Trials Showed Up Many Qualities And Faults

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28269, 6 May 1957, Page 10

Trials Showed Up Many Qualities And Faults

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, May 5. The two final All Black trials yesterday certainly achieved one object, for the crowd of about 15,000 saw some of the most spectacular Rugby played in this country in recent years. On paper, the teams looked wellbalanced and equal and in the case of the A teams, which played in the main game, this was certainly so. The early match, however, was a one-sided affair and

towards the end the Probables were scoring almost at will—they won by 43 points to 6—an extremely high margin for a trial match. The

main game, which produced the best Rugby, was also won by the Probables, 14-13.

The first game between B J teams was similar to the com- j position of a milk shake—a lot ( of froth from a little substance. Although the Probables won by • 43 points to 6 the score could ' have been even greater but for • handling and passing faults at ' crucial moments. The teams were:— Probables.—J. Bayly (Taranaki; R. R. Cossey (Poverty Bay), A. S. Clark (Wellington), B. V. Scown (Counties); H. J. , Levien (Otago), T. J. S. Riley i (Auckland); K. R. Davis (Auck- : land); E. A. R. Pickering (Waikato); H. K. Emery (Auckland), B. A. Manners (Manawatu), T. L Egerton (West Coast), K. Barry (Counties); J. B. Shaw (Buller), J. F. Anderson (Otago), G. Perry (Auckland). Possibles.—K. Karaka (East Coast); D. Green (East Coast), B. Watson (East Coast), A. E. G. Elsom (Canterbury); S. K. Henderson (Canterbury), J. G. Dougan (Wellington); R. Keepa (Bay of Plenty); L. A. Clarke (Wellington); A. Hayes (Waikato), T. Oldfield (Wanganui), J. B. S. Hutchinson (Wellington), G. Anderson (Buller); L M. H. Vodanovich (Wellington), J. K. Sage (Wellington), A. Rowlands (Poverty Bay). Towards the end of the game Riley was injured and was replaced by B. T. Frederikson (Wellington). Better Combination The Probables’ success lay in the superior inside back combination of Davis and Riley. They worked smoothly and allowed the outside backs more room. Keepa found difficulty in following Dougan’s play. Keepa was obviously used to throwing his passes deeper than Dougan was standing, with the result that many of these went behind Dougan. Keepa’s frantic signals for Dougan to move back were disregarded. There were only two backs of any note in the two teams—the full-back, Bayly, and the wing, Cossey. Both of these gave displays that fully merited selection. Bayly made only one mistake all day—he once dropped a high kick. The remainder of his play was superb. It was apparent that he had studied the kick-into-touch rule carefully, and he used the Tule to the best advantage. None of the other three full-backs of the rule sc ><ectalso

during the game, and none played as well as Cossey. Certainly he had more to do than the other three wings, but in all this extra play he could not be faulted. He scored three great tries. He is a solid wing of the Katene type, but more constructive and slightly faster. He was tried out on the left and right wings. Henderson began badly by dropping the first pass that came to him, and later he reverted to one of his bad habits of passing blindly to his centre. In the first half, Levien beat him badly several times, but in the second spell did the same to Levien at least twice. He played far better in the second half. Past His Best As a first-class footballer, Elsom is now past his best. On the wing he seemed even more at sea than he was in the trials lest year, and although he made several runs he at no time looked the Elsom that once brought the crowds to their feet. Of the loose forwards, Clark, Pickering and Emery were the ones who played the hardest. Emery, in particular, played an outstanding game and was unflagging in his zeal to spoil and ruck. G. Anderson began well, but towards the end of a fast game was tiring badly. In the tight Vodanovich, Shaw, and Hutchinson could be seen doing their utmost, and Oldfield, Egerton and Manners jumped well in the line-outs. Tries for the Probables were scored by Levien (2), Cossey (3), Emery (2), Egerton, and Bayly. Bayly also kicked a field goal, a penalty goal, and converted five tries. For the Possibles, Karaka kicked a penalty goal and Clark scored a try. Mr N. Sciascia (Horowhenua) was referee. The Main Trial

