THE ALL BLACKS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 253, 17 June 1932, Page 7

THE ALL BLACKS

team reviewed w ell-kn o wn rugby writer traverses strength and weaknesses. i SOLID FORWARDS, PROMISINGBAGRS; Judgmg by the form shownin the . North v. South Island match at Christchurch the team selected to represent New Zealand on the tour of Australia is well up to standard. The • best fifteen should extend Australia's team iii the Test matches, writes "Touchline" in the "N.Z. Free ' Lance." There are one or two surprises in the selection, all the same. Despite an indiff erent showing the Sohth Island three-quarters Hart, Proctor, and Holder, have- been given tickets. Last season, when the call came for an All Blaek five-eight, the West Coast claimed that E. Holder was the • Man to fill the bill,*his pl&y being of such a high order of merit as to warrant him being bracketed with many of the great players of the past. But Holder did fiot impress a great deal in the inter-island match, and his place should have been filled by C; J. Oliver. The Canterbury captain was played at second five-eight, and did not' show his true form, being served very poorly by Day, at first fiveeight. Oliver is- of New Zealand representative" standard, and is unluclcy ' ' iri missing the trip to Australia on this occasion. Proctor Impressive. A. C. Proctor, the chosen left wirig three-quarter, has been playing well ' in Otago this season, and A. McDonald, the South Island selector, has a • high opinion of his ability. At Christchurch, however, he was outplayed by Bullo ck-D ouglas, the Wanganui man, ; and was too often found out of poSition to be' of international standard. The North Island left wing threequarter, N. Ball, did not play at all convincingly, and this fact may have been the reason for Proetor's inclusion. Another mistake has been made in the selection of only three five-eighits — H. T. Lilburne, H. R. Pollock, and G. D. Innes — and of these Lilburne was the only one mentioned when the inter-island teams were first chosen. Is this a commentary on the dearth of first-elass five-eights, or does it show a weakness on the part of the selectors? It is pleasing to see the younger players getting the hearing they deserve, but room could have been found for a player of Lance Johnson's capabilities. I know not whether he was available but a man Of his stamp would be more than handy in the second five-eight position. Lilburne's Inclusion. The inclusion of Lilburne came as a surprise. It was announced that, although taking part in the inter-is-land match, he was not available f-or the trip to Australia. This season his form has not been as brilliant as it has been previously, but he rose to great heights at Christchurch, and demonstrated that he is still a great player. A writer puts it this way: — "Lilburne is the brainiest back at present playing in New Zealand on def enee, he is essentially a team man and concerted moves start from his hands in a flash no matter how difficult the position." 'I am not prepared to rate Lilburne as high as this Canterbury critic does, but on his day he is a good player. For five years in st&e* cession he has won the All Blaek jersey — 1928-29-30-31-82. And he is comparatively a young man still. H. R. Pollock, after being missed in the initial selection for the' N'orth Island team, was given a place wKeii Farmer, the Bay of Plenty player, dropped out. Right from the days he was a schoolboy at Petone, "Bunk" has been the lceenest of footballers, his father — Jimmy PolloCk, Petone's half-back in his day — encouraging him all the time. He did not take long jumping from a place in Petone's fourth class team to seriior "status, and Wellington representative honours. And now, while still reaching forward to the top of his form, the gaining of Ne'W' Zealand represeiitative honours should help further in his development. Pollock is a'utility back, filling ably • the five-eight centre three-quarter, and full-back positions. His only real grievance is that he is not a Stone or a couple of stone heavier than he is, but that should not worry him much, as Franlc - MitChinson, one of New Zealand's best centre three-quarters, was round about Pollock's weight when at the height of his career. Brilliant BulIock-DouglaS. A Bullo ck-D ouglus (Wanganui) , made his selection secureby scoring : five tries, a record for an individual player in inter-Island matches. He ; had all the chances, it is_ true, but the way he scored his tries proved that he is likely to be an ideal successor to Jack Steele, the great try- ' getter from the West Coast. He is the same type of wing three-quarter — big, fast, and with plenty of determination. R. N. Williams (Hawke's Bay) did ■ not play in the inter-island match. : He is an^ex-Canterbury representative of the desired class.^ * Critics have differed over T. C. Caughey. We were told emphatically by one that he was not entitled : to his place in the North Island team on his form this season. Another, .after the match s'aid he was the best . centre seen in Christchurch since A. E. Cooke was in his prime, and that his' fitness for a New Zealand side is unquestionable. Caughey showed promise when he was a studeht at King's College, Auckland, and has worked himself to the tQp of the tree by the soundness and the cleverness of his play at centre threequarter. Kilby Playing Well. The half-backs — F. D. Kilby (W ellington) and M. Corner (Auckland) — have both represented New Zehland before. Kilbv is right._at the

him to Corner, who is not as gOod as he' was when he won All Blaek honours. . F. D; Kilby has had an interest- | ing career. He learift to' -play ifoofball at the" Southland* Bdys' High School, and in 1926 wOii- his' first . representative cap— for Southland; ; that samfe year h'e was half-back in the" South 'Island team.' ■- He was then transferred to Wellington, and in 1927 he played for the Wellington fepresentatives and the North Island . Kilby was one of the halfbacks in the New Zealand team that toured South Africd in 1928, "and now — four years later — he has been given the honour Of leadiiig the New . Zealand' team' on the Australian tour. , Countefparts bf such past giants as" C. Seeling", Jock Richardson arid Maurice BroWn'lie are still to be t found. In the present team are men of Weight and" speed, with gdod ( hands, afid fuli of bustle.-' HUF.-Bkc-Lean (Wellington), T. C. Metcalfe ( (Southlahd) , E: Barry (Wellington) ; ; J." E". Manchester (Canterbury), and G. W. Purdue (Southland) are" all ' this class of player and whom to leave out for ' the' Test matcheS will be a problem for the selectors on tour. ' : " A. I. Cottrell (Canterbury), E. A. Jessep (Wellirigtori), and B. Palmer , (Auckland) are all built on the right" lines ' for front-r'ank f orwardsj and cail1 get the ball if given rOasonable opportunities. J. Hore (Otago), the reserve front-ranker, is, to my mind, fortunate in getting selected. E. R.: C. Steere (HaWke's Bay) , R. Glarke (Taranaki) , and D. Max (Nelson) are the second row of the sCrummage, and fine hefty players they are. F. Solomon (Auckland) is the wing-forWard. It is true he is not described that way in' the team, but on his play he is one of the best open forwards at present in the game. He is not afraid of going down in the scrummage and doing his share of the tight work. He has a wonderful tum of speed for a forward and , an uncanny sense of anticipation. The try he scored for the North Island was an outstanding example of his anticipation. There is one phase in which the New Zealand team appear to be weak and that is in place-kiclcing. No doubt the aspirants for goal kicking will all' be tried out- before the Test match, and, judgin by one kiclc Holder put over in Christchurch, this may turn the scale in his favour. It is imperative that a rhan able to lciGk goals, from penalty kicks , or tries, should be included in a New Zealand representative side. And W. J. Wallace, who will be the manager of the feam, knows this as well as anyone, and is bound to insist in this phase of the play being kept in the forefront.