THE ALL BLACKS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 118, 21 May 1928, Page 5

THE ALL BLACKS.

DUE m DURBAN TO-DAY.

AFRICAN VIEW OF PROSPECTS.

The New Zealand Rugby team is dne to arrive at Durban to-day by the Euripedes, and is scheduled to play its first match at Capetown on Wednesday week, after a rail journey of four days followed by a two days' rest. The game will be against a combined Western Province team, and the New Zealand Union, has been assured from South Africa that it will not be a hard game, being more in the nature of an exhibition match than a real contest.

Some encouraging views of the tour are expressed by an ex-New Zealander who is now resident in Johannesburg. Writing to a friend in New Zealand he states that "it is quite a mistake to say that all our grounds are terribly hard. That is not so. There are turf grounds in Capetown, Port Elizabeth, East London, Durban, Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, and Pretoria—in fact, the ground of the Wanderers is probably as fine as you will find anywhere in the world. The German East kikuyu grass was planted there with very great success. It is like a big green cushion."

The writer of the foregoing note regarding South African grounds is far from optimistic regarding the prospects of the South African teams. He says: 'I predict that we are going to be beaten through the centre by the opportunism of your fast forwards. Please note this and see whether my words do not coipe true. Of the 1921 team two members, Mostert and Kruger, still remain our two best forwards. Then we have Dr. Van Druten, of the Harlequins, and Pretoria, of the Diggers. After that there is a big drop. I cannot see any of the provinces, outside the Western province and the Transvaal, providing a single Test player. Our halves (principally the fly-halves) will be mainly kicking, with poor defence. Our centres are weak and our wings fair. Our forwards, except those I have mentioned, are on the slow side."