THE ALL BLACKS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19148, 3 November 1927, Page 12

THE ALL BLACKS.

TOO MUCH TRAVELLING IN SOUTH AFRICA. SOME PROBABLE OPPONENTS. [THE PBESS Special Service.] WELLINGTON, November 2. "I hope that the rumour that Cooke will not come across is untrue, because, judging by what I saw of that player in England, he would make just the deadly striking player on attack that, will be necessary against these players. I consider he is more to Now Zealand than Benny Osier is to South Africa, and that's saying a tremendous lot." The above comment is made by Dr. W. H. Davy, the well-known one time Otago representative player, who writes from Harrismith, Orange Free State, under date, September 23rd, to a member of tho "Dominion" staff: — "According to the plan made the All Blacks will spend most of their time on tho South African Railways. Why on earth they don't have the northern area matches completed first, including a test at Durban and another at Johannesburg, goodness knows, but they are going to make them travel the Union twice over, and possibly Rhcdesia as well. The unnecessary thing is hauling them down to Cape Town before the first Test afteT they finish the Griqualand match. They are hauled thus an extra 1500 miles in a week to play two games in Cape Town (and hard ones, too, they will be), and then back through Kimberiey again and across to Durban for the first Test, after which they start a whole round tour of the Union, to finish up again at Capo Town. Really, I consider that tho boys are not getting a fair deal at all in this most important matter. By the way, the Natal match (played six days after they arrive in Pietermaritzburg) should be a fairly hard one, but the boys will do it comfortably if they have regained their land legs." "This Benny 1 Osier is a phenomenal drop-kicker," says Dr. Davy, "and woe betide. New Zealand if the ball is not booted well down the field or to touch, rle pots a goal in nearly every game he plays in. I think one or two good bard tackles by the diggers though will make him respect them. One. hates to be eternally on the grouse, but I think New Zealand rather unwise to have given way on the leaving a month earlier. It is a bit risky picking a team on this year's form. It's all tommyrot about July being too late to start the tour here as August and September are excellent months for play." "Transvaal," says Dr. Davy, "have a great wing three-quarter named Prinsloo, a Dutch flier, who is very stronglv built. He is a certainty. Devine (Transvaal) and Osier (Western Province) will be the halves. Devine is a 'dive pass' man and a useful player. (Brink (Transvaal) or Jackson (Natal) will fill the full-back position."