NEW ZEALANDERS IN PRETORIA

NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALL CLUB.   In Rugby circles nothing is talked of more than our style of play so far. The first match was against the C.S.A.R.  which simply means the Central South African Railways. In this match New Zealand was represented by Knight (full back), Bonar. Fitzherbert, Baker (three quarters), F Hazelden (five-eighth), Freeth (captain, half)) with Gawn, Christie,, Jennings, Lewin. Wilson, Foster, Peebles,- O' Hazelden, and Taplin. The result was: New Zealand 25 points, C.S.A.R. 3 points. Following on this the C.S.A.R., with a different personnel, met us again Hamilton took Taplin's place in the New Zealand team, and the result was: New Zealand 18, C.S.A.R. 3. We were very unfortunate in place kicks, only one goal being registered in the first match, and none in the second. Those two matches gave rise to some talk, and the passing and running of our backs was warmly approved. Next came a match with the Harlequins, the leading; Rugby club here, with a large membership well on to 150 and composed principally of public service men. In the ranks of the Harlequins were said to be Scottish and English payers of renown, with some "fliers," and, from all accounts, their idea was to smother New Zealand, and on paper and from the practices they had had and the good form shown, they looked very formidable. The backs were fast and in the best of nick, and the forwards a heavy, powerful lot. The supporters of " The Pearl of the Pacific" were not too sanguine, and the sporting writers decried our placing or our men, our playing of wings with one half and one five eight, and wrote learnedly of the English Rugby game as opposed to New Zealand Rugby. According to the local papers, no finer backs could be picked in the Transvaal on the Harlequin side. Also, it was stated that playing eight forwards to our seven we should simply be " pulverised." In this frame of mind the New Zealanders took the field on Saturday afternoon, 4th April The convincing ground was on the racecourse — a hard ground, with a gritty, gravelly surface, and practically no grass on it. The New Zealand team was the same as that given above, save that Stuckey of Levin, North Island, who had arrived from Warm Baths, was put on as full back and Christie stood out. Lewin played in the scrum, and Knight (captain) wing forward. If you wanted a  picture of a look of quiet, set determination, a snap of the New Zealanders as they stood on that ground waiting for the other team to come out, would be worth something. There was no skylarking, but a sort of do or die look about them. However a hearty cheer went up from them as the Harlequins came on, and to which they also responded in a lusty manner. The Harlequins kicked off amid a sort of unnatural calm. and the large crowd saw the New Zealanders penned in their twentyfive for at least 10 minutes, and Harlequin backers roared themselves into convulsions as their forwards carried the first few scrums. Things looked blue, indeed, when New Zealand was forced down, and some Australian "barrackers" for New Zealand were very emphatic — "Now. Maoriland pull yourselves together: they're all tallying about you" Betting, I am sorry to say, was going on pretty freely, and one enthusiastic admirer was offering 2 to 1 that New Zealand would win. As the game waxed hotter and New Zealand were working the ball back the enthusiasm approached the frantic. In was a tight "go'." One spectator, an ex-Yeomanry officer, who had witnessed some of the classic matches in England said, " By jove, this is good — this is football, I tell you this is international football." The sporting instinct in the crowd was aroused. Both sides played brilliantly. The New Zealanders were now holding the scrum, though only seven to eight, and when they got to the centre gave their banks a show, and when Freeth got the ball out over it went to Hazelden, then to Bonar, then to Baker, and the ex- Hawke's Bay rep. made a most brilliant run evading the Harlequin fast man put on to mark him, getting rid of the full back and amid the most enthusiastic cheering scored a try. The kick, taken by Knight was a failure, unfortunately. But now New Zealand had their tails up and the excitement of a closely-contested inter-pro match, was nothing to it. From the number of note-takers on the ground it was apparent that the newspapers both in Pretoria, and Johannesburg were on the qui vive for copy. From the kickoff New Zealand had all the best of the game from now till half-time and it was a sight for Gods and men when Baker again got the leather after a series of clever passes and started on one of his express flights, but this time the collaring was too good. F. Hazelden. however, was on the job and picked up the loose ball when Baker was grassed ("gravelled " is a better word), and. after another brilliant run scored behind the goal posts. Then all Australasia roared and cheered themselves hoarse, and wishing to be included in the success. kept shouting  "Well played colonials" Some more enthusiastic, with an inclination to sarcasm, wanted to know where "one North of Scotland sprinter-" was. Hazelden took the kick and registered the major points Score, New Zealand, 8; Harlequins. Nil.

