"BACKBLOCKS' TALENT."

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 234, 4 October 1927, Page 14

"BACKBLOCKS' TALENT."

COMMENT FROM GISBORNE. In a recent article in which he discussed the possibilities of the selection for South Africa, "Ponty" happened to refer to the skill and experience of P. Bennett, late of Manawatu, and for the past three years of Poverty Bay. The "Star's" Gishorne correspondent forwards the, upon what toVas' the talent" 7- ; jnere are several., players in Poverty Bajr whose chance's: of inclusion in the All Black team for South Africa might have been worth discussing, before their appearance in the first of the trials at Napier, and whose talents entitle them to more consideration from the selectors than a lot of those who have shone in brighter company.. Here in Gisborne we havo five senior teams,- from which to find s representative side/, and it is excusable, perhaps, that »Invert jr $ay goes office deep end tohettlftfteen chosen from 75, hold their, own with a fullstrength Ha wke's. fifty side, as they did a couple, of weeks, , There is a Sreat deal of sbiind' bafefcblocks talent ere, wanting only a bit of polish to win its way into drawing-room company. "Ponty" has mentioned Bennett in particular, and in proposing this fine centre three-quarter as a likely candidate, the "Star" critic is not far u j 0 Bennett has seldom P°° r ' game* and at times his iJWnpatwn it wonderful; defence and e to him, and on his ha \m tT * , * P°W° r of beating. But is a ml ?, in his « 10, 7- If there in theTlvL* • a " d brainy five-eighth the excen«on lOn J « Langlands (with Nicholls ~9°° ke and Mark the eountnM. I??. 81 ? 7 John «ton) then 'tSJtS&QS&J? good backs. geta opposition M Ha 'Ri. a land only seem able y .f*s AuckThenthfes •noUerm°Vl^ ad u yB- - has,;WQrkcd betwSi?T Bennett® (dazzling ? f n jare u s ,.a# the "hi PoSIS"

to stand a good hammering, no'matter who they met, for this district has only light forwards.

Speaking of the forwards recalls the merits of Carrington and Thomas, two 'pack workers whose performances | marked them out distinctly aa due for i a trial. Thomas is a hooker, stocky and immensely powerful, with a great deal of his weight' in his thighs, but a catlike foot in the scrums. Fast for a short distance, he is invariably busy throughout any game, and has established himself as a hooker and general scrum worker against all competition. Carringtoq is a recent discovery, his football career having only' begun last season in earnest, but this red-headed Celt is as rugged as they come, and played in the trial atNapier while suffering from the results of a kick in the groin, received at his father's stud. He can outstrip most backs, and in the loose is to Poverty Bay what M. Brownlie is to Hawke's Bay. His kick is an eye-opener, and he has a fine record of difficult goals. There are other fine players in the Poverty Bay side, but these five stand out, and all have the qualifications that will carry them to South Africa if the luck breaks right. One player who has all the talent needed, and a heart as big as a bullock's, but whose physique is bound to prevent him going far in the trials, is Bramwell, a dandy halfback. He is one of the most gallant Rugby players in the land, and combines science with courage in his rushstopping; even Maurice Brownlee found this "two by four" spoiler a nuisance when Hawke's Bay drew with Poverty Bay. It looks as though Caulton has the best chance of representing Poverty Bay in South Africa, for ho has every physical attribute of a great player, and a football head on his broad shoulders. It would be another illustration of the irony of fate, however, if this young player bagged the honours, and another like Langlands missed.