THE RUGBY TEST.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 171, 21 July 1928, Page 9

THE RUGBY TEST.

ALL BLACK TEAM. Only One Change From First Test Side. SOUTH AFRICAN CHANGES. (Special to Press Association.) (Received 10 a.m.) JOHANNESBURG, July 20. The New Zealand team for the second Test is:— Full-back: Lindsay. Three-quarters: Robilliard, Carleton, Grenside. Five-eighths: Strang, Johnson. Half-back: Dalley. Front row: Stewart, Swain, Hadley. Middle row: M. Brownlie, Alley, Finlavson. Back row: McWUliams and Hazlett. Stewart will play wing-forward, McWilliams going into the pack. This is the only alteration from the first Test side. "Winger" in Front Row. In scrummaging Stewart will go down in the front row as "loose head." It is hard to understand the attitude of the Selection Committee, for they take one of the best forwards from the pack and play him as rover. In the few matches Stewart has played in this position he has caused a break-down of many movements, frequently getting in the way of the five-eighths. In the match against Northern Provinces his handling was palpably weak. Playing him as rover will probably tend to weaken the New Zealand Test team.

The game, however, promises to be another glorious struggle. New Zealand is going all out for a win and the team is even more confident than before the first Test.. The picked fifteen have undergone a week's hard training and every member now is said to be fit, but Grensido appears to be limping slightly, his knee not being properly healed yet. He says that he is quite fit. South African Changes. The Springboks have been unfortunate, in that Stanley Osier (centre) and Siater (wing three-quarter) have both torn thigh muscles while training, and will not play. Their places will be taken by Dobie and Brand. The African team, therefore, will be: — Full-back: Tindall. Three-quarters: Tod, Van Der Westhuizen, Dobie, Brand. Half-backs: Bennie Osier, Devine. Forwards: Mostert, Kruger, Van Drutcn, Daneel, Van Wyk, Pretorius, Xel, Potgieter. Newspaper Predictions. Discussing the prospects of tomorrow's match the Johannesburg '"Star" says: "The South Africans have two distinct advantages over the All Buacks—effective scrummaging, and superior touch-kicking throughout the teem. Despite improvements the 'ourists may be able to show these advantages should enable the Springboks to confirm the Durban result, though perhaps the margin may be smaller. Both advantages are the result of South Africa's allegiance to orthodox Rugby." The Scrum Weakness. The "Die Burger Afrikans" *ays: "The opinion of almost every Rugby enthusiast in the country is that the Springboks will be victorious, mainly because the New Zealand forward pack cannot stand against the cream of South African forwards. Solid scrummaging seems a lost art with Maurice Brownlie and his men. Until the All Black forwards learn that to shove and to shove hard in tight scrums is the first consideration, and spectacular open play a secondary matter, they will not be successful in any of the remaining three Tests." Harvey in Hospital. A crowd of 35,000 is expected at Ellis Park to-morrow. Special trains are arriving from all over the country. To-day the All Blacks went flying. All who went up were delighted witli the experience. Harvey is ill again, and was taken t<> a nursing home last night. His complaint is not yet diagnosed, but he showed itn provement to-day. McGregor is under going special treatment for his knee, and is not likely to play for at least three weeks.