RUGBY TOURISTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 166, 16 July 1931, Page 5

RUGBY TOURISTS.

SOUTH LANDERS ARRIVE.

"TEAM OF POSSIBILITIES."

GAME AGAINST AUCKLAND,

Confident of their ability to provide public with a bright exhibition of the code, the Southland Rugby Union representative footballers arrived at Auckland by the Limited express this morning. They will play Auckland at Eden Park on- Saturday.

~T^ le team is one that has great possibilities, for it is the youngest side that has ever left Southland," said Mr. A. Geddes, the manager. Mr. Geddes is himself an old Southland representative forward, and for four years, from 1026 until 1930, lie was a member of the New Zealand selection committee. The average age of the team is only 22 years. The average ■weight of the scrum men is 13st. G. Porter, the full-back, weighs 14st. All tho backs have speed, particularly .the threequarters. J. H. Geddes, one of the wingers, is a son of the manager, while C. Johnston is a brother of Lance Johnston, of All Black fame. D. Grant, formerly of Canterbury, is regarded as a fine typo of player, who may give the Auckland inside backs some trouble. Eight of the side represented their province last season, A notable absentee from .the side is W. E. Hazlett, who did not turn out thia season. So far this season Southland have played three games. First time out they defeated Otago by 11 points to 3. In .their match against Taranaki they were beaten 22—15, after a game which the Taranaki people regarded as almost as good as the British match there last year. Yesterday the tourists met Wanganui, whom ,they defeated by 21 points to 8. The Teams. The Southland team, which practised at tho Training College grounds this afternoon and will have their final run at Eden Park to-morrow, has not yet been chosen, but .the side will be picked from the following players:— Full-back: G. Porter. Three-quarters: J. H. Geddes, A. MacKay (captain), F. Townsend, U. Crosbie, R. Pickering. Five-eighths: D. Grant, L. Niven. Half-back: C. Johnson, Wing-forward: D. Agnew. Forwards: R. Donnelly, C. George, J. Mallington (front row), W. Southern (lock), G. Purdue, J. Murphy, T. Metcalfe, E. Fowle, L. Nay lor. <J. Malcolm, M. Usher and O'Shea, the other members of the party, are not available owing to injuries. The tourists, who are staying at the Royal Hotel, will play Wellington next Wednesday and will finish their ,tour with a game against Canterbury on Saturday week. The Auckland team has been selected by Mr. G. Nicholson as follows:— ( Full-back: Davies (Training College). Three-quarters: Caughey (University), Stuarfc (Manukau), Milliken (University). Five-eighths: Jamieson (Ponsonby). Smith (Marist). Half: Corner (Grammar). Rover: Solomon (Ponsonby). Forwards: Palmer (Ponsonby), Hadley (Marist), Batty (Grammar), Knight (Grammar), Anderson (University), Satherley (Ponsonby), Finlayson (Grafton). Emergencies.—Backs: Stewart (Marist). Forward: Newdick (Ponsonby)..

The team is the same as that which, was defeated by Hawke's Bay last Saturday >by 19 points to 8.