TEN CHOSEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 139, 14 June 1935, Page 9

TEN CHOSEN.

ALL BLACK TEAM. TWO AUCKLANDERS. SELECTORS' HARD TASK. TWELVE BACKS STILL NEEDED. (By Telegraph.—Special to " Star.") WELLINGTON, this day. Ton "certainties"—provided they pass n, medical examination—were last night announced by the selectors —Mesei's. E. McKenzie, chairman (Wairarapa), V. R. Meredith (Auckland), A. A. Adams (West Coast) and W. Pearson (Otago) —of the All Black team for the tour of Great Britain. Their deliberations started immediately after the trial match yesterday, and the names of the lucky ten were not announced by Mr. S. S. Dean, chairman of the management committee of the Xew Zealand Rugby Union, until 8.30 p.m. The ton players chosen are:— * G. F. Hart (Canterbury). C. J. Oliver (Canterbury). W. E. Haaiey (Auckland). J. Hore (Otago). R. King (West Coaet). Tory Reid (Hawke's Bay). J. E. Manchester (Canterbury). H. F. McLean (Auckland). J. Best (Marlbor<sugh). R. M. McKenzie (Manawatu). Congratulations to the selected players on 'behalf of the New Zealand Union were offered by Mr. Dean. Full-backs Unimpressive. The selection of backs is obviously the main concern of the selectors, and only two of the ten choeen are backs. It was not surprising that a full-back was not announced, for the displays of Gilbert and Collins in the trial match yesterday were by no means inspiring, and of the two who are to oppoee each other tomorrow—Nepia and Bush—it seems likely that one, or perhaps,, both, are certain to be chosen. There was nothing in the play of the wing three-quarters—Holder, Morrieon, Mitchell and Ball—to stamp them as players of All Black class, but they suffered throughout the match from a complete failure, once again, of the fiveeighths, witli the exception of D. Solomon (Auckland). Caughey's Form. One had expected that T. H. C. Caughey' (Auckland) would, be among the list of "certaintieV , for he played splendidly in the first spell yesterday, and reve&led his real ability on attack. In the second N. Mitchell (Southland) was moved to centre-three-quarter, and only once in the spell did he beat Caughey. The Aucklander saw little of j the ball in the eecond spell, and was consequently not eo conspicuous as he had been in the first.

It was certainly ruo surprise that no live-eighths were announced, • for, with the exception of Solomon, they were an unimaginative lot who passed the ball without attempting to do anything with it. It was left , to E. W. Tindill, the Wellington half-back, who took the place of W. Langdon (Wellington) in the Possibles team towards the end of the game, to straighten up the attack and prove himself a player who is prepared to make some sort of effort to find a way through. His field goal, which won the match for the Possibles, was a brilliant effort. Half-backs Lose Chances. The half-backs did little to improve their chances of selection. Sadler (Wellington), of whom so much had been heard, was handicapped by the fact that his ecrum was not winning possession of the ball. He carried out several moves which branded him ae a player of elase, especially when he flashed round the side of the ruck and threaded his way through brilliantly for a try. On the other hand, Simon (Otago) had a rare opportunity to show his wares. Hadley gave wonderful hooking service, but Simon fumbled the ball badly on occasions, and he showed an inclination to run from the scrum indiscriminately. The play of the forwards was equally as disappointing as that of the backs. As soon as the teams settled down there was no doubt that the Possibles .pack was much the better in the tight, and the Probables slightly the better in the loose, butkthere was no eting in either pack, v and i>oth tired. Outstanding Forwards.

One alone ftood out in the Probables' pack— J. Beet, the big Marlborough forward, who was always at the head of the forward excursions. The next best were Hattersley (Canterbury) and Clarke (Taraiiaki). The scrum work of Possibles' pack was far superior to that of the Probables. Hadley won an overwhelming percentage of the scrums. Outstanding throughout the' match was R. King (West Coast) whose fine all-round display made him certain of selection. Next in order of merit for all-round ability was H- Deavoll (Canterbury). The front row of the Possibles—J. Hore (Otago), W. E. Hadley (Auckland), and G. T, Adkins—was infinitely superior to the opposing trio. Hadley'a hooking was superb; He sent the ball out so fast on one occasion that Simon completely misled it. Spectators bisappointed. Upwards of 12.000 spectators watched the match, but all must have gone away from the ground with feelings of keen disappointment. One could not help thinking of the backs we used to have, of the genius of Nicholls and the wizardry of Cooke. Playere of their brilliance were not seen yesterday, nor have they been seen in any of the trials played to date. The five-eighths ran across the field for the greater part of the game, with D. Solomon a refreshing exception. Devine (Wairnrapa),. Langdon (Wellington) and Le Quesne did not at any stage show the form that would put chem in the All Black class. •Wings "Starved." In the failure of the five-eighths lay the failure of the whole back attack. 'I he wings were seldom given an opportunity to score. T. Morrison (South t'untcrbury) ehowed that he had a sidestep that was puzzling, and on one occasion he side-stopped through half the Possibles , team. Opposite him was X. Mitchell (Southland), in the first spell, and \V. H. Carlson (Waikato) in the second. T. H. C. Caughey was streets ahead of Carlson in the first spell, when he Wiiii given a reasonable share of the ball, but in the second Mitchell silence'! him 3 effectively, although the Ancklamler did not get many real opportunities on attack. Mitchell played right on top of him.

Tindill as Five-eighth ? The selectors have now. left themselves the unenviable task of finding 12 backs to make up the complement. It is likely there will be several surprise selections, and it would not be a surprise to see E. W. Tindill chosen as one of the first five-eighths. Only one minor surprise came with the announcement of the 10 certainties —the name of R. M. McKenzie (Manawatu), who revealed himself in Tuesday's trial at Palmerston North as more of a loose forward than anything else. G. P. Hart (Canterbury) has deservedly won the reputation of the finest wing three-quarter in Xew Zealand, and C. J. Oliver, the Canterbury centre, although he will not appear in to-morrow's trial, has won a place because Jie is probably the cleverest back in the country. W. E. Hadley (Auckland) and J. Hore (Otago) were from the outset certain of positions in the All Black front row, as were R. King (West Coast) and Tory Reid (Hawke's Bay). The big Maoi'fc is reputed to bf> the finest forward in xW Zealand to-day, J. E. Manchester (Canterbury), who broke a bone in his hand, was always a hot 'favourite with the selectors, but H. F. McLean (Auckland) was under suspicion as a forward who did not give all his weight to the pack. However, his brilliant work in the loose v won him his place. After his fine display yesterday J. Best (Marlborough) was assured of a place.