THE BIG RUGBY LINE-UP

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 135, 24 June 1937, Page 15

THE BIG RUGBY LINE-UP

"Maer>ie.")

104 Nominees For AH Black ts Honours THE SPRINGBOKS' DEFEAT

(By

Surprising to relate, the nominations of players by provincial unions for the trials to be held in Wellington | from July 10 to 17 barely exceeded 100. To be exact the total was 104, & poor response indeed in a country that is regarded as being very Rugby minded. For the trials at least 68 players will be required, so that only 37 of the above number will be rejected.

I cannot say that the task of the selectors has been made easy, for in some of the positions the talent offering is by no means brilliant. Handsome is as handsome does is an old quota«tion, and -it is apt in Rugby for we may be stronger in the Weak spots eVen than the Springboks. When touring New ZeaJand last winter the Australian Rugiby side. or at leakt some of theiti complained bitteriy of the continuous run of bad weather experienced for the majority of the inatches. They claimed that they could not play in the rain, yet in a deluge in Sydney last Saturday they overwhelmed the Springboks. What are we to take from the result? Actually, if nest Saturday' s test is played in fine weather, Australia on their own judgment, should walk in, but my view is that the Springboks' iorw last Saturday Was too bad to be true. The noreplacement rule reacted on them eeVerely, and to be two men short is a tremendous handicap. • History hhs a habit of repeating itself. The 1928 All Blaeks that toured Sotith Afriea were lauded a§ the best ever by most crities, and the praise was so continuous that it must have got int j the marrows of the players ; they believed it themselves perhaps, and then came the shocks in the shape of reverses. Much the same haB happened with the 1937 Springboks — a team of w.orld -beaters. Possibly it will take the tourists a week or two to get over last week's shock. However, it is, or should be a blessing in disgtiise, for now the whole side will not neea to worry aboUt that unbeaten record and they will play better for i>hj* weighfc being ott* their shoulders. ITom What 1 heard of the match To./qI'S !!• o *• t be given gireat credit for the wiri. for -the Test next Saturday I believe that the Springboks will • win iu the second half. Quite possibly Ihe cpiuigboks will lead at haJl'-tiine. While on the subject of the Springboks, an Australian eritie, reviewing the team at the lirst practice in Melbourne appeared somewhat astonished to note that some of the South African forwaids were knoek-kneed. It is surprising to most followers, and I personally carmcL associat" speed, as we have been Jed to believe th^ Springboks have m any quantity, with knock-knees. I really set out to discuss the trials in J\eu Zealand, and so to revert to tliem ttens is sei out below a list of the candidates for the v&rious positions. Readers can scan them over and so perhaps follow better -the selections when they appear. Here is the list: — FULL-BACKS. I. Behrns (Ashburton) ... ... jl2.1 S. F. Ehston (North Otago) ... 11.4 J. Taylor (Otago) „. 12.1 H. R. Polloek (Wellington) ... 10.6 M. O'Connor (S. Canterbury) ... 11.12 G. Gilbert%(West Coust) ... ... 13.3 W1NO-TH REEQUA RTERS . , J. Dick (Auckland) ... ... 12.3 D. G. Cobden (Canterbury) ... 13.4 H. WaUgh (Manawatu) 12.6 J. Morrison (B, Canterbury) ... 12.9 R. W'hite (Hawke's Bay) ... 13.0 E. Apsey (Hawke's Bay) ... ... 10.12 J. Watt (Wellington) 12.7 A. W. Black (Otagio) ... .... 13.9 W. Pliillips (King Country) ... 13.10 R. Lilley (Ashburton) ... 12.10 A. Sutberlaud (Soutlilaud) ... 12.0 E. Smith (Taranaki) ... 12.2 E. Graut (Poverty Bay) ... 12.4 A. MacAneny (Poverty Bay) ... 13.7 CENTRE-THREE-QUA RTERS I. Trevathan (Otago) ... 12.0 N Mitchell (Southlaud) ... 13.3 D. Barton (Wanganui) .., ... 12.2 J. Sulfivan (Taranaki) ... 12.6 B. Riddell (Busli) 11.7 A. Strachan (Buller) 11.7 FIVE-EIGHTHS W. Brooks (Canterbury) 11.6 J. Hooper (Canterbury) ... ... 11.0 A. Brinsden (Nelson) 13.0 D. Lane (htarlbordugh) 11.0 N. Kotua (Marlborough) ... 11.10 . H.. Bradley (Hawke'a Bay) ... 11.0 0. H. Itobins (Hawke's Bay) ... 11.4 D. Trevathan (Otago) 12.0 B. Thoiiias (Wanganui) 10.7 C. Crossman (King Country) ... 11.12 G. Forde (N. Otago) 10.4 R. Lundy (S. Canterbury) ... 10.12 S. Stewart (Buller) ... ... ... 11.12 D. Solomon (Auckland) ... ,.. 11.13 HALF-BACKS J. J. "MoAfiliffe (Caritefbury)' 11.9 L. Clothier (Hawke's Bay) ... 11.7

