A VERSATILE SIDE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 94, 22 April 1933, Page 6

A VERSATILE SIDE

SELECTOR'S DIFFICULT TASK

The New, Zealand Association side whi«h is' to leave next month on a tour of Australia has been selected. No doubt not every one will agree wholeheartedly with the selector's choice, for local prejudice is difficult to overcome, but the announcement of the names , indicates that Mr. B. L. Salmon, the sole selector, has performed a task well. The team is-, representative of football in the Dominion, and it is. interesting te> note that twelve of the fifteen selected are New Zealand-"bori players. The three not falling in th,is category are Zuill,, Christie, and Kay. One of tM most difficult positions to fill must have been that of goalkeeper. In Ztiill, «f (Auckland, and Timlin, of Westland, the selector had good material to work ; on, and both these men gave good accounts of themselves, in the North-South match played at Wellington on Saturday.. Zuill played as confidently aa ever, and at times brought off some excellent saves. Hq played coolly, knew what to do, and did it. Timlin was, not up to besf form in the first half, but in the second spell brought off some speetaeular and brilliant saves. Either goalkeeper >vould do credit to his side, but taking everything into consideration it would appear that Zuill would be the better nrniV for the tour. : It was almost a foregone conclusion that Gorrard would be among the selected on account of the fact that he is able to deputise in goal. During the . Auckland-Wellington match last Mojiday he was between the sticks for just a sufficient time ta show the spectators that .he is capable of keeping goal. Stone and; Graham are well •known fw1 their back play. Tho half-back lino should make a solid combination. Christio-. is: an experienced player, and Crabbe, of South Auckland, should prove p.,< valuable member of the side if lio at ail reproduces the form shown in' the North v. South match. Stenhouse can play anywhere in the back division. Chapman, in addition to filling any place in the rear, can play at centre-forward. On paper, the forwards appear to be a line- that should work irp into a good cotftWaation with comparatively little practice. Probably moat "surprise has been oeeas'ionpiT tlir.ott£»h the inclusion of Baker, the Diamond centre-forward, to place of Leslie, of Petonev Baker is a young player, and the tour should improve him considerably. As mentioned previously, Chtipmstn is able tc play in this position., Kay and Kershaw are two brilliant forwards who can always, be relied on. Barton is capable of playing good football, and if he reproduces the form he has shown in club niatrhps. will be a vcrv stron.2 link in the front lino. Tves Jiiul Groves areOtago men who ,iave goo*! accounts of themselves in the match Sere last week. . With the prospect.of a hard tour, it wns oprtainly a wise precaution of the selector to pick a side the members of "which' were -capable of filling two, and iv some cas<*s as many a* fmir positions. The itinerary shows that the team will have a strenuous tour. Three Tests, and a match against nn Australian eleven, arc included, and the ability of .-players tf> change will provide, a welcome relief. •' . ■• ■ NONE FROM CANTERBURY. "Tho inclusion of one representative only from the West Coast and Canterbnry is perhaps the biggest snrprise of the selection," state* the Christchurcn "Star." "Canterbury did. not have strong claims, but the omission of A. Sutherland, at least, is surprising. The young Thistle centre-half plays sound football and is the type likely to benefit considerably fn>m • such a tour. A. Graham (Bullev) deserves his place, but iho selectors have passed over another useful man from that province, J. Teiehert. Not brilliant, but a great battler, in excellent physical trim, and a distinctly useful defender in any of three or four positions, Teichert seems decidely unlucky. ' In choosing only one 'keeper, the selectors have taken a risk- They had little margin, certainly,'but unless another player proves an unexpectedly good substitute between the sticks, the non-inclusion of a .reserve custodian may prove a big handicap.