BRIGHT THAMES TEAM

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1021, 11 July 1930, Page 8

BRIGHT THAMES TEAM

STRONG PACK OF FORWARDS Special to THE SUN THAMES, Today. The strongest feature of the Thames fifteen to try out Auckland’s strength, preliminary to the match against the British team, will be the forwards who, this year, are a great combination, and better than the pack which fought out a splendid struggle with Auckland at Eden Park last year. The Auckland hookers will have their work, cut out to secure possession from the scrums against the Thames frontrankers—the ex-All Black, “Mickey” Lomas ajid W. Percy—both of whom have been showing particularly fine hooking form this year. Lomus, who is skipper, still retains much of the dash that made him a notable wearer* of the Silver Fern. The lock. Winder, who played fullback last season, and has tremendous kicking power, tips the beam at 16 stone. The side-row man, J. Strange, who is one of the best lineout forwards in the team, and who made one trip as an Auckland representative two years ago. is playing highclass football, while Gordon Percy, like his brother Bill, is outstanding in the loose work, possessing fine dribbling capabilities and ability to control the ball at his toe. W. Brunton is one of the hardest workers in the pack in the tight scrummaging and follows up consistently. He handles a ball with the case of a back, and frequently joins in passing movements. Trevor Dufty, who is well known to Auckland crowds, is playing well os rover, and. is. the headiest player in the team. Like all his ilk, he makes a specialty of potting goals.

If Auckland is short of five-eightlis it might do worse than keep ari eye on J. B. Arthur, who will make* his first appearance in the city. Arthur, who ]iails from Southland, participated in the Possibles-Probables match for the selection of the Southland team to meet Britain, and was actually selected as the Southland half, but was then transferred to Thames. He plays with plenty of thrust and has a very sound defence. The other five-eighth, Goudie, and the centra. Darling, who are club-mates from the Coromandel Sub-Union, have plenty of penetrative „ability and are good defensive players White is the better of the two wingthreequarters, and is the best defensive