Rugby Football.

Free Lance, Volume V, Issue 235, 31 December 1904, Page 20

Rugby Football.

On Monday next, according to latest information, the Selection Committee, of the New Zealand Rugby Union meet*, in Wellington to select the tAventy-hve players on whom will depend the upholding in the Old Country of the good name New Zealand has made in the world of Rugby football. I have my doubts whether all of the forty-one playei-s who have signified their willingness to make the tour next year, if selected, are sincere in their decision. I may be wron~ but I cannot lieilp thinking there will be some who will drop out of the final selection, mainly from the fact that they will be unable to obtain the necessary leave. _ We shall see what wo shall see, but, if the team does make the tour, I only hope my deductions are wrong. Looking through the names that will be submitted to the Committee, it will be admitted that theie is plenty of ma-te-rial out of which to make a strong team. At the same time, the exclusion of Bennett (Otago) from the back division, and Calna.n (Wellington) from the vanguard, is in the nature of a disaster, and the final twenty-five would be all the stronger for thoir inclusion. Notable names missing from the list include- Stead (Southland), Fanning and Cooko (Canterbury), and Gallagher (Auckland). I do not anticipate the Committee will attempt to place their selection mi the positions they will occupy in the field, le.iving that to the loam themselves. If they do, they will have an immense amount of trouble in filling the full-back position without playing one who usually takes up another place. However. I will not extend this further, but will placp on paper what I consider the be^st twenty-five of those whose names will be submitted to the Committee:— Backs-— Wallace, McGregor, Roberts (Wellington), Deans, Harper (Canteibury), W. E. Mackenzie, J. P. Gerrard (Auckland), Hunter (Taranaki), Hislop and Booth (Otago). I prefer Bennett to Booth, Gerrard, and Harper. Forwards.-— F. A. McMinn. (Manawatu), Johnston (Wairarapa), Cross, Watkins (Wellington), W. Johnston, Poi-teous. (Otago), Nicholson, Seeling, Tyler (Auckland), Guy, Glasgow (Taranaki). Hughes (Southland) J. Corbefcb (West Coast), F. Newton (Canterbury), and D. Horgan (South Canterbury). The only ones I prefer in the above list to Caln'an, are Seeling, Tyler, and McMinn.