GREAT FORWARD SIDE

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21806, 11 June 1936, Page 18

GREAT FORWARD SIDE

Canterbury will be represented this year by a forward team equal to any la New Zealand. That is the outstanding impression gained from the preliminary selection for the first provincial match of the season. The give less cause for optimism, but it must be remembered that the find selection has been limited because of injuries to one or two of the province's leading players, and no doubt a reasonably good line will have been sorted out by the time Canterbury undertakes its more serious representative programme toward the end of the season.

Ten backs have been chosen for training, but in each case only one man who regularly plays in the fullback. half-back, and first five-eighth positions has been named. The selector will be quite justified, however, in trying other men in those positions. Clark, the capable Albion half-back, has been chosen in the absence of J. J, McAuliffe. who is expected to be playing again next month. The latter is easily the best half in Canterbury and probably in the South Island, but Clark is a good solid player, quick and alert on attack and very game in defence. Nolan’s selection as full-back was a foregone conclusion, in spite of the excellent displays of I. L. Behrns In representative matches last year n 4 again in club games this season. Bart’s Brilliance Needed Three wings have been named, D. G. Cobdcn, B. Brown, and Chinnery, but of course Hart will play in the later matches. Unless Oliver’s injury improves to such an extent that he feels Justified in playing again later in the year, Canterbury must look to Hart to provide the touch of real brilliance to its back movements. Fortunately his form in club games recently has suggested that he will still be New Zealand’s best winger. Of the other wingers, Cobden has been impressive this season. He is a really determined runner. The only doubt about him is In his defensive ability. High tackling may be sufficiently effective in club games, but it will not stop an opponent of real class. Brown has proved his worth in representative football, and Chinnery was showing fine form when an injury put him out of the f«m<» last year. He has not been well served in club matches this season, but he certainly deserves a chance to show his ability. The Inside Backs Eatborne and Greer are the centres, the most obvious choice, C. H. McPhail, having been out of the game with injuries since the first game of the season. Last year Canterbury was able to call on J. Poison after Oliver left for England, but this brilliant centre has not been able to play this year. Eathorne was full-back on the

northern tour last season, but Greer has not played in representative football. Both are capable centres exceptionally sound in defence, but while Eathorne is probably more brilliant in attack he is also the less reliable. The selection includes two sound second five-eighths, Mortlock and Hooper, but the - arcity of good first five-eighths is reflected in the inclusion of only one man who regularly plays in that position, Henry. Mortlock cannot be passed over, for although he has not proved the brilliant attacking player he promised to be two or three years ago, he is, nevertheless, a wonderfully sound player and an asset to any team. The selector may try Greer or Hooper at first five-eighth, but Henry will be hard to displace. He is a straight and determined runner and a great nan on defence, and he has good combination with Mortlock,

Recently, of course, Canterbury has lost G. A. Parsons, who was a splendid first five-eighth in representative

Preliminary Rugby Selection

games last season, and who captained the province on the northern tour. Heavy Forwards Most of the forwards named are clearly entitled to selection, but one or two others have been unlucky not to catch the selector’s eye. Among these are Schluter, of Old Boys, and Almond, the Christchurch hooker. The selector evidently intends to concentrate on a heavy front row in the scrum, and these players can only have been passed over for that reason. The omission of Howell (Sunnyside) is also surprising, for he is’still playing sterling football and has a good background of experience in big Rugby. Canterbury has a list of “certainties” yhich any province would be glad to possess, and Hattersley, Milliken, Fablecheque, Manchester, and Rankin will form the nucleus of a great forward side. Of these Pablecheque, the burly Sunnyside player, is new to interprovincial football, but he has shown himself in club games to be a fine forward and he cannot be passed over. Burke is the Sunnyside hooker, and besides being a good specialist, he is a heavy and hard-working forward. Sweeney’s form has not been consistent this season, but at his best he is still a fine player. The new men include Mahoney, a fine grafter from the Christchurch pack, Stace,- who toured Japan with the New Zealand University team, Coll, the big Athletic forward who has shown outstanding form recently, McPhail, the vigorous Old Boys player, and Cooper, Linwood’s prolific trygetter. Cooper, it seems, could only be fitted into a scrum in this team as a front-row man, for he fs one of the lightest of those chosen. He is a player of the winging type and Rankin’s position as the loose forward is assured* Altogether there is good reason to believe that Canterbury’s team this year will mould into a sound combination. The backs may yet be strengthened at important points by the return of injured players, but in any case they should give a good account of themselves. They will have the incalculable advantage of playing behind a first-class forward pack, and nothing is more important than this in inspiring confidence in a back line. The forwards will be heavy and fast, hard ruckers, but with plenty of dash and fire in the loose; the backs will be sound if not really brilliant, and their defence should be equal to any test. Great Forward Struggle From the two teams which provided such a splendid exhibition of Rugby on the Lancaster Park oval on Saturday could be selected a forward pack which would do credit to most provincial sides, and it is not surprising that several of these players are included in the preliminary Canterbury selection. Sunnyside held the advantage throughout the greater part of this gruelling forward struggle, but it is not unfair to a fine pack to say that its advantage was purely the advantage of weight. Greater pushing power enabled Sunnyside to win the majority of the scrums, but in all other departments of the forward game Old Boys held the winners on even terms. The lighter Old Boys pack rucked with great determination, showed fine speed and dash in the loose, and defended solidly against the smashing attacks of the Sunnyside vanguard. Sunnyside packed a 3-4-1 scrum and hooked the ball quickly and cleanly as a rule. Old Boys, with a 3-2-3 scrum, required every bit of push they had in order to hold their opponents, and they did not secure a fair share of the ball until the last quarter of the game. A forward (3-4-1) pack including Newton (Sunnyside), Burke (Sunnyside) or Hearn (Old Boys), Schluter • Old Boys); Milliken (Sunnyside), Foley (Old Boys), Howell (Sunnyside), Pablecheque (Sunnyside); and Rankin '(Old Boys) would hold most forward teams in New Zealand. • Christchurch Disappointing In the game between Sydenham and Christchurch there was little to arouse enthusiasm. Christchurch, against a weaker team, made a very disappointing showing, and there were few occasions when the whole of the back ■ line took part in an attacking movement. The chief reason for this was the keenness of the tackling by the : Sydenham players. The two fiveeighths, Brooks and Wallburton, were ; outstanding in this respect, especially ( Brooks, who pounced unerringly upon ! his opposite marker to stifle any attacking movement. The Aucklander, ; J. Inglis, played a useful gams behind ; the Christchurch scrum and his passing was very safe. The Sydenham half, ’ L. Brown, had much more work to do, . mostly on defence, and he succeeded in getting through very creditably all ; that was required of him. t Among the forwards Christchurch had a definite advantage in weight, and this gave the team superiority in i the scrums and line-outs. The Sydenl ham pack showed a marked improve- : ment on earlier games, however.