BRITISH TEAM IN SOUTH AFRICA

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27710, 14 July 1955, Page 5

BRITISH TEAM IN SOUTH AFRICA

RUGBY FOOTBALL

D. CRAVEN’S PRAISE (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, July 12. D. Craven, co-manager of the Soutn African Rugby Union team which visited the British Isles and France in 1951-52, and author of several books on the game, said in Durban that “the provincial side that succeeds in beating the British Isles touring Rugby team can pat itself on the back. “This side, under R. H. Thmopson, is the strongest team to visit the country in my time. Those people who believe that the British team cannot scrum Will find they arc badly mistaken. "The tourists can hold their own both in the scrums and in the line-outs. They have no weaknesses, either at forward or behind the scrum, which makes them a formidable proposition. Above -nil, they are a joy to watch.” Craven, who has seen the team in three games, was not prepared to predict the results of the international matches. English and Afrikaans newspapw’S in Cape Town highly praise the win against western Province on Saturday. “Die Burger’s” sports editor writes of “relentless, unceasing forward play of the sort to which Western Province. last season’s Rugby champions, had no reply-” The "Cape Times" says: It was not that Province played poorly in themselves, but they were paralysed by the pace and power of the British assaults.”

UNIVERSITY MATCH NORTH AND SOUTH ISLANDS DRAW (New Zealand Press Association) j DUNEDIN. July 13. , Though seldom mastering the extremely heavy conditions, the North Island and South Island universities had an interesting tussle in the annual Rugby match, played at the University Oval today, the game ending in a 3-all draw. Transferred to the University Oval from Carisbrook. the game developed into a duel in the mud. but at no stage did it degenerate into a scramble. This was a credit to the two evenly-matched packs, which had to subordinate their natural - ame of joining in with their backs in ast handling rushes to one in which better footwork was always liable to win the day. The backs, too. had their work cut out to make ground by orthodox passing movements, but, the 1000 spectators saw some very' good moves. The best of these was in the closing stages, when Noith Island, three points down, sent the ball right across the backline and managed to keep it off the ground long enough for H. L. M. Smith to come round from second five-eighths to score by the corner. South Island's three points came from a penalty goal awarded just before halftime. The full-back. J. B. Morris, kicked the goal. N.Z. UNIVERSITYOTAGO MATCH TEAMS ANNOUNCED (New Zealand Press Association) DUNEDIN, July’ 13. The following New Zealand University team has been chosen by the selectors (Messrs R. G. Bush and J. J. McAuliffe) to play Otago at Carisbrook on Saturday : J. T Morris (Otago); E. S. Diack (Otago). A. S. Clark (Victoria), R. A. Jarden (Victoria); H. L. M. Smith (Auckland). captain; S. G. Bremner (Canterbury); G. T. Chandler (Auckland); R. W. Moffat (Lincoln); W. H. Clark (Victoria), D. E. Caughey (Otago), vice-captain. K, W. McCredie (Otago), J. B. Buston (Lincoln); M. Irwin (Otago). D. S. Webb (Auckland), R. J. Carroll (Massey). Emergencies: forwards, B. A. Nepia (Victoria), W. R. Wordley (Lincoln); backs. N. J. Brown (Auckland). N. Uliviti (Auckland). The Otago team is:—■

W. C. Wilson; L. J. Foote. P. J. Plannery, R. Lamb: A. G. Hislop. W. R. Archer; B. S. Irwin; W. F. Stringer; W. Hawke. F. S. McAtamney. W. D. Gillespie, A. McMeekan; L. J. Kovaleski, I. M. Stevens (captain), J. F. Anderson. Emergencies: forwards, J. N. Keegan, R. Sharpes. K. McCarthy; backs, J. R. Watt. M. McLeod, A. Beck. K. L. Skinner has notified the selectors that he will not be a\ ailable for the Otago team this season. RUGBY_LEAGUE ALTERATION TO DRAW | Senior Reserve, “B” Section.—Dal lington v. Sydenham, Bradford Park, 1.15 p.m. (referee, Mr K. S. Cox); Papanui v. Addington. Papanui Domain No. 1, 1.15 (Mi V. Warr). —Advt.