EXCEPTIONAL INTEREST IN MATCH

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 204, 14 September 1937, Page 8

EXCEPTIONAL INTEREST IN MATCH

Hawke's Bay Will Have to Tackle Hard to Win • t • *

Everytbing is favourable to a great t -xhitition o£ Eugby football wben Hawke 's Bay tries conclusions witt tbe South. Africans at McLean. Park, Napier, to-morrow afternoon. The game has been eagerly looked f orward to and it is confidently anticipated tkat all attendance . records for major Eugby games in this province will be broken. Tkere is reason for tke extraordinary interelst whicb has been created. Tbe Soutb Africans bave proved tbemselves exceptionally good Eugby players, and theiy records in Austjalia and New Zealand, including a success in tbe second Test game against New Zealand sbow that tbey are living up to tbo claim made by former All Blacks tbat tbe team is the.greatest in tbe history of ,tbe game. Providing tbere is no rain overnigbt MeLean Park sbould present a playing surface more approacbing tbe type to wbich tbey are accustomed than bas been tbeir regular experience in New Zealand. Eugby "fireworks" may be anticipated. for tbe Springboks will most certainly open tbe game up4 apd witb coriditioas to suit them, it can be expected tbat brifiiance will be tbe key- ' note of ' tbe display. Neitber' teams have been announced at tbe timo of writing, but it is fully, anticipated tbat tbe Soutb African side will be approacbing Test match strength, if not tbe aetual team to be fielded . next . Saturday week at Eden Park, Auckland, for tke final Test matcb. Sucb a procoduro woqld enablo tbe players for this all-important game. to bave wbat must be-m0st desired, -a weuearned rest. To-morrow's game will be tbe fourtb of a serfes of .hard games tbat tbe tourists bave been called upon tbe play and tbere can be little doubt- , ing tbat the prospect of a respite of 10 days will be welcomed by tbe stars n£ the team. Tbe Hawke's Bay Team. A few weeks ago it would bave been rigbt to bave said tbat tbe Hawke's Bay team to meet tbe Sprigboks would bave "picked itself," but injuries and subsequent falling-ofE in form led to 1 ihe intToduction of new eandidates for | tbe honour of places in tbe fifteen to reI present tbe province on tbe greatest joccasion of tbe representative proigramme. Tbere is bound to be some disappointment, for during tbe past few weeks over 20 players bave been called upon to take tbe field in tbe various representative games and wi.th eacb solcetion tbere is naturally implied conUideration for tbe "big" game. | Tbo last line of defence is certainly ! ihe job of Morrie Dyer. He bas given : avery satisfaction in bis games throughout tbe season, both in club and re- | presentative games, and big fellows jtbougb tbe Springboks are, tbey could ihe tbe size of giants and Dyer would j still get down on tbe ball in front of ithem. He is-one of the "gamest" fullbacks tbe Bay bas possessed for a loag umu. Witb tbe deflection, and ultimate reUrement owing to injuries, of lieg. White, tbe wing three-quarter positions bave been consistently oecupied by Herbert and Apsey. And tbere is no reason to anticipate tbat either will be Ieft out of tbe team to-morrow. Herbert bas' plenty of pace and wbat will ue very useful, be can use bis weight well. Apsey, if given anything lilce a ohance, sbould be oue of tbe outstandmg players" on tbe ground. If tbe play is open it will suit bim admirably for it is tben tbat be is seen at bis best. Both sbould give good service on the wings. Tbere is some doubt about tbe position of centre tbree-quarter and tbe two eandidates who bave tbe greatest claims are Eon Devine and Phil Eeid. Tbo former bad a "mortgage" on tbe job until he was injured in the Taranaki game and thougt he has performed well sinee, Eeid bas proved a strong contender. Tbe latter is mo/e elusive and penetrating than Devine but laeks Devine 's defensive qualities. Tbe probable choice will be Devine. Witb Clothier back again on tbe job •is balf-baek it is praetically certain tbat Bradley will be next to bim. This rombination bas beeu developed over the past tbree years, and it will be readily admittcd .tliat it bas given wonderful service to tbe Bay. -The weak lmk is that of second iive-eighths and liere tbe regular player bas been Eobins but of late bis form bas been astray. Eeid filled tbe job witb satisfaction

on aftack -and;f ailing a place as centre be bas reasonabl'e. claims as second fiveeighths, but again tbe choice will be probably between defence and-attack, and tbe former is likely to prevail. Plenty of • Forwards Available. For tbe most paTt tbe pack bas chosen- itself. Naturally tbe All Blacks, Tory Eeid, Doug. Dalton and Everard Jackson, form tbe nucleus of tbe pack and having already twice encountered tbe Soutb 'African forwards wben tbe latter were • at tbeir strongesU ,they sbould be able to give tbe Bay forwards a lead in a manner that no otber provincial side can hope for. Tbere are five weil-seasoned Bay players available for tbe tbree places in tbe front row, tbey being Jackson, Dalton, Hannigan, Fraser and OrawfordSmitb. For reasons of balance it bas generally been accepted tbat tbe first three ■ mebtioned make tbe more efficient line and certainly thc.y are a formidable trio. Hannigan is not usually . available for mid-week games, but no doubt tbis will hot apply for to-morrow, and tbe indications are tbat tbey will be tbe tbree to lock he'ads witb tbe Springboks, For tbe iniddle row tbere is plenty of talent' but just tbe oxact' positiQns . of tbe players will not be knowh until ■ tbe team is announced. Eeid, Bowman, Wilson," Griffin, and Peter Smitb are tbe five strongest eandidates. But for an injury Jack O'Brien would bave added to tbe selector's troubles and even now it will be just atease of a "toss-up" between Griffin and Wilson for tbe playe'r to leave out. Jobnson appears certain to be tbe odd mau as bis only rival for tbe position tbis season bas been Wilson but of late tbe lattey bas been ineluded as a breakaway. ■ Bay a Strong Side, it is generally conceded tbat ,tbo Hawke's iiay forwards will bave mofc tban an even cbanco against tbe tourists wben it comes to tbe open. Much will depend' upon wbat sacuess Dalton will bave in booking tbe bait > but here again it can be taken as i'airly certain tbat tbe Bay backs will get a fair generous sbare oi tbe bali irom tbe set scrums. Tbere will certainly be a .disparity in weigbt but it will not be as great to-morrow as in otber mathes in wbich ihe tiprmgboKs nave played, But it is in tbe opou tbat tbe Springboks will be faced witb real opposition. Tbe Bay forwards are wonderful spoilers and tbey bave learnt to bunt as a pack. Should tbe tourists bave an advantage in tbe scrums it will then bo open to tbo Bay forwards to exploit tbeir skill in regard to spoiling. But 'tbere is ono thing tbat every member of tbe Bay side will bave to do and tbat is eacb and every man must tackle properly and put every man witb the ball down. Half-bearted tackiing will bo futile and useless. Tbe Springboks bave revealed tbat they are very strong wben brcakiug tackles, hence- tbe necessity to see tbat tbe man is well down on tbe ground. If tbe Bay backs tackle as well as tbe Bay forwards bave sbown tbemselves • capablo of doing tben Hawke's Bay stands an even cbance to-morrow of doing wbat no otber provincial side bas been capable of doing — beating tbe Springboks.