TEAM TO MEET SPRINGBOKS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 123, 10 June 1937, Page 15

TEAM TO MEET SPRINGBOKS

"Magpie")

Review of N.Z. Forwards Tliat Are Offering RUGGED PACK NEEDED

(By

Having discussed the bac&s offering in New Zealand in last week's article, 1 will now turn to the forwards, and here indeed will be set a te.ak for the selection commitiee. Undoubtedly the committee will have its ideas of the $tyle of play to be adopted against the . Springboks and it will selact no doubt the type of forward whom they think best able to employ that style. Bsating the Springbok pack is going to be a man's jcb and the New Zealand eight will need to be rugged.

It is known that at loast one of the New moaland selectors sets grcat store oy pc^ession of tho ball from the sv.rums and here is set the fi'rsc proulfcm. In opposltion will bo three forwai'ds weigning in tho aggregate about 45 stone, und it does not appear that we can match them in avoirdupois. The advantage of weight in the front row is going to have considerabie beardng on possession in the scrums, and in all probability we will not enjoy an advantage in tiiis phase of the game. irossessi.on of the ball from scrums is kot the great essential to sticcess that some people imagine. We have striking examples of this constahtly before us, not only in club matches but in |>rov'incial fixtures, too. In the great days of Hawke's Bay, and particularJy in 1923, the Bay forwards did not euj'oy great succcss in the scrums, yet they won the important macehce, and on the oceasion that the Shi,old was lifted from Canterbury in 1934 the number of times that they hookod tliu ball could have been counted on the fingers of one hand. For the trials no less than twelvo front-row men will be required, so that there should bo opportunity for all. As specialist hookers, that is the centrc man, there are three that are outstanding in the Dominion. They are Laney (Ctago), Orinan (Buller), and Hadloy (Auckland). Weight, or at least laek of it, is going to be a deterrent in regard to Laney, who is barcly 12 stone. Hadley is I3st 61b, and Ormau about the Same. ' Burke is another centro man to bo considered and he hails fror,i Canterbury. Then there as Lambourn (Wellington) and Gargan (Taranaki), to say nothing of Dalton (Hawke's Bay). The latter three are the heaviest of the lot. . For the outside positions of the front row, there are Quaid (Otago), Hattingly (Southland), Adkins (South Canterbury), Mahoney and Hattersley (Canterbury), Ongley (Wellington), Pepper and Brown (Aukland), Crawford (Manawatn), Hannigan and Jackson (Hawke's Bay). The majority of the above are fairly weighty men, and it can bo taken for granted that no matter how light the middle man may be, his outsiders will be sturdy. For the Dosition of locks two men are outstandihg aud they are R. King CWest Coast) and T. Reid (Hawke's Bay), Bioth are over J4 stone in weight and good all-round men. It will be remembered that both filled these positions in both tests against the Australians last winter. Eight locks Will be wanted for >thto trials, and others who may get an invitation are Butler, recontly transferred from Auckland to Wellington, Davidisou (Wanganui), Fallaver (Bush), Carro-

dus (North Otago), "Ward (Southland), Fraser-Smith (Wellington), Vorrath and Niven (Otago) and Bowman (Hawke's Bay). As flank forwards there are any number offering, and to commcncc with Lockington (Aucldand) is one that as likely to be very close in the final selection. Taranaki claim a real ehainpion in O'Dowda, and Manawatu has Mcivenzie. Eogers (Poverty Bay) is well spoken of, too, and Hutchinson (Wanghnui) is one of the good young ones. Anderson (Auckland) is a North Island representative, antl W'ills (Wellington) was in the All Blacks last year. This by no means exhausts thc North Island list. Turning to the South Tsland there is Sandrott (Canterbirry), M'cDonald (Otago), Hamilton (Southland), Strang (South Canterbury), Parkhill and Grecn (Otago) and Newlands (North Otago). Looking back, I' find tliat I hav-a overlookod J. Best, over whom all the Waikato raves. Best went to England with the All Blacks, ' where he was not a success, Tno last man down in the scrum presente a problom. It may be that tho selectors will fill the position by selecting a genuine lock, one who will' push and hold the second row together. . This is the South African idea. Then again, they may decide ou the loose1 forward as was omployed against thc Australians last winrer. Rankifi (Can- 1 terbury) was the man on that oceasion,; and some of the critics were notp'ieaeed with him. Actualiy bo did somo ' effeetive tackling in both tests and tliO; Australians growled about his apoilingj tactics which, coming from the opposi-4 tion, eonsatures appreeiation. Two i,deal; men for the back-row position ar«i Ran--kin (Canterbury) and Androv/s (Wellington but previously of Canterbury). Both are faat men, Andrews extraordinarily so. In addition he i3 well over 13 stone. McNeile (Bay oi' Plenty) is another good man of 'the spoiiing type. It will be interesting to see the selectors' decisions in regard to this part of the scrum. Personally, I favOur a good loosd man such as Andrews or Rankln if the Spxingbolrs backs are a cla»ssy lot. If they arc not, well, it will not matter so much. No doubt there will be forwards selected for the trials who have not been mentioned in my list, but having made a study of players this season, I believe that the actual forward line to wear the black jersey in the first Test will come from the names set out herein. Looking over the list of backs and forwards makes one realiae the magnctude of the selectors ' task in reduciffg the whole lot to an even 20, but at the same time I think that readere will agree that a good side is at hand, and one that will carry the day against the invaders.