AUSTRALIA HOPEFUL

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 189, 12 August 1938, Page 13

AUSTRALIA HOPEFUL

Plans For The Rugby Test

Feeding the Three-quarters With New Half, Ramalli—New Zealand Inside Back Play Will Be Telling Factor.

United Press Association.—Copyright. (Receiver! 10 a.m.) S\ DXEY, tliie day. C'lfse followers of Australian Rugby ■re hopeful, lather than confident, of (checking the All Blacks' triumphant inarch in the final Test to-morrow. Optimism i« mainly itue to Australia's great effort in the . md spell at Brisbane, when the backs for the firwt time showed glimpses of concerted a«>rreusion i-«ainst tile tourists. The Australian back division will be •tronger owing to Kelaher'a reappearance. There is a doubt about the full-back. Rankin, the only "fly in the ointment."

Nevertheless'the chance of an Australian ■victory depends entirely 6n major possession of the ball, from the set scrummages. The 'home pack at expected to show even better form than at Brisbane. Then . Lang and Wilson were experimental frontrankers, and they flljsd the position admirably. Kelly and Hutchinson are ideally ■latched iff physique as second row locks, V while- Hodgson- is well suited for the last . > *ovi position. t The pack is bound to be'the most solid tbeHonrwts have, jet met. ' ; The New Zealand coach,' A. McDonald, fa fully aware of the.Australian plana and eapabilities, andt be will .complete the All Blnck formation tomeet the situation. One sphere in .'which neither/side has an adrsntite,^"^^ tk>nallywSik;t - source of - - v sjcoring mores •oborttrifc • -i&C'' Thsrs we no tlos ; wspect mt the eSlibrs of Flnlarsoo, White and , the With *n eWmshireserums and rucks Australia is likely to risk everything on three-qiiiirter moves, attempting to get the bdl bat to the speedy Ink

To date WiT Zealand bas been easily ■bio to «oua|RM*' this imainly • becusa ■ . J; .feo«qc iTiTristly »l««ij"Siilf than Australia bas bad for. yee»?;-with the sole exception of JlcShane, who helped to make Biehards 'fame , RamalH bw-vo longer pass than Malcolm, but naturally nothing like Malcolm s ; experience and resource. At •nd centre New Zealand will-be definitely #uperio*;A£&:;ii» speed and ikill. Sax ton, Bsrcban, Sullivan fiave combinM in innumerable downneld thrusts, and the All Blacks' inside back play andgenerabhip will probably be the telling factor in » match which is expected to produce spectacular bursts.