THE COMING OF THE SPRINGBOK TEAM

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 93, 6 May 1937, Page 14

THE COMING OF THE SPRINGBOK TEAM

C.

Oliver,

WEAKNESS OF ALL BLACKS What The Visitors Will Have To Face

(By

Member of All Black Teams, 1929-31, Yice-captain of All

Black team in Britain, 19 35. Copynght Reeerved.)

•^yHAT IS PERHAPS the most discussed Rugby tour ever to have been organised is about to commence and it brings back to us in New Zealand memories of the last tour of the Springboks in 1921. To-day most people are wondering what sort of team the Springboks of 1937 are and whether they will be equal-to or better than the previous side. Unforturiately I am not in a position to give my opihion of the prowess bf our South African friends on the playing field, bnt after a tour. Of Britain in 1935-36 and after my experience of the Wallabies in their games last year I can give a fairly accurate opinion of what the Springboks will have to face. After the return of the 1935 All Blacks from their reasonably successful tour of Britain, I anticipated that fche knowledge gained by our forwards would enable us easily to hold and defeat the Australian side which visited this Dominion last year. But, much as i regret to say so, the All Blacks of 1936 were definitely not up to previous standards and if the same kind of forward game is to be employed against the South Africans this season, then the "chances of New Zealand winning the majority of the Test matches can only be termed remote. • I do not know for certain.what kind of tactics the Springboks will employ. But .should ihey eoncentrale on forward play, as they have done in the past, and as they

may be expected to do this year, then their chances of victory appear rosy. At all events they are rosy. at the moment, for I have never seen the New Zealand forward game at sueh a low ebb. On the other hand, should they elect to throw the ball about in the bright and unorthodox manner of the Wallabies they will find the . All Blacks equal to their every move. The Springboks will encounter a vastly dilrerent type of game from that whicb. they had to meet in New Zealand in 1921 and in South Africa in 1928. The hard, rucking type of forward, such as Mauriee Brownlie, is' siowiy dying out, and an his place we are getting the ''shiner'5, (or as I have heard him called the "Camera") forward, who is now to be found in most first-class New Zealand teams. I do not mean to say that the Springboks will gain easy victories here, but I do want to point out that the All Black backs will not enjoy the support whicli their forwards have been able to give them in past years. Howeve'r, New Zealand will enjoy one great advantage in ■ the services of W. Hadley, provi.ded he is in the same form as last year. Hadley is proclaimed everywhere as our finest hooker of recent years, and it is to be hoped that he will once more be available as centre man in the front row. In Hadley the Springboks will be meeting a difficult proposition, provided that we are able to find forwards who will match the visitors in weight and in willingness to push, for in that case the advantage of gaining possession from the set scrums is likely to rest with us. Should our selectors fail to get the right type of forwards, however, our strongest advantage will be lost against the big South African pack. Just how much Hadley has meant to recent New Zealand teams, only thoso who (like myself) have played behind the scmm can know, and should he continue his suceess against the South Africans our backs will give their opponents some , anxious moments.

There is, in fact, no reason to believo that we will not receive more than our share of the ball from the set scrums and from the loose, unless the Springboks are much superior to Wales, Scotland, Ireland or England, as we saw, their teams in action a little over a year ago. And we defeated all these international sides in quick heeling— our ability to beat the Irish teain in this department, the South Africans would be the fif'st to admit, marked no small accomplishment by our forwards. And a year ago our greatest attacking advantage lay in this superiority, with the forwards spread out f anwise and giving the backs assistance in the succeeding passing rushes. Nor will we lack speed and initiative in the backs to exploit thie strength. Outside the probldm position of fiTst and second • five-eighths, we snould equal the Springboks in ability. With such players - as Watt on the wings, and Caughey and Sullivan at centre three-quarter, New Zealand should not be subdued behind the scrum. Unfortunately, I am not so certain of our success further infield. Here is our weakest link, judging by last year 's play, and I think that the selectors would.be wise to include Bave Trevathan, New Zealand 's Bennie Osler, in one of the five-eighth positions. This move would strengthen our attack and give the further advantage of an ac- ' curate kicker ' of field goals being in the side. This accomplishment has pulled many a game out of the fire. But if the Springboks possess a better scrum-half than, young Joey Sadler he may be hailed as the Bon Bradman of Kalf -backs. Sadler 's taekling, his speed and his beautifully-directed. passes are still as good as tbe accomplishments which made him his great name in Britain. Weather conditions may hamper the Springboks, if they are as unfortunate in their playing days as the Wallabies proved to be. But X should say that weather uncertamties are the least of the uncertainties and are not likely to

affect the play in any great degree. One heare, of conrse, that the South Africans prefer a dry ground, but recalling the brilliant expositions of the game which they were able^to provide here in the wet days of 1921 I see no reason to doubt that they will do themselves jusftce even on heavy flelds. Summing up, I should say that consideration of all the factors afiecting the coming tour, as far as they can be judged before the teams are seen in action, leads me to believe that the ndds are slightly in favour of the Springboks in the Tests because of their very powerful forward battery and because of the inability of New Zealand to discover' (or at all events the unlikelihood of New Zealand discovering a really brilliant pair of inside backs of the quality of Mark Nicholls and Bert Cooke, who- teamed in the famous 1924 combination and whom the Springboks have never seen together. In other departments of the game I should say' that the merita of the teams are likely to be very even, and as men can disprove the best of paper calculations, it is .always wiSe to remember that we .cannot judge a side . save on results. Howevef," whatever the results of these international clashes may be, we can assure the Springboks of hard games played in the best spirit 6f Rugby and hope to repay them somewhat for their overwhelming hospitality to our 1928 team in their land. '