FINAL TEST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 186, 8 August 1930, Page 9

FINAL TEST.

CAN BRITAIN WIN?

NEW ZEALAND WEAKENED.

NICHOLAS UNABLE TO PLAY

VISITORS' PACK HEAVIER

At Wellington to-morrow the last big game of the British Rugby team's tour of New Zealand will be played. The game is also the most critical of the tour, for it is the final Test match, the result of which will decide (statistically at least) whether the British team is of All Black standard, or whether British Rugby, on the record of its representatives,' must be reckoned still a step below that of New Zealand.

Three Test matches have been played, and Britain has won one and New Zealand two; on the score to-morrow New Zealand either stands yet definitely above Britain, or Britain must be held to have drawn up level with New Zealand.

, On. the actual scores of the preceding Test matches, it is perfectly obvious that at the most there is little between the teams. Britain won the first game, played in mud and snow, by 6 points to 3. The deciding try was the result of a breakaway in the last minute of the game. New Zealand won the second game by 13 points to 10, and both on the scores in the two games and on the run of the play it was obvious that the sides were evenly matched. In the third Test the New Zealanders increased their margin of lead, winning by 15 points to 10; but even this did not place them definitely as a side which could defeat the Britishers always.

Loss of Nicholls. An element which is considered of the highest importance in the result of to-morrow's game is the inability of Nicholls to play for New Zealand. He was not of the team in the first Test, and in the second Test he was quite a factor in New Zealand's win. Aucklanders found no difficulty in deciding on what they saw of the third Test match, played here, that Nicholls was the prime factor in New Zealand's victory in that game. It was clever variation of the attack by Nicholls, in the first place by a well-judged cross-kick which enabled Lucas to score behind the posts, and again when he angled for and kicked a potted goal, .that placed New Zealand in the ascendancy in that match. Can New Zealand win again with a player of his effective trickiness out of the side"?

In places there has been a tendency to regard the New Zealand team as a side of aged players. It may be of interest to note that the British forwards' average, age is 24.25 years, and that of the New Zealand forwards is 24.75 years. Among the hacks the British average is 23 years, and that of New Zealand is ,24 years. Where the visitors do have a distinct advantage is in the weight of the forwards, their average running to 14sfc 81b, as against an average of 13st 101b scaled by the home pack. 1 The Teams. The players who will take the field to-morrow are: — Britain. Full-back.— J. Bassett, age 25, weight Tiiree-quarters.—J. S. Reeve, age 22, weight 13.10; C. D. Aarvold, age 22. 13.0; H. M. Bowcott, aged 23, 12.0; A. L. Novis, age 24, 11.10. Half-backs.—B. S. Spong, age 21, weight 13.0; T. P. Murray, age 22, 12.0. Forwards.—H. O'Neill, age 22, weight 14.0; D. Parker, age 25, 15.2; 11. Rew, age 23, 14.10; W. B. Welsh, age 23, 13.10; B. H. Black, age 22, 14.4; J. L. Farrell, age 2G, 13.11; J. R. Beamish, age 25, 10.4; Ivor Jones, age 27, 13.9.

Wew Zealand. Full-back.—G./ Nepia, age 25, weight 13.3. Three-quarters.—G. F. Hart, age 25; weight 11.7; A. E. Cooke, age 28, 10.12; F. W. Lucas, age 28, 11.7. Five-eighths.—H. T. Lilburne, age 22, weight 11.10; W. A. Strang, age 23, 12.1. Half-back.—M. Corner, age 21, weight, 9.7. Wing-forward—C. G. Porter, age 30, weight 9.7. Forwards.—J. Hore, age 22, weight 13.0; A. Cottrell, age 23, 12.12; E.°R. Steere, age 22„ 14.7; R. G. McWilliams, age 28, 14.0; H. F. McLean, age 22, 14 0W. Batty, age 27, 13.1; W. E. Hazlett, age 24, 15.0.