Mark Nicholls Selects

New Zealand Listener, Volume 1, Issue 12, 15 September 1939, Page 51

Mark Nicholls Selects

World Rugby Fifteen O find a centre three-quarter for his World Rugby fifteen, Mark Nicholls had to go outside New Zealand, in spite of the talent collected for All Black teams between 1920 and 1939. .The combination of the necessary qualities Was hard: to find, but Nicholls was confident he knew one man who had all the virtues. G. P. S. MacPherson had been partnered by George Aitken when he played for Oxford in 1924, When Nicholls watched him play in the OxfordCambridge match at Twickenham he knew he had seen a master player in action. MacPherson represented Scotland at the age of 19, Oxford believe him to be the most distinguished player they have ever had outside the scrum. George Stephenson, Ireland, was "as swift and ‘as graceful as a gazelle, but with none of the gazelle’s timidity." He was, in fact, one of the two or three hardest tacklers in post-war Rugby. The ‘list of the truly great centres is exclusive, but Nicholls rated Albert Jenkins, of Dlancely, as a genius in his own sphere. Among the South African players he mentioned Clarkson, Sendin, Strauss, Stanley Osler, Babrow, White, Lochner. Babrow, he said, did not appeal as much as some of the others. Up against a more determined defence he would not have been as outstanding as he had seemed. Larry Wogan, who played for the Wallabies from 1912 to 1924--a magnificent record-was the only really fine player Nicholis found in his review of Australian talent. Special mention among the New Zealanders was given George Aitken, Rhodes Scholar, Oxford and Scotland representative; and Sid Carlton, whose defence Nicholls thought was better than the defence of any other All Black centre. The final choice gave him no worries. He selected: G. P, 3. MacPherson. His team so far is: Full-back: Nepia. Wing three-quarters: Steele, ‘fataréduy. Centre three-quarter: MacPherson.