ALL BLACKS’ TOUR

Hokitika Guardian, 27 June 1928, Page 2

ALL BLACKS’ TOUR

SATURDAY’S TEST. TRAINING AT DURBAN. (Special to Press Association). DURBAN, June 26.

The All Black and the Springbok sides have been now assembled at Durban. They are undergoing intensive training in preparation for next Saturday’s test battle. - Eighteen New Zealand players have been chosen to go through an elaborate training schedule. The eighteen are: Lindsay; Grensidc, Carleton, Robilliard ; Strang, McGregor, Johnson; Dailey, Kilby; Scrimshaw; Swain, Hadley, Maurice Brownlie, Alley, Finlayson, Stewart, Hazlctt, McWilliams. The South African selectors have chosen 21 players from their performances to date. THE SOUTH AFRICAN SIDE. It appears that the following will he Saturday’s South African side: — Full-back: Tindall. Three-quarters : Slater, Stanley Osier, Duffv and Prinsloo. Halves: Bennie Osier and Devine. Forwards: Mostert, Kruger, Van Druten, Daneel, Vamvyk, Pretorious and Oliver. The remaining six South Africans in training are: Brand, Van Derwestliugen, De Villiers, Louw,. Osier and Potgleter. There is a powerful array of talent in the South African side. Several of the players have not fully recovered from the injuries which they have received in tlie trials, but they aie expected to he available. The South African team will take the field sound on Saturday.

Phil Mostert, the experienced international, who has visited New Zealand with the Springbok side in 1921, has been elected captain of tlie South African side. The South African pack will he a fine one. The critics all over the Union agree that better forwards could not he found in the country. The critics and the public selectors are all inclined to agree that it is doubtful whether the. South African hacks can hold the Now Zealanders, but. like all big Rugby matches, it will lie a forward battle. South Africa lias got the greatest confidence in its pack. N.Z. TEAM. It is doubtful whether there will he very much alteration in the New Zealand team at the present stage. It appears that the Kilby-Johnson combination will not be altered, but McGregor is tit again, and he may play. If McGregor plays, and Dailey is fully recovered from his attack of influenza, then tlie Canterbury inside combination is unlikely to lie alteied with Johnson as the outside fiveeighth. . On the form he has shown in bis previous matches, and his brilliant play on Saturday, McWilliams must bo given a place in the pack, hut tlie question is as to who will he dropped lor liim.

There arc whisperings in the Now Zealand camp that there is a suggestion to play Stewart as wing forward and Finlayson in his usual place. Saturday’s All Black fifteen will he finally picked to-morrow night. All the eighteen are fit, and Saturday’s team should be as sound as any team fielded so far on the tour. HARVEY AND LUCAS SICK. Harvey’s luck is still against him. When he had almost recovered and was ready to train, ho went down with influenza on Saturday. Lucas also is down with 'influenza. The pair have stayed at Maritzburg, and they are expected here to-morrow.

PROSPECTS IN TESTS.

“I feel very confident regarding New Zealand’s chances of winning the test matches,” said Mr S. F. Wilson at Christchurch on Monday, when talking on Rugby affairs. . “Our team is coining into its own, and appears to be showing tho form we expected of it.

“There has been a gradual improvement since the first matches were played. Probably our first defeats were only due to the fact that our team had not found its land legs, and that our chaps were not keyed up to meet two such strong sides as Western Province and Transvaal.

“Being big fellows, our forwards would take some time to get fit, but once in top gear they would take a power of stopping, even by tbe bestsides in South Africa. All we want to happen on Saturday is for the hookers to get a fair share of tbe ball. Tbe backs, who are apparently at the top of their form, will do the rest.” Mr Wilson said that no Rugby supporter could be otherwise than pleased with the results so far. “The South Africans are good Rugby players, hut I think that they are a little too conservative in their methods, and their play does not sparkle like ours. With them it is a case of finding the line time after time until within striking distance and then to bring all their resources to bear on an effort to score. Our men are just as likely to score from their own twenty-five if given half a chance.”