Choosing Champions

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 133, 26 August 1927, Page 11

Choosing Champions

Selection of All Blacks Problems of South African Tour By H. MAKARINI PROBLEMS new to the selectors face New Zealand in the marshalling of the Rugby team for South Africa. Never before has New Zealand had to select a team on one year’s form, and send it away after the intervention of a

'V’EXT year’s All Blacks will be selected on this season’s form. That has been made clear by the New Zealand Union’s decision to concentrate all the trial matches into the end of the current season, and it is a risky business. The team’s departure for South Africa, has been advanced by New Zealand’s acquiescence in South Africa’s wish that four test matches should be played. To fit in with the enlarged programme, the men will have to leave earlier and they are therefore sailing from Melbourne on the Anchises on May 12. To join the ship they will have to leave Wellington about May 5, and there will be no time for trial matches earlier. - PRESTIGE AT STAKE Thus is created a singular situation, not without its dangers. For instance, men certain of their places after the Anal trial on October 5 may cast training and fitness to the winds during the Summer. Such carelessness is unlikely, principally because the chosen will recognise that in their hands rests the prestige of New Zealand Rugby, about to be subjected to the most exacting test that it has yet undergone. Except for South Africa in 1921, no union has faced the peculiar difficulties now ahead of Maoriland. In their own case the Afrikanders, too, were gauged largely on 1920 form, but final trials were conducted before the team left for New Zealand. By the rearrangements announced yesterday, the revised list of trial matches, for which only eligible players may be selected, is as under: September 14 —Hawke’s Bay, Poverty Bay and East Coast v. Wairarapa and Bush, at Napier. September 17 —Nelson, Marlborough, Golden Bay v, Buller and West Coast, at Westport. September 21 —Wellington and Manawhenua (Ranfurly Shield holders) v'. Wanganui, Taranaki and King Country, at Wanganui. September 24 —North Auckland and Auckland v. Thames Valley, Waikato and Bay of Plenty, at Auckland. September 24 —-Canterbury and South Canterbury v. Otago and Southland, at Dunedin. September 27 —North Island Possibles v. Probables, at Palmerston North. September 28— South Island Possibles v Probables, at Christchurch. October I—North Island v. South Island, at Wellington. October s —New Zealand Possibles v. Probables, at Wellington. Beyond the actual trials, the selectors will, of course, be guided by interprovincial form, in view of which Auckland appears to have a logical claim to strong representation. AUCKLAND TRIAL MATCH As earlier observed in THE SUN, the trial match set down for Auckland will be largely farcical, and certainly one-sided. Though it may reveal capable players from the northern and southern territories, the same effect could be served by matching them elsewhere, and allowing the Auckland football public to see a better team from the southern half of the North Island. In North Auckland is Finlayson, whose talents are already recognised. A youth who will give the selectors a pro.blem is young Nicholls, younger brother of Mark. He is playing great Rugby at Whangarei and on reported form will be entitled to a place in the combined side, a circumstance which will mean the displacement of one of the Auckland backs. Touching on actual candidates, it is easy to nominate a string of Auck-

landers definitely in line lor selection. Of the forwards, Hadley’s claims are outstanding. He might almost be regarded as a certainty, with Keene the next best proposition. Knight, on his day, commands attention, and at his best is certainly good enough. Behind the scrum Auckland has no cardinal offerings, unless Wright regains the brilliance he exhibited at New Plymouth, but Berridge, Sheen. Hook, Woods and Butler, along with Lucas, all strike close to international form. Lucas has said he cannot go to South Africa, but his defection should not prevent Auckland from having at least four backs in the team. HAWKE’S BAY CLAIMANTS Some of the more impressive candi - dates for the 1928 scrum may be seen to-morrow, when Campbell, Tankard and Single are scampering about with the Hawke’s Bay pack. Latest reports of M. Brownlie state that he will be available for South Africa—news which the selectors will welcome. Going South, the visible candidates are only occasional. Taranaki has Kivell, Walter, H. W. Brown and Wgrd if maturity is disregarded Wanganui’s strongest claimant is J. Johnson, a forward of massive build, and Manawhenua will be strong for Brophy. If they are available, the following 1924 All Blacks may be considered certainties: M. Brownlie, Irvine, R. F. Stewart, A. C. C. Robilliard, A. K Cooke, N. P. McGregor and M. Nicholls. They form the nucleus of a good side, but gaps at half-back and full-back will keep the big six considering. Though there is no Jimmy Mill in sight, Kilby, now in Wellington, seems the most likely half-back, and the Em-

pire City will offer other strong candidates in Elvy, Ransom and South. In the South Island trials Canterbury is likely to be predominant, but the first of the series should produce at least one good man In Clarke, a fairhaired Golden Bay forward of admirable physique. Estimating merely casual possibilities.

the following suggests itself as one team that could be created: Full-back: V. BUTLER Threequarters: ROBILLIARD, SHEEN, GRENSIDE Fi ve-eightha: COOKE, NICHOLLS Half-back: KILBY Rover: KEENE Forwards: HADLEY, IRVINE M. BROWNLIE ALLEY, STEWART CLARKE, HAZLETT Such a team would leave fifteen more men to be found, and there is no saying that they will not, in the next six weeks, rise from obscurity as did so many of the 1924 team. When selected, McGregor, Dailey, Hart, Harvey, Parker, Masters, Brown, Stewart and Robilliard were all relative strangers to big Rugby. Their rise to eminence was as meteoric as It was successful.