TREVATHAN’S OMISSION

Evening Star, Issue 23378, 22 September 1939, Page 5

TREVATHAN’S OMISSION

ALL BLACK TRIALS A GRAVE OVERSIGHT

[By Hooker.]

The announcement of the teams for the North-South Island Rugby game and for the All Black trials occasioned considerable surprise, and followers of football in Otago and throughout New Zealand for that matter will be astounded that Dave Trevathan was unable, in the selector’s opinion, to measure up to the standard of some of the players called upon. The number of players being called to Wellington totals 76, or thereabouts, and it seems incongruous that a man of Trevathan’s capabilities should be disregarded altogether when players who have been pitted against him and who in no way have measured up to his form have been preferred.

No doubt Trevathan has his critics, and it is not the writer’s point to debate whether he is the best five eighth in the country at the present time, but for anyone to suggest that he is not in the first 70 players which seems all that can be taken from the selector’s choice is .more than can_ be swallowed by the Otago public, or indeed by any who have seen Trevathan in action this year.

If .the eight five-eighths selected for the trials are capable of turning on better football than Trevathan, Mr E. M'Kenzie, New Zealand’s sole selector, will have no difficulty in choosing a New Zealand side which should be able to beat South Africa’s best, but having seen some of his chosen fiveeighths in action the writer has fears that the result may be the opposite. Some time ago, Mr M'Kenzie made the statement that New Zealand football was definitely on the up-grade, and one can understand his statement now if his selections mean that he is of opinion that there are eight better five-eighths in New Zealand than the sheet-anchor of the Otago side tor many seasons, D. Trevathan, but there, are still many who saw Trevathan and some of the sole selector’s elect in the north who believe that Trevathan’s omission has been a grave oversight, and they will certainly wonder how the selector has reached the decision he has. One can only marvel at the inconsistency of those whose task it is to select interisland and trial teams. They include two who acted in 1937, and in that year the selectors considered JLrevathan good enough to play for New Zealand in all three tests against South Africa.

Now, in 1939, it is generally conceded that Trevathan is playing better football than ever. He has quickened up without any loss of dependability, but unless it is that New Zealand s sole selector is already satisfied as to Lis merits, he is not even chosen among eight five-eighths named!

' These trials are apparently being held on the assumption of a South African tour, whether or not that will come to pass is another question. In such event, two ijhings may be expected —hard grounds and tough forwards in the opposition. The writer ventures to say that there is no footballer in the Dominion with Trevathan’s all-round qualities who might be expected to stand up to the knocks in the way that Trevathan could, and in spite of the attention that has been paid him in recent years lie continues serenely on his way, winning matches for his side and showing always determined defence without suffering "the injury that seems to befall less-hardened players. His omission, in the absence of any other explanation, from the 1939 All Black trials constitutes a modern football mystery.