SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY TOUR

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 154, 20 September 1927, Page 13

SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY TOUR

ALL BLACK TRIALS Press Association. DUXEDIX. Monday. At a meeting: of the committee of the Otago Rugby Union this evening. Mr. H. Harris asked if all players taking part in the trial match at Carisbrook next Saturday were prepared to go to South Africa, if selected. Mr. J. Mitchell, one of the selectors, said two members, at least, of the combined North Otago-Otago-South-land team had informed him they could not go. The idea of the selectors had been to give players who could make the trip every assistance by giving them the strongest supporting players in preference to choosing others who had rio chance of selection. Mr. Harris said he did not think that was a fair procedure. He thought the selectors should have picked only those who were available to go. It had been shown by the Northern tour of the Otago team that several of their players had shown form quite beyond local expectations, and they now had to stand down and give way to men who could not make the trip. Mr. Mitchell said that was so. The weak point seemed to have been that the combined teams we.re picked too early. It was stated that no definite ruling had been received from the New Zealand Union regarding the manner in which the teams should be picked, and that to this extent the governing body should have been more explicit.