AUSTRALIANS PREPARE

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28259, 23 April 1957, Page 12

AUSTRALIANS PREPARE

Trial Matches In N.S.W.

(N.Z. Press Associatton M .Copyright) | (Rec. 10 p.m.) SYDNEY, April 22. The Australian Rugby selectors today made their first major effort to prepare for the tour of the All Blacks. In New South Wales, selectors will watch 120 of the country’s best players in action in a country carnival. In the evening they will choose the combined Sydney sides to play Country on May 4. This match will lay the foundation for the selection of the New South Wales team for the All Blacks match on May 18 in Sydney. The All Blacks’ first rivals on the Australian tour—the combined Illawarra side—will make its first appearance of the season and experts will have an indication of the group’s chances of extending the All Blacks at Wollongong on May 14. Newcastle, Western, and Central West sides will also display their ability in the country carnival. There is intense competition for places in the combined Sydney side and some prominent internationals seem certain to fall by the wayside. Dick Tooth and Mac Hughes, the top performers on the Wallabies* New Zealand tour two years ago, are out of action. Players who may be dropped are Jim Phipps, Edgar Stapleton, Tony Miller, and Jim Brown. Rod Phelps is likely to be moved from full-back, where he has been a disappointment, to wing. The captaincy of the Sydney side is sure to go to Alan Cameron, who has great prospects of leading Australia against New Zealand and then on a world tour. The selectors tonight will announce the Sydney coach and their choice seems certain to be Keith Walsh, who would automatically become Australia’s coach against the All Blacks. Mr Walsh was a half-back on the combined Australian Universities’ tour of New Zealand after the war. He managed Australian Universities to Japan last year and has had phenomenal success in Sydney club and representative football. Mr Walsh last week, planned the tactics for South Harhour’s surprise win over North ' Harbour. He is one coach who has devised tactics for the Australian rule dispensation of no kicks out on the full, and these will be the basis of the Australian pattern of play against the All Blacks. He is an advocate of high kicks from set play with the ball spinning j along the backline only from t quick rucks. He specialises in the use of a number eight forward moving outside the opposing five-eighths, driving him back into the forwards and forcing a wedge in the opposing back line. He is also an advocate of hard driving forward l rushes with the emphasis on kick- j ing ahead rather than attempted I dribbling rushes.