Manager's Suggestions For Future Tours By All Blacks

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 15118, 29 October 1949, Page 3

Manager's Suggestions For Future Tours By All Blacks

(P.A.) Wellington, Oct. 28. In future All Black tours the customary break of a week before, tests should be eliminated where possib’e. This was one of the recommendations by the manager of this year’s team, Mr J. H. Parker, in a report submitted to today’s meeting of the council of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union.

Mr Parker suggested that a week’s rest before a test was necessary only when substantial travelling was involved. Otherwise it was to the advantage of the touring side to have a match on, say the Tuesday preceding a test. This helped to keep all members of the team in playing trim—a matter which otherwise became exceedingly difficult. Other recommendations were:—

That a New Zealand team going to South Africa should be chcsen the year of the tour, following preliminary trials the previous season.

That the team should have some play in New Zealand before leaving.

That the team should be flown to Perth, if not to South Africa. That it should reach South Africa not less than one week and not more than a fortnight before its first match.

That the tom- should open in June and not involve more than 20 matches, including three tests — there should be no need to play any South African union more than once.

That the amount of travelling should be reduced by avoiding doubling-back over the same ground, and that the visit to Rhodesia should be made by air. The report was considered in committee, but on the motion of the chairman, Mr A. St. C. Belcher, it was decided that it should be made available for publication. The meeting is proceeding.