LUCKY TWENTY-NINE

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 141, 17 June 1935, Page 9

LUCKY TWENTY-NINE

SEVEN AUCKLANDERS

TWO COMPLETE PACKS

CHOSEN.

OMISSION OF R. G. BUSH.

(By Telegraph.-r-"Star" Special Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this day

Three notable omissions from the selection of the 1035 All Blacks to tour Great Britain caused considerable surprise when the final 10 players for the team were announced by Mr. S. S. Dean, chairman of the management committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union, at the Grand Hotel about eleven o'clock on Saturday night. Auckland has generous representation, seven Aucklanders finding places in the team. Ten "certainties" were announced after the New Zealand trial last Thursday and witli the 10 chosen on Saturday ni«ht, tlio complete team, with the years in* which they have previously represented New Zealand, is:— ■ FULL-BACK. G. Gilbert (West Coast). THKEE-QUAKTERS. G P. Hart (Canterbury)—lo3o, 1031, 1932, 1034. T, H. C. Caughey (Auckland) —1032, 1934. C J. Oliver (Canterbury)—l92B, 1029, 1934. N. J. Ball (Wellington)—l93l, 1932. n! A. Mitchell (Southland) H.M.Brown (Auckland). FIVE-EIGHTHS. J E. Page (Wellington)—l93l, 1032, 1934. D Solomon (Auckland). J L. Griffiths (Wellington)—lo34. E. W. Tindill (Wellington).. HALF-BACKS. M.M.N. Corner (Auckland)—l93o, 1931, 1932, 1934. B. S. Sadler (Wellington). HOOKERS. W. E. Hadley (Auckland)—l934. J. Hore (Otago)—l92B, 1930, 1932, 1934. D. Dalton (Hawke's Bay). G. T. Adkins (South Canterbury). A. Lambourn (Wellington)—l934. F. Vorrath (Otago). LOCKS. fi. K. King (West Coast)—l934. R. M. McKenzie (Manawatu)—l934. • T. Reid (Hawke's Bay) J. Best (Marlborough). SUPPORTS. J. E. Manchester (Canterbury)—l932, 1934. H. F. McLean (Auckland)—l93o, 1932, 1934, A. Mahoney (Bush)—l929, 1934. G. Wynyard (Waikato). C. S. Pepper (Auckland). W. Collins (Hawke's Bay). Only One Full-back. The most striking feature of the selection is the fact that the team will be in the unhappy position of not carrying a "utility man." It is unlikely that G. Gilbert (West Coast) will, be expected lo play in every match, as G. Nepia did in 1924, and if he is injured, where will the team turn for a full-back? The forwards the tourists will meet in the international matches are not to be trifled with, and a sound and solid fullback will be essential. Two of the five-eighths, D; Solomon (Auckland) and J. <L. Griffiths (Wellington), have both had a little experience in the role of full-back, but it is hardly likely that their experience in this position would fit them to take the last line of defence in an international. This knowledge makes it all the more difficult to understand how the selectors came, to leavo R. G. Bush (Auckland) out of the team. Even in Wellington, where the provincial feeling is strong, many sound judges deplored the fact that Bush had been passed over. They pointed out that ho was far too good an all-round footballer to be left out of a touring \ side. Had Bush failed in Saturday's match, the action of the selectors, Messrs. E. McKenzie (Wairarapa), chairman, V. R. Meredith (Auckland), A. A. Adams (West Coast)- and W. Pearson (Otago), c6uld have been more easily i understood. But Bush did not fail. He started, off with a little uncertainty in Ms handling, but quickly settled down to give one of those sound exhibitions ' of.which he is capable. He out-kicked Nenia throughout the match. .. There was an occasion years ago when a New Zealand team was sent to Australia without a full-back at all, but that year there came to light on the tour one of the greatest of all, W. J. Wallace. Perhaps the selectors are hoping that a full-back will develop on the forthcoming tour. In 1928, when the All Blacks toured South Africa, D. P, Lindsay (Otago) was chosen as a " centre three-ciuarter, but on the tour he played full-back and developed into one of the best the country has produced. It may be that another full-back will be found to play "second string" to Gilbert, but on the face of it the selectors have taken a great risk in choosing Gilbert alone. One does not say that Gilbert should not be in the team. Alt'iough he is slow and sometimes awkward, he shows great promise and ' may develop into a full-back of real flass. One does sav .emphatically that Bush should never have been left out °f the touring side. Probably 80 per "ent of the people who saw the game '1 Wellington on Saturday regarded Hush as a certainty. His omission was the real surprise of the* selection. Lilburne Also Omitted. With the passing over of such a fine all-rounder as Bush, the next surprise came when the five-eighths were announced, and H. T. Lilburne was left out. With Bush passed over it seemed certain that Lilburne would be included «t "utility man," chosen for the fiveeighths line. It was known that the ' selectors had not been impressed with the play of the five-eighths throughout the trial, and although Lilburne played only as an emergency centre on Saturday, and played somewhat indifferently, his capabilities were well known to the selectors. - There were no real surprises among the wing and centre three-quarters. G. F.-Bart (Canterbury) is regarded as the finest wing in the Dominion to-day. and he was announced among the certainties. H. M.-Brown (Otahuhu) played his way into the team on sheer_ merit. Bad concussion received early in the second spell obviously accounted for his Wiusual action in twice stopping when in possession of the ball, but some feared that his two bad mistakes would cost him his place in the team. Tindill A "Find." The anxious search of the selectors for five-eighths of real class has ended with a selection which should meet with

general approval. E. W. Tindill, who appeared in the role of a five-eighth for the first time in the trial lust Thursday—and then only as an emergency in the last few minutes—revealed much natural football ability. He e'ertainly showed that he has the essential -quality of straight running. J. R. l'a.[fe played himself into the team on his fine showing in the Palmerston tri.4jj.when he showed all his old speed and his brilliance in attack. J. L. Griffiths played excellently on Saturday, and the form shown by. D. Solomon in the last two trials in which he played Was, such that he could not be left out. The five-eighths line has both pace and solidity.

The selectors have wisely chosen a half-back of experience in M. M. N. Corner (Grammar), and one of .great promise in B. S. Sadler (Wellington). Even so, they must have g von considerable thought to the pivotal position. F: D. Kilby's generalship and his fine passes from the base of the "scrum were the features of his play on Saturday, but he did not show the brilliant variation of play that Corner showed.

A pack of great balance and ability will undoubtedly be developed from the sixteen forwards selected. There is height, weight and pace, but there are not any real surprises among them. However, there were several first-class forwards who were extremely unluclcy in not finding" a place in the team. Oliver As' Captain? The position of captain will be decided at a meeting of the management committee of the' New Zealand Rugby Union in Wellington next Wednesday evening. There is a good deal of speculation as to who will be appointed, but public opinion seems to favour C. J. Oliver, the Canterbury crack centre, with J. R. Page, the Wellington five-eighth, as vice-captain. >

Twenty-eight matches are to be played on the tour, with the first match against Devon on September 14. The team leaves Wellington on Wednesday, Julv 31. Unlike the 1924 All Blacks, the 1935 tourists will play four matches in Scotland. Eight games will be played in Wales, two in Ireland and the remainder in England, with three at Twickenham.