The tourists left Palmerston North for Wanganui by mail train and received a warm welcome on their arrival.

Crowds greeted the team at the railway station and followed the players‘ progress as they were conveyed by drags to the Rutland Hotel. An official reception was held at the Opera House during the afternoon , and in the evening the tourists attended a performance by a party of Maori entertainers from Rotorua. On the night before the Wanganui match the team attended a dance organised by the Wanganui Girls’ College Old Girls in honour of the tourists. The players taking part in the game left the dance early but the test of the team stayed on to the small hours of the morning.

Crowds of eager spectators began pouring into Wanganui from early morning on 11 July. Hundreds came by special train and those who arrived by road caused great congestion in the city. Farmers from the outlying districts were much in evidence.

The weather was almost too hot for rugby, and the turf was in excellent condition as the Garrison Band played the visitors onto the field to the strains of “Men of Harlech”. Further colour was added by a Maori party performing a haka and chanting a war song. The home team was captained by 1905 All Black wing ‘Bunny’ Abbott, who played at centre in this game and the forwards, Hogan and Murray, were also All Blacks.

The match was an interesting one, with the result in doubt until the final whistle. The visitors scored first when Gibbs dashed over at the corner flag to round off a passing rush. Harding made a good attempt to convert but the ball fell short. Abbott evened the score with a penalty goal from  in front of the posts, and the score was still 3-3 at halftime. Early in the second spell the Anglo-Welsh forwards drove play into Wanganui territory, where the visiting backs began a passing rush in which the Jones brothers combined brilliantly to send Williams streaking over in the comer.

Harding’s kick again fell short.

The visitors gradually gained the ascendancy, increasing their score when Davey bored his way over from loose play near the Wanganui posts. With time running out, Dyke fumbled near his own line and Meuli picked up to score a try. Abbott failed to convert but the Anglo-Welsh could be satisfied with their 9-6 win.

The visitors had the misfortune to lose Gibbs, who burst three blood vessels in his leg, for the rest of the tour, and several of the tourists suffered minor injuries in what was a hard and bruising gamer The Anglo—Welsh did not play as well as they should have, Dyke in particular having an off day. The Jones brothers and Johnny Williams were the best of the backs, with Morgan, Jack Williams, Archer and Dibble the pick of the forwards.

Reed, the fullback, played especially well for Wanganui, particularly on defence, while Abbott‘s tackling was one of the features of the home side‘s display. He was not suited to the centre position, however, being too inclined to go on his own Meuli and Seeling were the best of the other backs. Of the forwards, Hogan was prominent in the loose where he had good support from Irvine, Leahy and Guscott.