ALL BLACKS' HOPES RUN HIGH

Chronicle (Levin), 15 July 1949, Page 5

ALL BLACKS' HOPES RUN HIGH

Received Thursday 7 p.m.- , CAPE TOWN, July 14. "We have the first leg in toward the double that has never been aecomplished by any touring side in this country, namely, a win'ovei' Western Province. We hope to complete the double on Ea? turday by winning the first Test." said Mr Parker to-dav after. the A1J

Blacks had completed their prepara tions for the first of the Test series. ' ' it would be a wonderf ul tonic to tlu team after the long period of tria} an5 tribulation, if we bring this olf. W-. bvoke the sequence of 25 yfears of vie. tories by beating Western Province Now we have to try to reverse the history of the first Tests between New Zealand and South Africa, which have so far been won by the home side." Reviewing the tour, Mr Parker said that when Ihe All Blacks were announ ced last October, everyone agreed tha:' t-he side was a very fine one. " We ex pected .hard games in South Africa bu. the people at home, thought' we wouh: win easilv. Well, we struck hard game, and we struck diftieulties. They havi been far more trying than anything vvt

faced on the 1924 tour ot xjnt^in There we won the third and fourtli games by two unconverted tries to ni and our sixth game at Newport by 13 1(1. On that tour we did not eneounte. scrunimaging problems as on this occa sion, nor the menace of the loose forward. At the same time I feel that the mastering of these difficulties, coupled with the sequence of hard games, ha;been the best preparation this sidt eould have had. I am -proud of the man ner in which. the boys knuckled down to, the problems which faced them an-1 also ot' the manner in which they took their defeats. As a result we now go forward into the first Test • with con fidenee. The playefs chbsen for the Test are the fittest we can place in thi field and they are determined to up hold New Zealand 's name in Rugby. It may be that others will win then way into later Teifts. Some were un lucky to miss on tljis occasion but al ways the decision(y^iJl' rest on fitness, ..U.We have hearcf a (ot of criticisu^ of the South African ,team, but the* pack looks as formidable as those oi former years and the backline is a strong defensive one. We cannot mak foreeasts as to the result of Saturday 's game as most of us have not seen sev eral of the chosen Springboks but wi realise that wre will be up against some thing very solid. We have -a high re gard' for the South African selectors. They have picked great teams in tlupast and are just as likely to do sagain. Perhaps luckj such as a penalt> goal, will decide Baturday 's game and 1 am pleased to say that Scott seems now right back to form with- his goaJ ,kicking. ' ' \. The team to-day was pleased to receive a large bateh of cables from New Zealand conveying best wishes in tlu Test, incltiding one from the Prinu Minister, Mr Fraser.