CAN N.Z. WIN?

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 108, 8 May 1937, Page 11

CAN N.Z. WIN?

SPRINGBOK TESTS.

ALL BLACKS' CHANCES

"WE HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR"

OPTIMISM OF AUCKLANDERS

With almost hysterical enthusiasm, the J!W7 Springboks, who will shortly tour Australia and Now Zealand, have boon hailed as th,? greatest Rugby team ever to leave South Africa, and New Zealand's Rugby public hr \.j become rather awed by the size of the Springboks' forwards and the reputed speed of i heir backs. Since the announcement

of the team, there has been an atmosphere of pessimism and frequent doubts have been expressed as to whether New Zealand can win the rubber.

Three well-known Aucklanders with long and successful Rugby careers behind them, F. W. Lucas, R. O. McWilliams, and R. G. Bush, have no doubt that New Zealand will win the Tests. They point out that last year, after the All Blacks' haphazard exhibition against the Australian* in the first Test in Wellington, and after New Zealand had been defeated the previous year by both Wales and England, New Zealand jumped to the hasty conclusion that there were no footballers of real class in the country. These three men refuse to believe that there is not a fifteen in the Dominion capable of beating the Springboks. Big Men in Front Row. "We have heard so much about these forwards of the Springboks that there lias been an unnecessary feeling of pessimism creeping in." said R. G. McWilliams, a member of the 1928 All Hlack team to South Africa and one of its star forwards. "The Springbok pack will be no bigger than ours. 'But we must put big men in the front row. There must be big men on either side

if Hadley. If big men go down in the front row, then I will have no fears, for I believe that if our backs are given the ball they will be able to do the rest."

It was pointed put by McWilliams. that when the All Blacks were in South Africa the Test pack was fifteen stone. It consisted of J. P. Swain and S. Hadley (both 13.0), in the front row, M. J. Brownlie (14.7), I. H. Harfvey (16.0), I. Finlayson (16.0), in the middle row, R. G. McWilliams (14.2), and W. E. Hazlett (16.0), in the back, with B. T. Stewart (16.0) as a loose head. McWilliams is convinced that a similar pack could be found this year, and he believes that with big men in the front row New Zealand will at least equal the Springboks and have a good chance of beating them in serum* and in the tight.

"Too much notice has been taken of a much-boomed and over-rated team," said R. G. Bush, tha All Black full-back of 1931. "New Zealanders have read articles by the Australian Test players, W. H. Cerrutti, A. Hodgson and J. W. Steggall, who have sweepingly announced that New Zealand, will be badly beaten by the Springboks. How do they know? They have not seen the Springboks yet, and they can hav« no idea of their strength. When you Analyse the Springbok team, it is not as great as they would like us to believe. They have two five-eighths of 19 j-ears of age, and unless they are exceptional (which they do not appear to be), that age is too young for international football." Speed in the Loose. New Zealand's forwards, declared Bush, would at least hold the Springbok pack in the tight and he expected them to be faster and more clever in the loose. He urged, however, that there should be no attempt to play the Kprinftboks at their own game. What New Zealand wanted was attacking fiveeighth-, for in his view it was among the backs that the tests would be won. He had every confidence in New Zealand's backs.

'•There is no justification for the wave I of possimwm that has swept over New Zealand," said Bush. "If the All Blacks me going to sink—which they are not — New Zealand should sink with them. One thing is certain—the New Zealand team will go on to the field, as it always hns done in the past, full of confidence. An] confidence is a big thing. Let Hugby followers help the team by showing that thev have confidence in them. When mi All Black side is hard up nsrainst it the plavers are at their best. V.C have nothing to fear from the Springboks. They are probably a good deal more concerned about the Tests th:ui we arc. Their team has been p: •V.-vd, and thev have no class inside l-nc'-K. I believe that we can find one. '•We have nothing to fear from the Springbok backs, and the New Zealand pack should be able to hold the South Afri'-ans in' the tight and beat them in the hmse," was the comment of F. V.\ T .uas. All Black three-quarter of 102-t-2.1-2(i-28-30. "I can see no reason for the fueling of pessim'sm that has boon about. The Australian team last voai was boomed as the greatest ever to have Australia. What happened to them is historv. Every team is boomed, b-it for some reason that I cannot explain. New Zealand Rugby followers have been inclined to accept exaggerated statements about this Springbok team and m'nimifo t'lfc capabilities of tlif" own p'.aver.s. The mat;*-.-* will be hard, but I cannot see that New Zealand will be beaten."