NOTED FIVE-EIGHTH

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 142, 3 July 1937, Page 17

NOTED FIVE-EIGHTH

CROSSMAN, KING COUNTRY N.Z. SELECTORS WATCHFUL Twice now All Black selectors have paid special visits to Taumarunui to See in action C. A. Crossman,- King Country's hope for the first five-eighth position in the New Zealand team to beat the Springboks. After Crossman's sensatlonal game for King Country against Auckland at Eden Fark last season, when he scored four tries from first five-eighth, Mr. E. McKenzie, chairman of the New Zealand selection committee, and Mr. M. F. Nicholls one o £ its members, watched Crossman Ot Taumarunui. They were impressed with his speed and his incisive dash and they went away with the belief that Crossman might be the answer to New Zealand's five-eighth problem. Again on June 19 Mr. Nicholls and a co-opled North Island selector, Mr, H. Masters, of Taranaki, watched Crossman in the King Country-Wai-kato game at Taumarunui. Without expres^hg any opinion as to Crossman's capabilities, one of them said after the match that he would be given avery opportunity during the sezies of trial matches for selection of the All Black team. Educated at Stratford District High School, Crossman learned his early football there. After leaving school he took his place behind the Inglewood senior pack, but the foliowing season he came to Auckland and played wingr forward for Training College. When the wtag-forward was abolished, Crossman returnea to his old position of half-back, but when he returned to Waitara a couple of years later he started off with the Clifton Club as a fir#t five-eighth. In 1933 Crossman broke a leg and he was out of the game for the greater part of that season. He now playjr for Ohura. With his brilliant game against Auckland last season, Crossman flashed into prominence. He is exceptionally fast, has a beautiful swerve and kieks with both feet with equal efficiency. His tackljhg iast week was always round the ankles. There were occasions when he was brilliant, but he will have to play with a little more solidity iir the trial matches. He has great pwsibilities. Crossman is 24 years Of age, 11st. 121b., and 5ft. 8iin.