested against Mr Finlay being appointed referee in the Dublin match. The Irish players are unanimous in their tribute to the cleverness and sportsmanship ot the New Zealanders. Landers, the Irish fullback, was very emphatic on the fairness of the "All Blacks." "i never wish to play against a finer set of sportsmen," he said on Saturday night, and that was the verdict of ! every Irishman at the match. The best of feeling characterised the play in the Irian international, | and after the match several black jerseys were "swopped" for green ones as souvenirs of a game which both teams thoroughly enjoyed. It was a case of "why bore the New Zealand full-back ?" in the Munster match. Booth, who filled the,position ou that occasion, never touched the ball in the first spell. Ho was wearing a pair of white kid mittens, and at half-time they were 'tag spotless as when he put them on. Basil Maclear, the , Irish international three-quarter, is a great favourite with the New Zealanders, who have now met him in four matches—Blaokheath, Bedford, Ireland and Munster. He is a burly young giant, with a fine turn of speed and any amount of pluck. George Smith says that Maolear is the best back the New Zealanders have encountered throughout the tour. Maclear, on his part, was kind enough to declare the other day that tho "All Blaoks" were the finest team and best sportsmen he has ever met. He himself is a sportsmen of the best type. You never find him "taking it lying aown," and he always % plays the game. In the Muntter match un Tuesday the local team seemea rather overawed by the great reputation of the New Zealanders, and their own play lacked vigour in consequence. Maclear got them in the dressing-room at the interval, and , harangued and scolded them so effectively that thoy started off in the second spell with great dash. They "died away" again, it is true, but without the aid of Maclear and the stimulus of his example, Munster would have made a much poorer show against the New Zealanders than they did.