All Blacks’ Rugby Tour to S. Africa

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 135, 29 August 1927, Page 13

All Blacks’ Rugby Tour to S. Africa

S. A. Forwards Strong; Backs Below Standard \ MR. T. A FLETCHER’S VIEWS (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. Now that the Rugby football season for 1927 is drawing to a conclusion, particularly in regard to club games, which have terminated in most places, all eyes are turned toward South Africa in the hope that some indication will be forthcoming about the New Zealand team’s tour next year. Naturally it is somewhat difficult to obtain firsthand information about the Rugby strength of South Africa, and most of the opinions published are coloured by j the place of residence of the writer. ; Recently your correspondent interviewed Mr. T. A. Fletcher, a member of j the Management Committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union and president of the Wellington Referees’ Association, as one who has been in close * touch with South Africa for some months. Mr. Fletcher said that quite recently he had received a number of newspapers from South Africa, and after ! reading the Rugby opinions expressed } therein it seemed to him that if the New* Zealand forwards could hold their j own, as he thought they would, the backs ought to be sufficiently strong to win matches. He did not consider he was over-confident when he made such a statement, as he felt sure that the All Blacks of 1928 would give just as good an account of themselves as did the All Blacks of 1924. WEAK SPOTS Recent newspaper files he had received, said Mr. Fletcher, contained much interesting information about the game in South Africa, several notable officials discussing the possibilities of the game in that country. For instance, Mr. W. S. M. Wood, ex-vice-president of the Transvaal Rugby Union, expressed the opinion that while South Africa was not as strong individually as it had Been in the past, the combined play of its teams was better. It is quite evident that there are weak spots in the South African armour, said Mr. Fletcher. Mr. Dennis Scholtz, of the Western Provinces, considers that South Africa lacks clever, thrustful backs, though this weakness is considered to be somewhat balanced by the strength of the wing three-quar-ters. He admits that there is also no fullback of the calibre of Gerhard Morkel, whose prowess will be remembered so well in New Zealand during the Springbok tour of 1921, which should relieve the minds of those All Blacks who may remember how New Zealand’s forwards had their hearts broken by the South African fullback’s wonderful line finding. Mr. Scholtz. however, places great faith in the South African forwards, which, he declares, have learnt how the game should be played, supporting one another better than ever, often carrying on passing movements among themselves like a set of backs. Mr. D. S. Cameron, of Johannesburg, also places his faith in the forwards, as he considers that the present inside backs are far too orthodox to be successful against a strong New Zealand side. If a little more attention was devoted to the art of dribbling the ball in a rush, South Africa could field to-day a pack of forwards second to none in the world This shows, said Mr. Fletcher, that South Africa feels very confident of its forwards, but seems afraid that its backs may fail. Mr. F. Cilliers, of Oudtshoorn, a strong Rugby centre, draws attention to two points. He says that forward play lias undoubtedly improved. while he considers that the general game has become less stereotyped. He believes that a South African team of to-day would more than hold its own with any past wearers of the green jersey, and that South Africa has learnt that there are other methods of attack apart from the quick transfer to the wings. N.Z. POSSIBILITIES Taking a line through the various opinions published in the South African papers, said Mr. Fletcher, it would seem that the forwards of that country are stronger than ever, but that the inside backs are hardly up to the standards of the past. That is where New Zealand is going to have the advantage if the best possible team can be got away. Scattered throughout the Dominion are quite a number of really capable backs, especially inside backs, who will do credit to any team they may be picked for. Starting from the fullback position there are Roach (Wairarapa) and Stevenson (Otago) and possibly the Taranaki youth. Brown, who plays a very fine game in this position. There are also said to be several very good fullbacks in some of the country districts who will possibly come to light when the trials take place. For the three-quarter line the possibilities are very good. In this direction there are Elvy (Wellington). Grenside (Hawke’s Bay) and Lucas (Auckland), the latter being able to play either on the wing or at centre Then Steel (Canterbury) and Svenson (Wellington), although verging on veteran stage, are by no means back numbers. Robilliard. a Canterbury member of the 1924 All Blacks, wno was so unfortunate as to break a bone in his foot early in the English tour, is also playing great football at present and is certain to be one of the possibilities. New Zealand is well off for centres with such players as Brown and Lucas available, while if Cooke. Wairarapa’s wonder player, is willing to make the tour there need be no further search for a centre three-quar-ter. Of five-eighths there are plenty, and several notable names come to mind in this respect. Here again Cooke could be placed, while Sheen (Auckland). Mark Nicholls and Lance Johnson (Wellington), and McGregor and Lilburne (Canterbury) are each worthy of inclusion, and it is more than probable that there are others who have not yet caught the public eye. Unfortunately this state of affairs does not apply to the halfback position, and at the moment there is no Jimmy Mill in sight except Dailey, the Canterbury half, though even this position may be filled adequately when the time comes for the trial games. STERLING FORWARDS Mr. Fletcher said that he purposely left the forwards until the last, because in this side of the game he felt very confident. The Dominion is full of fast, dashing players who are equal to all emergencies—men who can vary their game in the tight or in the loose —and in them New Zealand cannot but have every confidence. Two fine wingforwards in Porter (Wellington) and Scrimshaw (Canterbury) make this position safe, though due consideration will have to be given to South Africa’s reading of the off-side rule. With such players as the Brownlie brothers. Fin- ] layson, Harvey, R. Stewart, Knight. ; Kivell. Conrad. “Son” White, and the j Soutlilander McKenzie, there is little need to worry about forwards, while the trial matches are bound to reveal some new blood of special merit. So far as the forwards are concerned, the most worrying phase of the position is the lack of hookers, New Zealand never having been worse off in this respect than at present. Donald and Irvine have done sterling service in this respect in past years and their successors j will have to be found if the 1928 All Blacks are*to be the equal of teams i of the past. | “Altogether, 1 ’ concluded Mr. Fletcher,

“I feel very confident of the result of the South African tour of 1928, and J do not think I am over-confident. I am convinced that our forwards will hold their own, and this being the cap** our backs will win our games for us.”