NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALLERS

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1640, 5 January 1906, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALLERS

MAGNIFICENT STRUGGLE WITH IRELAND. (Per Press Association.) Auckland, last nightA writer in tbe Sportsman, in an account of tbe feotbcll match, New Zealand ;; versus Ireland, sums up in tbe following" 1 terms:— <l It was really a magnificent straggle " and New Zealmd has fought and won tbe hardest game of its tour, for, though Scot- j land came out of the ordeal better than Iceland on point?, they hardly gave their ccnquerers so hard a game. That the belter team won goes without quesfifij- * while Ireland, it may be covored herse’f with the glories of defeat, for her representatives played grandly, and not a man in the fifteen earned tbe smallest share of blame. They played as fine a game as could have been wished,but they were simply outplayed. Columns of , stuff might be written, but the wbo!|e match oondenses itself into this, defeat of an inferior team by a superior one. Looking at the game, a casnal observer would be inclined to SBy that tbe colonials were never 15 points ahead of Ireland, as tbe latter had a! least three-fourths of the play. This they undoubtedly had, but tbe other fourth whioh fell to the share of New Zealand, was multiplied into five-foarths, Once an opcuiDg occurred New Zealand took it, and the first of these was that whioh resulted in Dean’s first score,a matve'lous piece of judgment and deceit. Oa - the other hand, Ireland in the first got opportunity after opportunity, prin* 1* cipally by aid of her forwards, but these J were utterly useless, as she failed to profit by them, and all tbe magnificent rashes ana grand footwork of her pack went for nothing, end as the colonial backs simply ' eclipsed Ireland in tbe second half, all was , over, and the Irish supporters were trying inwardly for the finish ; not that Ireland did not prove jußt as staying as New Zealand, and exhibit equally as much “guts” to finish, but simply beoause of their being outdated in finesse. Their experiment of taking Wallsoe out of t v

"scrum 1 ’ and making him a par winger proved a'l right,. and to wondrous'and brilliant performer bel not a little of the credit due (o the 'wJLj,. B ido, He played really never onoe made a mistake. Ted Fortfllll was a host iio himself, and worked magnificently all througb, while perhaps of the others Alien deserves just a special werd of praise. Caddell was probably /f[ J the smallest half-back the colonials have/ met with, but by no means the hop brilliant. He took his Blogging like a i'on, and never flinohed. Kobinson, top, was game lo the end despite bis accident, opt the pair were , working under groat difficulty, especially in the second half. ; J-’he Irish three-quaiter line, though not I fauHess, performed well, though many wool! put them down ns the weak spot ir the team. Certainly Maolear was the he°f the line, and did a lot of brilli saving, while he was grand in atU. Parke was on the whole poor, while Efc. surprised by his clever display and os| beadedness. To Laudcra muoh praise 14

due. H q played a magaifieent game, few trivial mistakes being of little moment. V for the Mew Zealanders may be given in globe, if the expression will be pardoned, The distinguished featurb V their marvellous exhibition was; “ ■ts cl across and teauliful hand work, while the manner in which they got there’ with the least expansion of energy a t o nco stamped them as the belter earn. Deans was magnificent of a wonderful lot of backs, while O’Sullivan 1 if was mirvellous as tho head of a brilliant; oc ward combination.” ' Ipi