ENGLAND V. ALL BLACKS

Shannon News, 2 January 1925, Page 3

ENGLAND V. ALL BLACKS

PERSONNEL OF ENGLISH SIDE. The team to represent England on Saturday week is constituted as under: — Last year’s internationals (8): R. H. Hamilton-Wickes (London Counties and Hampshire), L. J. Corbett (Bristol), A. T. Young (Cambridge), W. W. Wakefield (Leicester), R. Cove-Smith (Old Merchant Taylors), G. S. Conway (Fettes and Rugby Town), |A. E. Blakiston (Liverpool), and R. Edwards (Newport). Previous seasons’ internationals (3): V. G. Davies (Harlequins), H. L. Price (Leicester), and J. S. Tucker (Bristol).

New caps (4): J. Brough (Cumberland), R. L. Raymond (Oxford), H. J. Kittermaster (Oxford), and R. J. Hillard (Oxford). The Discards. Of the seventeen players who represented England in the four international games of the 1923-1924 season, the following have been dropped

for the match with the All Blacks at Twickenham on January 3:— Full-back: B. S. Chan trill (Gloucestershire).

Three-quarters: H. C. Catcheside (Northumberland, H. H. Locke (Cheshire), H. P. Jacob (Oxford). Half-backs: E. Myers (Yorkshire). Forwards: A. T. Voyce (Gloucestershire), W. G. E. Luddington (Navy), C. K. T. Faithful (Harlequins), and A. Robson (Northumberland). ,;An indication of the sweeping nature of the changes may be gauged from the fact that Locke (Cheshire), Myers (Yorkshire), and Catcheside (Northumberland) were all reported by cable to have played exceptionally fine Rugby in the respective matches against the New Zealanders. “Ponty” was advised some time ago that Myers (fly half) and Voyce (forward) would not get their caps for the All Blacks’ match. Locke’s absence will probably be adversely commented on. As for Kershaw, (like many another great player, he could not come back. His one season out of the game settled him. (His vital statistics are: 29 years, sft Bin, 12st 41b—a half of the Fred Roberts variety.) NOTES ABOUT THE PLAYERS R. H. Hamilton-Wickes (Cambridge skipper, 1923): 23 years 6ft llin, 12st 101 b. A fine wing three-quarter trygetter. Possessed of a particularly telling dodging swerve, He was unlucky to get only one cap (against Ireland), and played well enough in his sole international to have been a certainty for England in any ordinary year. Scored a wonderful try for Cambridge against Oxford. , Played for London counties against the All Blacks, and also in the Hampshire game. V. G. Davies (Harlequins): Centre three-quarter, the king-pin of the attack of the Harlequins, who, next to Oxford University, were tlio crack Bi’itish club last season. The only match he has played for England was that against Wales at Cardiff, in 19211922, when the Welshmen .ran over the Englishmen, 28—6. Davies represented South against the Noith in December, 1923, but did not appear either Probables v. Possibles, or England v. The Rest match. He did not 'turn out for London Couunties against the All Blacks.

L. J. Corbett (Bristol): 27 years, sft lOin, list 101 b. Knows the game and puts his knowledge to good effect. At the top of his form, times and gives his passes better than any centre since the war, while his own hands are perfect. Will work left wing, with Raymond (outside). Played a great game for Gloucestershire against All Blacks. R. L. Raymond (Oxford): The best three-quarter in the world. English critics are giving further evidence of their inability to form a reasonable opinion, by criticising the selectors for not burying Raymond at fail-back — a way they (and Oxford) have with all colonials (See note to Kittermaster). Will be Steel’s vis-a-vis, and a battle royal should ensue. Turns the scale at 13st. Played for Oxford against All Blacks. H. J. Kittermaster (Oxford): Displaces Myers (Yorkshire) as fly-half. It is recorded that. Oxford cast away what chances they had by their bad play at lty-half and centre in the 1922 match against Cambridge. Even the English '‘Rugby Annual,” 1923, said: ‘‘The controversy about bringing in Kittermaster to fly-half and throwing Lawton (the Queensland Rhodes scholar) to full-back was rather a domestic concern for Oxford than for the public critics. It seemed a serious blunder in team-building, particularly after the way that Lawton had helped to win the match with Swen Campbell the year before. But It was not Oxford’s day, and Dame Fortune, insisted that Kittermaster should have a fit of the slows!” Played for Oxford against All Blacks. It is interesting to note jthat Kittermaster and Lawton were unsuccessful competitors for a place in last season’s English team. The former was dropped after turning out for the Possibles against the Probables, while Lawton got a. game with The Rest, and partnered E. J. Massey (Liverpool), who was discarded by the Probables. However, Massey and Lawton were up against Young (scrum) and Myers (fly), the two celebrated halves and no change was made after the game England v. The Rest. Lawton played for London Counties against the New Zealanders, and was looked upon as a likely man to get his cap for England against the All Blacks.

