STRONGER TEAM THIS YEAR

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22429, 16 June 1938, Page 12

STRONGER TEAM THIS YEAR

FEW SURPRISES WEAKNESSES ELIMINATED FAST BACKS AND POWERFUL | FORWARDS [By CROSS-KICK] ’ New Zealand’s latest All Blacks will tie a ('stronger- combination than that opposed the South Africans last year. ‘ From the 25 men chosen to tour Australia a powerful test side can be selected; weaknesses which the allcpnquering Springboks revealed in New Zealand’s teams Jast season should, to a- large extent, be eliminated this year. : There are one or two surprises in the selection, but while critics will find occasion to quarrel with the selector over points of detail they' may be expected to approve the t6am as a whole. Mr McKenzie’s task was not as difficult as might be expected, for three selectors from each island had already combed out the pick of the Rugby players of the north and the south. The inter-island match showed that the southern selectors, at least, had done their work well;. the final selection shows that Mr McKenzie, who was also chairman of the North Island selection committee, was not entirely satisfied with the choice of the northern team. Omission of Crossman

The big sur'ptise of the selection is the omission of C. A. Crossman, the King Country five-eighths, who was an emergency for New Zealand in all three test matches last year, and whose relegation to that position was considered, by many noted authorities on the gpme, to have been a blunder of the selectors. Crossman has played consistently well in the North Island and he may be considered unfortunate to have b ( ecn ‘dropped because of his failure in the. inter-island match on Saturday. In this game he had very lew chances on attack, but admittedly his defence—not formerly regarded as weak—fell below international standard. -That should rightly be regarded ,as a cardinal Rugby sin, but there are men in the chosen team who are no more impressive on defence than Crossman.

A gratifying feature of the selecfon is that hard-rucking forwards nave at last gained the recognition that has been denied them in recent ypars. There are forwards of the loose, winging type in the team —perhaps too many of them —but they are fewer than in most New Zealand tour,ing teams of recent seasons. That the sole selector might go beyond the scope of the inter-island teams for his material was recognised as a strong possibility, especially in view of the failure of some of the North Island players in key positions. Opinions will differ as to the wisdom of recalling Lambourn, who hooked for New Zealand against South Africa in all three test matches. The hooking in the inter-island game was not particularly impressive, however. Some Unlucky Players

Tindill was the logical choice for the second half-back position after the failure ox L. T. Russell tWaikato) in the inter-island game. Canterbury Rugby enthusiasts will be glad to see Hooper’s name in the chosen • team. Although he has not shown his best form this year he is a player of undoubted genius and the fast grounds of Australia should suit his attacking game, Griffiths’s inclusion is less easy to applaud. He is a good defensive player, but little more, and his play in the All Black trial matches last year was not such as to suggest that he is still a player of international The 10 men who earn New Zealand caps for the first time are Morrison, Wesney, Berghan, Saxton, Quaid, George, Bowman, Milliken, Carson, and Williams. Milliken was an All Black emergency in all three tests last year and Morrison was chosen to train with the provisional side, but had to decline on account of injury.

The three members of last Saturday’s South Island .team who have not been chosen. R. L. Roberts (Wlist Coast), M. McDonald (Marlborough), and G. D. Mason (Duller), can all be regarded as unlucky, especially in view of the splendid play of the South Island team as a whole and its convincing superiority over the North Island. Roberts is not a brilliant five-eighths, but he is solid and reliable, and he impressed as a man likely to improve with play in good company. Roberts might well have been preferred to Griffiths on the score of youth alone — he is only 21. McDonald and Mason are husky hard-working forwards of the type the South Island has produced in plenty in recent years, but which has seldom received its just recognition. They might well prove more useful players on a tour, where solid grafting is required from a forward pack than loose men of the type of Wynyard, Carson and Dalton. Wynyard, in particular, is lucky to be included. He was the youngest and tallest member of the 1935 All Blacks in Great Britain. Since then he has filled out and developed as a player and has earned a high reputation in the north. On Saturday he justified that reputation only by his work in the line-outs. Sullivan as Five-Eighths It is interesting to find that Sullivan is included as a second five-eighths and Mitchell as a centre threequarters. The former has made his reputation as a centre while Mitchell, although, he has played more in the centre "position than on the wing in recent seasons, prefers, the latter position and is a natural scoring threequarters rather than a maker of openings for others.

This would suggest that the selector had in mind a test back line consisting of Saxton, Berghan, Sullivan, Mitphell, with Phillips and Morrison or Dick on the -'wings and Taylor at full-back. Sullivan should have no difficulty in adapting himself to the second five-eighths position, and the whole should be as fast and thrustful a line as New Zealand has fielded for many years. There are good reserves' in the back line, and it is not difficult to imagine either Hooper or Vesney producing form that would demand serious ’ consideration in the selection of test teams. Wesney will be the reserve full-back. Doable Internationals

The team will be notable for containing two men who have represented New Zealand at both Rugby football and cricket. Tindill had already gained that honour, for he toured Great Britain with the All Blacks in 1935 and with the New Zealand cricket team in 1937. Carson was a member of that cricket team, too, and' he now wins his international Rugby cap for the first time. He is a fast and energetin forward in the loose; if he can Jl'am to give of his best in the tight he should make a first-class forward.

King, McKenzie, Jackson, and Parkh:U are tried international forwards and will form a nucleus round which strong packs, can be built. Dalton is also an experienced man, but he will need to devote more attention to honest scrummaging and less to winging to be sure of retaining, his place in the tost team. Bowman is a fine type of forward, with plenty of fire in the loose, and Milliken and Williams are improving men who can be expected to play a prominent part on the tour. Quaid and George are the veterans of the side. The former was not nominated by his union for the inter-island match, but was called on by the selectors when it was found that no hooker was available. He played' a brilliant game and fully earned selection. George is a tireless front-row forward whose consistent, play is receiving a belated jevok~ ’