The most notable feature of the game between the A teams was the brisk, chain passing of both sides to the wings. Inside backs, when not attempting to run. flicked the ball on in. one stride, and this fingertip passing was a joy to watch. After a very close match Probables won by 14 points to 13. The teams were:—

Probables.—D. L. Ashby (Southland); P. T. Walsh (Counties), J R. Watt (Southland), W. S. Freebairn (Manawatu); T. R. Lineen (Auckland), W. R. Archer (Southland); B. B. J. Molloy (Canterbury); C. E. Meads (King Country); D. N. Mclntosh (Wellington), M. W. Wooster (Poverty Bay); K. E. Meates (Canterbury), W. D. Gillespie (Otago); H. L. White (Auckland), D. Young (Canterbury), W. J. Whineray (Canterbury).

Possibles. —D. B. Clark (Waikato); M. J. Dixon (Canterbury), F. McMullen (Auckland), E. S. Diack (Otago); W. N. Gray (Bay of Plenty), R. H. Brown (Taranaki); A. R. Reid (Waikato); A. J. Soper (Southland); D. R. Green (Manawatu), I. Mac Ewan (Wellington), P. S. Burke (Taranaki), T. D. Coughlan (South Canterbury), I. J. Clark (Waikato), R. C Hemi (Waikato), F. S. McAtamney 'Otago). Fine forward play in all departments marked the rrain game. With the sides so well matched there was less opportunity for players to ghine and good individual displays were more notip>7

back, Clarke, was not at his best. His line kicking, even within his own twenty-five, was poor, and his lack of speed was emphasised in the first spell particularly when he was caught several times while he tried to run. Nor was his goalkicking the best. Eight times' he tried for goals, either with penalty, conversion or field kicks, and only twice he succeeded, and both of these kicks were from the easiest of positions. His general standard of play improved immensely in the second spell, and he joined in several back movements with some success.

Ashby’s Fine Game

On the day, Ashby was Clarke’s master. He ran at times when circumstances dictated this play, and ran well; his line-kicking was very good, and he used the kick-into-touch rule intelligently. He also converted one try from near the

The Possibles’ line did not run as smoothly as the Probables’ line. Reid and Brown in the first half had some difficulty in finding each other, and the close attention Watt paid to McMullen helped bring movements to a halt before the ball reached the wings. Molloy and Archer were a perfect pair, and until the second spell had the ed?e on their opposites. Watt had the better of McMullen and undoubtedly played his way into the side in this game. Dixon and Walsh were the best wings. Dixon once began a movement which ended in a try, having sidestepped his wav past four defenders, and Walsh also bewildered Dixon once with a sidestep and a burst of the great speed he possesses.

The powerful-running Gray burst past Lineen several times and had much the better of their encounter. Archer, played an excellent game. Brown did not play as well as was expected until the second half. *• Both half-backs gave their backs an excellent service, varying their tactics well with runs from base of scrum and ruck. Great Forwards There was little to choose between Soper and Meads. Soper’s play has improved immeasurably since last season. Mclntosh was outstanding in everything and Gillespie capped a great performance in Christchurch with an even greater one. Until well into the second spell there was little between the lineout forwards Mac Ewan, Eurke. Meates, and Wooster. In the last 20 minutes, however, Burke and Mac Ewan won the ball from lineouts almost at will, and at times were head and shoulders above their opposition. Meates appeared to be not yet properly fit and was flagging badly towards the end. Whineray is undoubtedly one of the “finds” in Rugby in New Zealand. He was one of the few really outstanding forwards. He scored one try and narrowly missed two others through his speed, anticipation and aptitude for keeping up with the play. The Hemi-Young duel for tighthead honours was won by Young by two tight heads to none. All the front row forwards played hard and tirelessly. For the Probables, ■ Meads Walsh. Whineray and Archer scored tries, one of which Ashby converted. The points scored by the Possibles were made up of tries by Brown, Soper, and Mcof which were conby Clarke.