A. T. Young (Cambridge): 23 years, sft 4^in, lOst 71b. His improvement has been rapid, and the fine form shown by him was one of the features of the last English season. Toured South Africa with the British team, but lost his place on tour to Whitley, the Northumberland scrumhalf. Got back in time to represent Cambridge University against the All Blacks. Forwards. W. W. Wakefield (Leicester), captain: 27 years, 6ft, 14st 21b: A grand forward. Gifted with great pace and | dash; always plays his hardest. Made < an excellent leader. What he does ( not know about the game is not worth knowing. Played for Leicester and London Counties against the - All j Blacks. I

R. Cove-Smith (Old Merchant Taylors): 27 years, Gftiin, 13st 51b: A trifle slow, 'but a genuine player who came in from the reserve list, and proved so useful that he retained his place throughout the 19231924 season (playing agAinst Scotland, Wales, Ireland, , France), Captained the British team in South ‘Africa, and played for London Counties against the All Blacks. G. S. Conway (Fettes and Rugby Town): 27 years, sft 10£in, 12st 41B: Consistently good in the four internationals last season. Possesses a thorough knowledge of the game. His

Footwork, both ip the tight and loose, is beautiful. He is the most polished British forward of the day. Captained Lancashire against the All Blacks. A. F. Blakiston (Liverpool): 32 years, sft llin. Plays with considerable determination. Good at the line out. Tackles effectively and still, retains his pace in the loose. Toured South Africa with the Britishers, and after his return turned but with Conway for Lancashire against the All Blacks.

R. Edwards (Newport): 32 years, sft lOin, 14st 121 b. Very useful In all departments. His weight and eperience are of the greatest value to his side in the scrummage, and he is equally clever at opening up the game for his backs. The All Blacks had a taste of his qualities at Newport, where Edwards led the amber and blacks, whom the New Zealanders just beat on the post, 13—10.

H. L. Price (Leicester): A very useful and clever player, but there was not room for him in all the matches of 1922-1923, and he was confined to two internationals, those against Wales and Ireland. He did not get placed last season, despite the fact that he played for North against the South, for Probables against the Possibles,, and. for England against The Rest. This year he again was on the winning Northern side, and fought with “Thfe Tigers” against New Zealand on October 4, at Leicester. J. S. Tucker (Bristol): Like Y. G. Davies, was a member of the English fifteen in the disastrous match at Cardiff in 1921-1922. In 1922-1923 he played on the English side in the trials, but he had not come on as much as expected, and did not get capped again either that season or last. He is a forward of fine physique. Met the All Blacks in the Gloucestershire game. R. J. Hillard (Oxford): Got a game foi’ the Possibles against the Probables last season, but was unable to gain a place in the international side. ’Varsity Men. The Oxford v. Cambridge match is played in December each year, and the following summary shows the alma mater of nine of the fifteen Englishmen, and the years they turned out in the great ’varsity match of the year:—R. H. Hamilton-Wickes (Cambridge), 1920-1-2-3;. R. L. Raymond (Oxford): 1924; H.' J. Kittermaster (Oxford): 1922, 1924. A. T. Young (Cambridge), 1922-3-4. G. S. Conway (Cambridge), 1919-20-21. R. J. Hillard (Oxford), 1923-4. H. D. Price (Oxford), 1920-21. R. Cove-Smith (Cambridge), 1919-20-21. W. W. Wakefield (Cambridge), 1921-22. ' Raymond, Kittermaster, Young, and Hillard would appear to be the only ones now in residence, and in that l’espect the cabled team is misleading as the other five are "down” and playing for other English clubs, which, together with their counties, are shown in the notes above.

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