Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-03-17


the fine game put up by the famous
New Zealanders created a profound inn
preston both on the critics, the press,
the FACULTY and the general public. The
same favorable impression was made
by their display In New York, some OF
the experts saying that those who
failed seeing the game missed the
sight of their lives, declaring their
team work was marvellous, their pace
simply wonderful, and the way the ball
was passed from one to the other when
travelling at full speed being thrilling
TO watch. What impressed the New
Workers mostly was the wonderful
kicking and punting of the "All
Blacks as the visitors are called, not
by one certain man, but by the team
IN general, and added to that the abil-
ity to Kick with either foot. one
hitherto strong supporter of the inter-
collegiate game at Berkeley said that
Rugby as a game has the intercollegi-
ate style beaten 1000 different ways.
Wei, | have upheld the view that
English Rugby as game both for SCI
ence. speed and attractiveness. has the
intercollegiate game beaten to stand
still. Persons who knew no better or
who had seen no other style of foot
both critics and the press and Il GER
tainly is refreshing to my mind to see
expert opinion veering around to my
view, after seeing an expert team Of the
highest grade perform, The press both
I'm New York and California went into
ecstacles over the display Of the New
Zealanders. Yet such displays az far
as attractiyeness IL concerned, are wit
messed not on one but ON hundreds of
Rugby football enclosures in Great
Britain every week.
WHY NEW zEALANDERs WON.
The New Zealanders owed their WON
derful record I'm Britain not because
they played superior football or knew
more about the game than the players
of the mother country. but In a greater
extent to the fact that they were IL
seleced and perfectly trained body of
athletes, always in fine condition,
trained, as 1t were, to the minute, while
the English Rugby players, ON the other
hand, being amateurs, simply suit
themselves whether or not they go in
training In fact, fully 80 per cent
never indulge IN any kind of training
whatever.
Another cause for the weakness of
English players Is owing to the secas-
sion Of the Northern Rubgy league
clubs from the Rugby union. The
Northern union Is composed of 80 clubs,
divided INTO two divisions-I, 1.-the
two top clubs of No, III division displac-
ing the two bottom clubs OF No. | d.
vision at the end Of the season. These
fine clubs. the finest IN Britain, being
on professional basis, naturally
attract the cream of the Rugby talent
Ia. Toll, MIA
matter how prominent he may be,
throws H. his lot with the Northern
union, even on bonafde amateur sta
tus, he Is barred from ever donnlng
his jersey TO play either for town club.
county or international matches under
Rugby union rules. England has In the
Northern union clubs, hundreds of a.
fine a set of Rugby players as ever
donned a Jersey, yet she could not use
a single player from their ranks 20 up
pose the New Zealanders. as that would
be a fragrant violation Of Rugby union
rules.
WALES PLAYED WELL
Being on quasi professional basis.
the Northern union players do Keep
themselves In training and good condi-
ton, as the pace set on their league
matches Is terrific, and III the IAN
Blacks had these teams TO meet, far
different story would be the result. As
II was, the New Zealanders, clever as
they are met their equals once they
bumped up against the Welsh clubs
As they won by an average OF only
ia points TO | against, as average of u
to before entering Wales, In all the
Welsh matches the back divisions. es-
peciolly the three quarters. passing
among the Welsh clubs was far and
away more superior than that of the
New Zealanders, yet 1t Is this three
quarter passing of the New Zealanders
that IL causing such wonder and as
constituent 10 American critics; 20
there is no saying TO what OBSTACLES the
American press would indulge Il
they once saw the magnificent and be-
wildoring passing Of Welsh three
quarter elk line when once IN motion,
as In this consummatc art they leave
the ''All Blacks" and the others far.
far behind.
FOOTBALL ART
In kicking, bunting. drop kicking the
ball, the New Zealand players as a
whole were inferior TO the British ones,
and especially so In the art OF dribbling.
which Is almost In the loose rushes in
Rugby yet the bunting process and the
kicking abilities OF the "All Blacks"
fairly astonlshed tho American critics.
experts at New York declaring that
even the poorest OF the IAN Blacks at
punting and drop kicking were away
superior TO the best that we have in the
intercollegiate game. Where the "All
Blacks" left the English players behind
tvas ncs IN skill s1t In paee-conditlon,