COUNTIES’ TEAM SELECTED

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27277, 18 February 1954, Page 4

COUNTIES’ TEAM SELECTED

RUGBY FOOTBALL

MATCH AGAINST ALL BLACKS TODAY iFrom the Spectat N.Z.P.A. Corresvondent with the team I LONDON, February 17. Six English players have been chosen for the North-western Counties team which will play the All Blacks at Manchester tomorrow. The team will be captained by G. Rimmer, who was a half-back with the 1950 British Isles team in New Zealand. Rimmer will be partnered as half-back by M. Regan, who is regarded as possibly the most brilliant attacking midfield back in the four Home Counties at the moment. One of the centres, J. P. Quinn, is a member of the present England team, and the two wings, V. R. Tindall and R. played against the All Blacks on Boxing Day for the Combinded Services.

The last England cap is a wing forward, R. Higgins, who is at present in the Army and who has played for England in its three matches this year. Ten of the team come from Lancashire, which is the champion county of the Midlands at the moment.

The weather today was fine and calm, though rather hazy, and the prospects for s tomorrow are for fine weather.

The match promises to be a tough one and it seems likely that, as at Bradford, the All Black backs will have to step very lively indeed. The North-western Counties team is as follows: M. Scott (Lancashire). V. R. Tindall (Cheshire), F. Griffiths, J. P. Quinn, R. Bazley. M. Regan, G. Rimmer (Lancashire) captain. T. Barker. , R. Higgins (Lancashire), W. Hosker (Cheshire), J. Sewell, A. R. Valentine (Cumberland). D. G. Massey (Cheshire), F. Evans. B. Chapman (Lancashire).