The second spell started in favour of the New Zealanders, and time after time they got the ball down to the full back; but he was not to be denied, and was too reliable and a most dodgy, tricky runner. Zaadaebarg by name and a Cape Colonist by birth, he had learned his football at one of the public schools. His kicking was perfect. The. Harlequins, on their mettle, worked with determination, and from an interchange of long kicks and fast following up got in the New Zealand lines, and from a bit of fumbling, which was exasperating, got over. The kick at goal was fruitless.  But now the tide seemed fairly turned. New Zealand was a man short — Knight had to retire, and a man was taken out of the scrum to fill his place. The forwards, now six to eight, were simply pulverised, as had been predicted, and, instead of attacking, had all their work cut out to defend. The Harlequins' backs were well fed, and some most determined runs were broken up by the sure collaring of Wilson, Hazelden, Bonar, and Baker, while Fitzherbert had plenty to do to stop on his side. Stuckley, at full back, was cool, and took the ball well; and on one occasion, failing to find the touch line, raced up to put his men on side, but the ball was returned smartly, and a fast follow-up, Bonar misjudging his catch, resulted in another try being registered. The kick was watched with intense interest, as a goal would equalise matters ; but failure resulted. Again from then on to call of time the ball hovered menacingly near the New Zealand line, but sheer hard, cautious play kept it from going over. Harlequins got a fair mark at a rather difficult angle, and a most beautiful kick by Ferris just dropped inside the bar; but until it did so, Australia and New Zealand Combined held its breath. Time was called just as New Zealand got out of a rather serious difficulty by the exertions of Stuckey, who dodged through the forwards from under his own goal and got the touch at half-way with a good kick. Score: Now Zealand. 8; Harlequin, 6.

T Hazelden and Baker were the heroes of the New Zealand. The former worked like a Trojan. His collaring was sure, with no false modesty about it. Baker got his man. and the ball, too, every time. There is no point in collaring in an apologetic sort of way. Though the ground is as hard as the nether millstone, you must be prepared to go down. Tom Gawn, from Balclutha, was a tower of strength to the forwards, and though he has not yet all the science of the game, he has pluck and go, and is in good hands for training. On the whole the forwards are rather light. Peebles, or "Scotty" as he is familiarly designated, is a hard player. He is a First Contingent man, and well known to the Otago section of that outfit, though he hails from the North Island. Jennings, of Nelson, is another colt who is fast picking up the fine points. Hazelden No. 2 is a sterling forward, hard enough to push against a locomotive. All the same, in another match, if I were a betting man, I would not put a penny piece on either team; they are too well matched, and though we scored our tries by rattling good play — genuine gallery play, too—drawing enthusiasm from all sides, the scores on the other side were chance snaps, only all the same they were scores.

I hear of alterations in the Harlequin team. Already several positions will be refilled. With us. unfortunately, there is no one just now to fall back upon good enough to replace any man who falls out, and next Saturday, when we play " The Diggers" at Johannesburg — the runners-up for the Johannesburg Cup last year, — it may be hard to replace Knight should he not be able to play. Anyhow, the matches played so far have given a great fillip to Rugby football in Pretoria, and, on the whole, throughout one season at any rate we confidently anticipate holding our own.

Bruce Herald Issue 44, 2nd June 1913

Mr Thomas Gawn, junr., now a resident of Queensland, is at present on a holiday visit to his native town of Balclutha. Mr Gawn has been a resident of Queensland for about four years, residing in different parts of that wide and —to most of us—unknown land. His present location is Coorau, a small town about the size of Stirling, on the North Coast line, ninety miles from Brisbane. This township is situated in the centre of a fine dairying district, and something like 16 tons of cream is sent away by train every week during the height of the season. In a climate such as Queensland there is little need for winter feed, but what little is required is generally grown in "cow cane," a fodder crop which gives good results and which, Mr Gawn thinks, might be grown to advantage here. The scrub country is brought into pasture by 'scrub-breaking or cutting during winter, and, with a good "burn" in the heat of the summer the grass can be sown with permanent results in the ashes. The roads are all made of the natural soil, with a little gravel in parts, and metal is practically non-existent. Mr Gawn is loud in praise of his adopted country, and says there is nothing in the heat bogey; if the residents dressed in "suitable manner the heat was no more trying there than the cold winters were - here, his stay in the Clutha will only be a short one, and he returns to the land of his adoption in about a month's time.