B. S. Sadler (Wellington) ... 10.6 H. Simon (Otago) ... .„ 11.0 J. A. Purdue (Southiand) ... 11.6 C. Saxton (S. Canterbury) ... 10.5 L. Russell (Waikato) 10.2 FORWARDS. BACH ROW. J. Rankin (Canterbury) ... 12.12 F. J. Green (Otago) 13.4 A. A. Parkhill (Otago) 13.12 F. Solomon (Auckland) ... ... 15.0 J. McClmghan (Taranaki) ... 13.7 R. Rogers (Poverty Bay) ... 14.8 J. Findlay (Manawatu) 13.1 A. H. Andrews (Wellington) ... 14.0 FLANK FORWARDS AND LOCKS R. H. Ward (Southiand) ... 14,0 L. J. Niven (Otago) 13,4 J. Wella (Wellington) 14,9 M» W. Devine ( Wellington) ... 14,5 Fraser Smith (Wellington) ... • 14.2 S. Reid (Hawke's Bay) ... ... 14.0 A. Bdwnaan (Hawke's Bay) 14.8 R. McKenzie (Manawatu) ... 15.1 11. K, Anderson (Auckland) ... 14.7 O, Pearce (Auckland) ... ... 14.7 R. R. Hull (Auckland) 14.7 H. Millikin (Canterbury) ... 14.12 C. O'Dowda (Taranaki) ... ... 13.1 A. Davidson (Wanganui) 13.10 N. James (Wanganui) ... ... 14.0 D. Fallaver (Bush) 14.7 T Harvey (Bush) ... 14.6 W. Aitken (Bush) 13.6 G. Mason (Buller) ... 13.13 J. Payne (Marlborough) ... ... 13.10 G. H. Graham (Southiand) ... 13.0 H. L. Fleming (Manawatu) ... 13.7 Strang (S. Canterbury) ...c 14.2 iL,. R. Ring (West Coast) 14.10 M. Srandrett (West Coast) ... 14.1 J. Best (Waikato) 14.6 E. M. Oatley (Waikato) 13.10 J. Taylor (Waikato) ... ... 14.3 T. Thompson (Waikato) 14.5 FRONT ROW. G. Chitty (Waikato) ... 12.10 W. Hadley (Auckland) 12,7 O. Pepper (Auckland) ... ... 13.3 G. Hatterslev (Canterbury) ... 14.3 G. Orman (Buller) 12.10 G. Adkins (S. Canterbury) ... 15.8 E. Jackson (Hawke's Bay) ... 14.0 D. Dalton (Hawke's Bay) ... 13.10 A. Lambourne (Wellington) ... 13.8 G. Quaid (Otago) 13.8 A. Doig (Ashburton) 14.1 J McKenzie (Ashburton) ... 13.4 J, Easton (N, Otago) ... ... 12.10 G. Fowler (Taranaki; ... 13,10 V. George (Southiand) ... 14.4 W. Brown (Marlborough") ... 13.3 H. Anderson (Horo Whenua) ... 14.0 W. Thompson (Wanganui) ... 12.7 H. Crawford (Manawatu) ... 12.12 J. Leeson (Waikato) 12.8 The great weakness in the 11st on the face appears to be the five-eighths, but who knows but that there is not concealed there a Rugby Moses who Will lead the All Blacks from the wilderness. The first match in the trial series will be tlle time-honoured interisland tussle. Tuesday and Thursday will be devoted to trial uiatclies, and ifc is generally beJieVed that on tbe last Saturday the solectors' idea of what constitutea NeW Zealand will meet ihe next beSt. It would appear that all of Hawke's Bay's nominees will receive an invitation to the trials, for on looking the nominated material over I think each of the Bay's nominees are outstaiiding; How niany will gain selection in the N orth Island fifteen is a diti'erent matter, and this year it w i I not matter so much if all go tos- the trials. Below afe the fifteens that may appeal to the selection committee, although "Magpie" has dift'erent ideas in two or three instances. NORTH ISLAND Full-Raoh. Polloek (Wellington). Three-^uafters. Watt Sullivan Dick (Wellington) (Taranaki) (Auckland) Five-eighths. Robins Crossman (Hawke's Bay) (King Country) Half-baok. Sadler (Wellington). Back Row. Andrews (Wellington) Second Row. O'Dowda Reid McKenzie Wells (Tar.) (H. Bay) (Manawa) (Wgtn) Front Row. Dalton Hadley Jackson , (Hwk's Bay) (Auckland) (Hwk'a Bay;

SOUTH ISLAND Fiiii-Back. Taylor (Otago). Three-quarters. Black Mitchell Morrison (Otago) (Southiand) (S. Can.) Ffve-eighths. Hooper D. Trevathan (Canterbury) (Otago) Half-back. MoAulifi'o (Canterbury) Back Row. Rankin (Canterbury), second Row, Niven . King Millikin Ward (Otago) (W. Coast) (Cantby) (S'land) Front Row. Quaid' Orman Hattersley • ) (Otago) (Bulier) (Cantb'y)