NO NEW PLAYERS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 223, 20 September 1944, Page 9

NO NEW PLAYERS

RETURN REP. MATCH

MORRISON AS FIVE-EIGHTH

There is no change in the personnel of either the Auckland or Wellington representative Rugby teams which meet in their return match at Eden Park on Saturday, though the Wellington selector, Mr. A. .McDonald, has reversed the positions in which two of his players. T. C. Morrison and E. Bligh, took the field at Athletic Park a fortnight ago, when Auckland won, 27—0. Morrison has been moved from fullback to second-five-eighth, states a Wellington message, in an effort to keep the Auckland inside backs in check, while Bligh goes to full-back, a position he has occupied several times this season. Bligh, who played at wing-three-quarter in both Auckland-Wellington matches last season, has been a utility man this year. He started on the wing in the first Canter-bury-Wellington game, but was moved in to five-eighth in an attempt to block the gap founci by the Canterbury backs. Morrison i;s, above all, a three-quarter, the position in which he won All Black honours, and when placed second-five-eighth in the second Wellington-Canter-bury game was not considered to have had an opportunity to play his true game. The only reason that he was played at

flve-eight.h was an attempt to bottle up O'Callaghan and Forscutt, of Canterbury. It looks as though Morrison is to miss the chance of a big match on the wing, for he is named -is full-back in the New Zealand Combined Services team to play New Zealand in Wellington on September 30. The Auckland selector, Mr. F. W. Lucas, has not changed his team at all, L. W. Deas retaining his place at centre-three-quarters, ahead of R. .Jones, who was unable to travel to Wellington. Auckland is undefeated this season, having beaten Waikato 35—25 and 27—8, and Northern Combined Services, 24—9, in addition to its convincing victory o%'er Wellington. Wellington's games against] Canterbury resulted in a heavy beating, 29—G, and a win, 11 —1.0. It has twice defeated Manawatu this season, 11—8, at Palmerston North, and 19—15 last Saturday, at Athletic Park. The Auckland team is:— Full-back.—R. Sorenson (Marist). Three-quarters.—J. Dunn (Manukau), L. W. Deas (Training College), R. Fox (Marist). Five-eighths.—L. S. Rac (Marist), D. Barchard (Navy). Half-back.—P. Tetzlaff (Ponsonby). Back Row.—D. Christian (Otahuhu). Second Row.—J. Gunning (Marist), M. McHugh (Marist), W. Edwards (Grafton), W. Smith (Manukau). Front Row.—J. Gilmour (Grammar), captain, A. Johnston (Army), B. Waldegrave (Navy). Reserves. —Backs: R. Jones (University), G. Littlejohn (Manukau). R. McKay (Ponsonby). E. Boggs (Ponsonby). Forwards: P. Fox (University), R. Taylor (Ponsonby), E. Gray (Ponsonby). The Wellington team Is:— Full-back.—E. Bligh. Three-quarters.—C. Tucker, B. Roberts, L. Abbott. Five-eighths.—T. C. Morrison, H. Vaughan. Half-back.—R. Johns. Back Row. —G. Wales. Second Row. —F. J. Green, V. Calcinai, K. Elliott, R. White (captain). Front Row.—T. George, M. Ingpen, P. Stanaway. Reserves. —Back: E. Jamieson. Forward, C. Shannon. Postponed from last Saturday to allow both important club championship matches to bo played on No. 1 ground at Eden Park, the annual match between the secondary school and third grade representatives will be played as a curtain-raiser. The teams for the curtain-raiser are:— Secondary Schools. —Fullback, Hing (Sacred Heart); three-quarters, Myles (Mount Albert), Bowden (Auckland), Sellars (King's College); five-eighths, Cooncy (Sacred Heart), Wickliam (Mount Albert), captain; half-back. Barter (King's College); back row, McGuigan (Auckland); second row, Menzies (Technical), Haslett (King's College), Haden (Mount Albert.). Allen (Auckland): front row, North (King's College). Wells (Technical), Smith (Mount Albert). Emergencies: Backs. Gardner (Sacred Heart). James (Auckland). Sawers (Mount Albert); forwards. Salt (Takapuna Grammar), Clendon (Takapuna), Johanssen (Sacred Heart). Third Grade. —Fullback. S. H. Beasley; threequarters. R. B. McCready, C. Lepper (captain), T. Clapp; five-eighths. J. Barton. J. W. Stanley; half-back, C. M. Rodgers; back row. J. Siknen; second row, W. Peggs, J. A. Johansen, G. McKenzie, B. Penman; front row, H. McLaren, E. Thorne, R. Mathews. Emergencies: J. McKenzie, S. Wong, G. Gumbie, R. S. Snell, R. Finn, E. McPeake. Teams of railway apprentices representing Auckland and Wellington will meet at 12.30. Referee for the main match will be Mr. W. D. Allen. The curtain-raiser will be refereed by Mr. K. A. Preston, and the apprentices' match by Mr. W. F. Quigg.