Few Changes Likely In All Black Test Team

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31107, 9 July 1966, Page 17

Few Changes Likely In All Black Test Team

(From

I. J. D. HALL)

The serenity of the status quo that reigned when All Black teams were chosen to play the Springboks last season should not be disturbed very much, when the New Zealand selectors (Messrs F. R. Allen, D. L. Christian and V. L. George) choose their side this evening to meet the British Lions in the first test at Carisbrook next Saturday.

Four questions must have been exercising the minds of the selectors:

The replacement of W. J.| Whineray as prop and captain; The perennial argument over W. F. McCormick or MJ W. Williment as fullback; The queries raised by injuries to M. J. Dick, 1. S. T. Smith and W. M. Birtwistle (now resolved by! Dick and Birtwistle not' being available); The loose forward position, be-; tween W. J. Nathan and R. J. Conway. It is obvious that the continued duel between McCormick and Williment will not be decided purely on full-back play. Test matches demand goal-kicking ability and that is where Williment has a decided edge over McCormick. The kick that Williment put over from half-way in the first minute of the game between Wellington and the Lions probably ensured him his test place. For all his honest endeavour, McCormick has never been able to kick well in major matches, and although he probably is a better full-

back than Williment, as far as technique goes, he has yet to prove he can kick the match-winning 50-yard pen- ! alty.

This lesson of goal kickers has been rammed home to the Lions, who made heavy weather of their matches against Combined at Timaru and Nelson simply because they did not have a player to convert penalties into points. Now that Dick and Birtwistle are not available because of injury Smith should occupy one wing and the other will probably come from D. R. Panther (Northland), P. J. A. Myers (Wellington), A. G. Steel (Canterbury), R. J. Patterson (Auckland) and W. L. Davis (Hawke’s Bay). Panther appeals most at the moment; he is fast, strong and a good tackler. But the great speed of Steel may outweigh Panther's obvious abilities, although Steel is not quite ready for international Rugby. P. Rangi (centre), I. R. Macßae (second fiveeighths), M. A. Herewini (first five-eighths) and C. R. Laidlaw (half-back) are logical choices. Herewini is the one in some sort of doubt because he has B. A. Watt and E. W. Kirton breathing down his neck, but I his quickness and the fact

that he is established should ensure his selection. In the pack, there are only two places available prop, and loose forward. The robust Bay of Plenty player P. Scott, should come in as prop, having withstood a strong challenge from A. J. Hopkinson (Canterbury) and E. J. Hazlett (Southland). Stone Lighter Scott weighed a little more than 17st at Palmerston North for the All Black trials. He and two others received the message loud and clear that they would have to lose about a stone. Scott has done that. In June, after the final trial, Nathan was favoured to regain his place as flanker. However, injuries and some average displays have meant that Nathan has had to fight for his place and the brilliant display by the 32-year-old Con-

way—the one player who can explode into a line of backs and upset them probably means that Conway will keep the place he earned last year. The captaincy is not quite the same live issue biit it seems that B. J. Lochore, captain of the North Island and the New Zealand fifteens, should keep that position. If

not, K. F. Gray, K. R. Tremain and C. E. Meads are strong candidates, with Laidlaw an outsider, although backs are not favoured for the position. The All Black team for the first test could be: Williment; Smith, Rang!, Panther; Macßae, Herewini; Laidlaw; Lochore; Conway, C. E. Meads, S. T. Meads, Tremain, Scott, B. E. McLeod, Gray. Emergencies—Backs: S. Going, Watt Forwards: J. Major, Hopkinson.