NEW ZEALAND V. CORNWALL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12641, 31 October 1905, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND V. CORNWALL.

"THE MIXTURE-AS BEFORE."

(From Auckland "Star Special Correspondent.)

LONDON, September 22. If the New Zealanders go on as they have begun, the historians of the tour will have very little left that is fresh to say about their matches. Their second game, which took place against Cornwall at Gamborne yesterday, wat> a repetition of the experience at Exeter. The dose administered to the Devon team last Saturday was ladled out in the same generous measure to the Cornishmen, with very similar results. If Devon made a lamentably weak showing against the New Zealanders, the land of Tre, Pol, and Pen practically did no better. The Devon fifteen lost by 55 points to 4, while Cornwall were beaten yesterday by 41 points to nil. Stripped of the goals, the scores were identical, 12 tries bein p gained against Devon and 11 against Cornwall. The English writers who sought to detract from the visitors first; victory by terming it "false football," and by lavishing abuse on the wing forward, are driven now either to seek refuge in silence or to give up "hedging," and confess frankly that the prowess, of the New Zealand team is proved beyond all doubt. The match was to have been played on Wednesday at Redruth, but was postponed for a day, and the scene ot play shifted to Camborne. The weather, as in the Devon match, was beautifully fine, and a crowd of between s'x and seven thousand attended, lne home team won the toss, and had the advantage of a stiff Breeze, but within three minutes Wallace had dodged over from back. He, however, failed to convert. The Cornish forwards played a, rousing game, and controlling the ball in the "sorum," worked into the visitors', territory, but the aggressive play of the back division was feeble. Several smart passing bouts by the visitors' rearguard were spoiled by vnia transfers on the line, and the home team, tackling in deadly style, the interval was near era the defence was broken. Hunter, Smith, and Mynott then dodged over in rapid succession, but Wallace failed at the place : kieks, and the visitors crossed over1 with a lead of four tries to nil. On resuming, they varied their methods, breaking up the "scrums" quickly, and keeping the ball in the open, and only brilliant tacking kept them out during some hot work on the Line, but the Cornish forwards could not stand the pace, and after a persistent onslaught Nicholson dropped over the line through the whole defence, and Wallace landed a fino goal. Wedge shaped smartly at half against the colon: al winger, Gallaher, whose tactics did not meet with the approval of the crowd, and Milton and Jaokett shone in defence, but the attempts of tho home back division to open out the play were very tame in contrast to the colonial swift and tricky exchange. Dean and Hunter next added tries, Wallace converting the latter from the touchline. Cornwall made a brief visit to the visitors goal, but never threatened danger, and Wallace came back with a terrifio sprint. Before the end Hunter, Macdonald, and Smith put on further tries, and Wallace landing two goals, the New Zealanders won by four goals and seven tries (41 points) to nil. The "Daily Telegraph's" expert, who was lass grudging in his praise of the first victory, does full justice to the visitors' achievement in Cornwall. "This remarkable achievement," he writes, "removed any lingering doubts as to the correctness of the Exeter result. Our visitors have achieved victories that would be deemed well-night impossible by any of our teams, and are clearly very formidable opponents. They have set themselves to win the inter-national-championship, and appear to havo a reasonable chance of attaining their object." - Says tho secretary of the Cornwall Rugby Union-. "Gallaher's play was by no means of the off-side nature we had been led to, expert. Few free kicks were given against him; certainly nothing like the number one often sets given against halves in keen club games.." "The pace," says tba "Western Morning News," "was tremendous throughout, and this, coupled with the brilliant lightning flashes of passing, broke Cornwall up. Wallace played back, with a sun hat, which he never lost from his head, and proved his versatility by coming up into the quarter line as a useful factor, and scoring from the hands of the three-quarters. Smith was brilliant at centre threequarter, and Hunter a marvel as one of those useful five-eighths; while Gallagher agiin proved a thorn in the side of his opponents. He never got into the scrum, but he was ever where the ball was. His fine dribbles away from the hands of the opposing halves were splendid, and the smaller English half-banks often saw the ball thrown otoi* their heads by tho burly Gallagher to his 'quarters. Tho secretary of the Cornwall Rugby Football Union declares that the tactics of the New Zealanders are superior in every way to anything witnessed in English football. "Backed up as they ■are by running, passing, and kicking of the Highest class, it is indeed difficult to say what British ttam will check tln-ir victorious career," says the Cornish expert. The president of the Cornwall Union (Mr. F. W. Thomas), in giving tho toast of the visitors, declared that a

finer body of men never went on a football field in Cornwall.