POWERFUL FORWARDS WILL BE AUCKLAND’S MAINSTAY

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1027, 18 July 1930, Page 6

POWERFUL FORWARDS WILL BE AUCKLAND’S MAINSTAY

British Match Tomorrow

FIVE-EIGHTH LINE WEAK LINK

But Pack Will Hold Its Own

WELLINGTON and Canterbury, Auckland’s strongest rivals in inter-provincial Rugby, have attained the proud distinction of being the only provinces to defeat the British Rugby side. Otago, a weak side this season, was defeated to the tune of 33 to 9. Can Auckland emulate the example of Wellington and Canterbury tomorrow, or must it take third, or even a lower place, in the provincial record against the tourists? With a strong and solid pack of forwards, all experienced men, Auckland has every chance of holding its own forward, and in this department of the game will present as strong a combination as that fielded by Canterbury and certainly stronger than the Wellington vanguard. Auckland will also field a fair threequarter line, but the chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Constitutional weakness in five-eighth play will probably be the most important factor in the deciding of tomorrow’s game.

Since the days when Karl Ifwersen, Ces Badeley, and A. E. Cooke wore the blue-and-white jerseys, the province has found it a difficult matter to field strong, thrusting inside men. This has been ascribed to various causes, some blaming the adoption of the “imaginary line” rule, and others, the lack of coaching in the clubs and schools. Whatever the reason, the cold hard fact remains that inside play in Auckland has deteriorated considerably of late years. In this. Auckland has not been alone. Young promising men are scarce all over the Dominion and, strangely enough, what good men there are—such as Johnson. Cooke, Nicholls, Mackenzie, and J. R. Page, and Hay, Innes, and Lilnurne —are all under the banner of Wellington and Canterbury respectively. A GOOD HALF

It is the selection of the five-eighth lino that has caused the Auckland selector the most concern. With the British game in view, several men have been closely watched. Although in many quarters Weir, the Grammar ♦five-eighth, was favoured in preference to Jamieson for the inside position there appears to be no doubt that on present form the Ponsonby player is the best man offering for the position. In club foo.tball Jamieson has a number of good games to his credit, and early in the season showed considerable improvement over his form of last season. In representative football he has also acquitted himself fairly well, but in general tactics and defensive play cannot be regarded as a very strong man. Fortunately. tomorrow, neither he nor his outside five-eighths will be pitted against Great Britain's best. Tlaslam, the Technical Old Boys’ player, caught the eye early in the reason with several very promising displays at centre-threequarters. He is a ypung player of good physique, and. is a strong, powerful runner, with a good burst of speed. So far his play lias suggested that he has the makings of a good threequarter, and the experiment of playing him at second fiveeighths last Saturday seemed to confirm the impression that he would be better further out. Last week he appeared to be suffering somewhat from nervousness, and it is possible that, with another game, improvement may result. It is certainly not a very satisfactory position. That he is a good tackier is an encouraging feature of his play, and there is no suggestion that he will not get down to the hard stuff that comes his way. Very largely, tho experiment will depend upon the temperamental ability of the player to rise to the occasion. With Reeve and Norris to mark. Minns and L. Hook will be kept fully extended throughout the game. FAST THREEQUARTERS

Auckland’s halfback in tomorrow’s game, M. Corner, has* been well tested, not only in the trial games, but also in tho second test. From his display in that game it is safe to assume that tomorrow he will again acquit himself with distinction.

Minns and Hook are both playing good football, and both have a fine turn of speed. Much, however, will depend upon the opportunities provided by the inside men, Minns in particular needing to bo well fed. and run into his strido before getting the ball. Lucas, at centre, delighted his supporters last week with an exhibition well up to his old form, but against a weak combination he was not strongly tested. To cover the fiveeighth weakness, and provide his w ings with useful opportunities, much of the success of the back play will depend upon tho All Black centre, who, in the two test games, has always been well served in regard to his inside men. It cannot be expected that Butler will prove superior to Bassett, but his sound tackling and former representative experience makes him the best man available for the job. EXPERIENCED FORWARDS Although the. pack would probably have been better served with A. Finlayson hooking in preference to Palmer the Auckland front row, Hadley and Palmer, will be as good as any provincial pair that has yet hooked against the tourists. In addition to being a fine hooker Hadley is a tireless worker in tho tight, earning the reputation of being one of the most honest forwards in the All Black side that toured South Africa. The second row, L. Knight, A. Knight and McWilliams, is composed of three solid and useful men L. Knight is at present one of the best forwards in the province and it is surprising that he was not selected for the All Black pack for the first two tests. Batty, who played so w r ell in the first test, and A. Finluyson, a particularly hard-working forward, will complete the scrum. All seven forwards liavo had considerable experience and with the exception of Finlayson, who has played In inter-island games, have worn the All Black jersey. Only lor the fine games played by Porter it is quite possible that Solomon, who liold3 the roving commission, would have won his way into the All Black side this season. More ©f the rover type than a wing forward, he will probably give the visitors less cause for complaint than usual, but ho will be non© the less effective. With a powerful pack at his command it is expected that Auckland will be able to hold its own against Britain in this department, but whether any such advantage can be turned to account will depend upon the thrust and initiative of the inside backs. For policy reasons Great Britain is not fielding its test scrum-half or fiy-half, which gives Auckland a much better chance than if otherwise had been th© case. Auckland’s chance of victory depends tomorrow on solid determined tackling and ability to play the visitors at their own game. On standard form this can hardly be expected. Inspired form, however, is always possible from home sides, and if this is produced, and both forwards and backs rise well to the occasion a hard even game might easily result.