BAY TEAM TO TOUR

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1037, 30 July 1930, Page 14

BAY TEAM TO TOUR

STRONG FORWARDS WILL GO PROBABLY TWO BROWNLIES Special to TJIB SUN NAPIER, Tuesday. Thoughts of Rugby followers in this district have now returned to the impending Southern tour of the province’s representatives. During the past few seasons most of the inter-provincial matches that ITawke’s Bay have been engaged in have been on home grounds with the result that there are a number of unions to whom visits are owing. After playing North Auckland at Napier on August 6, the team will immediately leave for Christchurch, where it will meet the Canterbury representatives on the following Saturday, proceeding then to Dunedin for the match with Otago on the following Wednesday, thence to Invercargill where, providing the Southerners still hold the Ranfurly Shield, a bid will be made to regain that trophy, ■which the province in its liey-day so tenaciously held.

The tourists are then allowed a spell of a fortnight on their return home, playing the third and last at home inter-provincial match of the season against Auckland on August 30. On the three following Saturdays. September G, 13 and 20, engagements have to be fulfilled against Taranaki at New Plymouth, Wellington at Wellington, and Manawhenua at Palmerston North, the last game bringing to an end a strenuous season for those who are chosen, and who will be able to give the time that such an extensive programme of matches will necessitate. Just who among the regular players will be numbered among the missing it is not known at the time of writing, as the team has not yet been announced. but the indications are that it will be a reasonably strong one that will go South. Forward it will be particularly strong, and should be well able to uphold the traditions of Hawke’s Bay in this department of the game. Although it is not definite at the present stage, there is a possibility that both Cyril and Maurice Brownlie will lead the Bay pack, as it was stated when they were in Napier for the match against the British team that they would be available for the tour. Should this be the case and with the talent that the province seems to be so well endowed with at the present time in the matter of forwards, the Southern provinces will have a tough proposition set them. Of the backs the same can hardly be said, as Hawke’s Bay has been sadly lacking in any material of firstrate quality. With the exception of the five-eighths the remainder of the rearguard is fair enough without being brilliant, but they are hardly of the same standard as the forward division. It is understood that several young players who have not yet had a chance to show their ability in firstclass football will be included in the combination, and it is hoped that some discoveries will be made which will add to the strength of Hawke’s Bay sides in the future.