All Blacks' Practice To Be Held In Levin

Chronicle (Levin), 11 July 1949, Page 5

All Blacks' Practice To Be Held In Levin

■«. . The New Zealand Rugby team lo play the Australians in the first Test at Wellington on September 3 will play a practice mateh. against Horohenwua, at Levin, on Thursday, September 1. This decision follows a suggestion on these lines made by Mr. N. A. McKenzie (Hawke's Bay) at the May meeting of the council. When the subject was discussed reeently Mr. IMcKenzie expressed opposition to the suggestion that the New Zealand team should play the practice match as a curtain-raiser to the Manawatu-Aus-tralia match at Palmerston North on August 31. In making the proposal for a inatch against Horowhenua, the speaker said the union had to consider the matter of New Zealand 's Rugby prestige and give the players the advantage of playing together beforehand. If the playere did not receive this opportunity, they were lia,ble to play-as 15 units, and the uMdn would then be up against publie opinion. j The suggestion was opposed by Mr. L. V. Carmine (Wanganui), who said it would be much better if the team were assembled in AVellington on the Tuesday or Wednesday, and had two or three work-outs. This would aehieve the desired result without the possibility of players getting hurt. On the other hand, if the team were going on tour, he would agree to the suggestion, but he opposed a Thursday match against a weak side. In agreeing to sueh a fixture, said Mr. McKenzie, tlie ' union !j*would not be setting a preeedent, as the 1930 New Zealand team had played a mafch against North Otago, as did the 1937 side against South Canterbury. Mr. Gaemine said his main objeCtion was the playing of the game on tlie Thursday. * ; ,.j Full agreement with the proposal was expressed by the chairman (Mr. A. St. C. Belcher), who considered that tlie game would be productive of good. He also pointed to the fact that the All Blacks in South Africa- had found that three weeks' training had not been eomparable to match play. When the question of the venue of the game was being discussed, Mr. McKenzie suggested Levin, and added that the New Zealand Union should help Horowhenua, a struggling union which had not had any practical help for a long time. Support was also aeeorded the proposal by Mr. D. S. B. Heather (Waikato), who has just returned with the New Zealand Maori team from Australia, and Mr. J. A. Finlayson (North Auckland). The motion was carried.