ALL BLACKS’ TOUR

Hokitika Guardian, 21 July 1928, Page 2

ALL BLACKS’ TOUR

ALL BLACK TEAM. AFRICAN TEAM ALTERED. AFRICA STRONG FAVOURITES. COMMENT ON FORWARD PLAY. (Special to Press Association). ('Received this das’ at 9.30 n.m.) JOHANNESBURG, July 20. The New Zealand team for the second test is:— Lindsay, llobilliard, Carleton, Grenside, Strang, Johnson, Dailey, Stewart, Swain, Hadley, if. Brownlie, Alley. Finlayson, McWilliams, Hazlett, Stewart will play wing-forward, McWilliams going into the pack. This is the only alteration in the first test side. JVi scrummaging, Stewart will go down in the front row as a loose head. It is hard to understand the attitude of the Selection Committe for they take one of the best forwards from the pack and play him as a rover. In the few matches that Stewart has played in this position he lias caused a breakdown of many movements, frequently getting in the way of the five-eighths. In the match against Northern Provinces, his handling was palpably weak. Playing’ him as a rover will probably tend to weaken the New Zealand test team 1 .

The game, however, promises to he another glorious struggle. New Zealand is gong all out for a will. Ihe team is even more confident than before tlio first test. The picked fifteen have undergone a. week’s hard training. Every member is now said to be fit, but Grenside appears to lie limping slightly. His knee lias not properly healed, yet lie says that lie is quite fit. The Springboks have been unfortunate in that Staley Osier, tile centre and Slater, wing three-quarter, have both torn their thigh muscles while training, and will not play, their places being taken by Dobio and

Brand. Discussing the prospects of to-mor-row’s match, the Johannesburg “Star” says the South Africans two distinct advantages over the All Blacks, are its effective scrummagers and superior touch kicking throughout. The team despite the improvements of the tourists may be able to show these advantages and should enable the Springboks to confirm the Durban results, though perhaps the margin may be smaller. Both advantages are the result. of the South Africans allegiance to orthodox Rugby. The “Die Burger,” the African’s paper, says the opinion of almost every Rugby enthusiast in the country is that the Springboks will again he victorious, mainly because the Now Zealand for New Zealand forward pack cannot stand against the cream of South African forwards. Solid scrummaging seems a lost art with Maurice Brownlie and his men. Until the All Black forwards learn that to shove and shove hard in tight scrums is the first consideration and spectacular open play a secondary matter, they will not lie successful in any of the remaining three tests.

A crowd of thirty-five thousand is expected at Ellis Park to-morrow, special trains arriving from all over the country. To-day the All IMacks went flying. All who wont up were delighted with the experience. Harvey is ill again, and was taken to a nursing home last night. Ilis complaint is not yet diagnosed, hut lie showed an improvement to-day. McGregor is undergoing special treatment for his knee and is unlikely to play for at least three weeks.