30 ALL BLACKS PASSED FIT

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27148, 18 September 1953, Page 12

30 ALL BLACKS PASSED FIT

RUGBY FOOTBALL

O’DEA HAS SECOND EXAMINATION DEPARTURE BY AIR ON OCTOBER 15 (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. Sept. 17. Each of the 30 All Blacks has now been passed as medically fit for the trip overseas. Today, R. J. O’Dea, the Thames Valley side-row forward, was examined by a specialist because of a pulled leg muscle. The examination showed no reason why he should not go with the team, and a clean bill of health was also given to J. M. Tanner, of Auckland, who arrived at Wellington this morning. The All Blacks will leave Wellington by flying-boat on the morning of October 15 for Sydney on the first leg of their trip to London, where they are expected at 4 p.m. on October 19.

They will open their tour of the British Isles, France, Canada,' and America withi a match against Southern Counties (Sussex, Dorsetshire, Wiltshire. Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and Hertfordshire) at Brighton on October 31. ’ A French team will be played at Bordeaux on February 24, and New Zealand will play France in Paris on February 27.

The team will return to London and leave England for New York on March 4. One day and a night will be spent in New York before the team leaves for Toronto and Vancouver.- The team is expected in San Francisco on March 15, and will leave there on March 19 for New Zealand, stopping at Honolulu, Canton Island, and Fiji, and arriving at Auckland on Monday. March 22. z

KING COUNTRY BEATS NORTH AUCKLAND (New Zealand Press Association) ' TE KUITI, September 17. Making a remarkable recovery dn the second spell. King Country produced its best form for many years to beat North Auckland by 19 points (four • tries, two converted, and a field goal) to 11 (three tries, one converted) today. The King Country forwards outplayed the North Auckland pack. In the last 10 minutes King Country scored 14 points and North Auckland scored three. For King Country R. Coffin (2), P. Casey, and R. Pevreal scored tries, L. McQuilkin and B. Karam converted tries, and Karam kicked a field goal. F. Graham, L. Dean, and N. Cherrington scored for North Auckland, and J. Isaac converted a try.