TEST PLACES DESERVED

Chronicle (Levin), 12 September 1949, Page 5

TEST PLACES DESERVED

- (N.Z.P.A,

—Reuter.

•t "V rvy- . Selection Of Christian And Delamore Popular

Copyriant )

Received Monday, ^.55 a.m. EAST LONDON, Sept. 1L ' (Probably no test honours have been more richly deserved .or proved more popular with their teammates than those of Christian and Delamore, who will play against South Africa in the fourth test and final match" of the- 1949 tour next Saturday. When the All Black touring team ;was announced on October 25 last ■ year by Mr. A. St.C. Belcher, chairman of the New Zealand Rugby Union, the selection of Christian met with universal approval, as fev/ players have been more on the fringe of All Black honours than "Stuffy." Chosen as front row forward, he has proved an excellent utility man on this tour and has played as loose head, tight head, hooker and back row* forward, . whi'e for a short period in one match he filled the role of w.ing threequarter. Happy Coincidence. There is also a happy coincidence in his selection for next Saturday's game. Six years ago, a week after his twentieth birthday, he was chosen to represent Auckland in his first inter-provincial match. Now, a week after his 26th birthday, he has been chosen for ,.his first international match. Delamore w^,s regarded as a sur'prise selection for this tour after his Iapses in the North-South match, but the selectors' faith in his ability has been justified by his recent displays. Early in the tour, before the All Blacks perfected their scrummaging as well as the ' positional play of the inside fiveeighths, Delamore ran up against the full force of the destructive tactics of the opposing loose forjwards and more or less found himjself out of the running for the : higher honours. Now he has re1 established himself and is regarded as the smartest inside back among the tourists. Elvidge and Kenyon will lead the respectivp sides in the test. .