SPRINGBOKS IN HAMILTON

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27989, 8 June 1956, Page 5

SPRINGBOKS IN HAMILTON

RUGBY FOOTBALL

PRACTICE ON SODDEN GROUND HEAVY RAIN FOR MORE THAN 12 HOURS /Neu Zealand Press Association) HAMILTON, June 7. Heavy rain for more than 12 hours —it had eased by the early afternoon —caused a change of plans for the Springbok team today. The team's visit to the Waitpmo Caves was curtailed to allow the players to rush back to Hamilton to practise on a sodden ground, similar to that on which they will play in their opening match of the tour on Saturday. Pools ol water were lying on the ground of the Hamilton East High School, when the practice started late this afternoon. It was cont.nued until it was nearly dark. The forwards

concentrated mainly on foot rushes b and short passing, but showed little f to suggest that they would master the J conditions likely to prevail on Satur- e day. r The backs had a quick run by them- t selves and concentrated on passing r with the wet ball At the start the ball was evidently not slippery enough " for their purpose, so it was greased in I the stickiest part of the field. Their t handling, even after this, was still } good. ■ As the rain tell, the hopes of Wai- 1 kato’s supporters rose, and those of ‘ the Springboks fell in like measure I The Springboks have had to play on only one wet ground so far on the : tour—against the New South Wales ■ Country team at Tamworth. They won J the match 15-8, but New Zealand ob- J servers at Tamworth were not im- . pressed with the way the Springboks handled the conditions. ! In the few line-outs the visitors had - this afternoon, they concentrated not ; on sendin? the ball to the half-back. but on taking it through at the toe* • The way some of them jumped—more of a charge than a jump—in the lineout suggested they could have trouble with a New Zealand referee’s interpretations of the rules. The expected meeting between the assistant-manager of f he team (Mr H. de Villiers), who is one of the union's leading referees, and a representative of the New Zealand Referees' Association to discuss interpretations of the rule has not been held. It is expected a meeting will be arranged for tomorrow. Interest in Visitors “Springbok fever’ is sweeping Hamilton and the Waikato. Wherever the visitors go they are besieged by crowds, either wanting to wish them ’uck or to ask for autographs. So far the Springboks estimate they have each signed at least 100 autographs in the day and a half they have been in Hamilton. Word seems to flash around the city area when the South Africans are to appear from their hotel - however briefly—and there are crowds of persons there in a few minutes. A large crowd also gathered outside the hotel at which the Waikato team assembled, in the hope of seeing some of the players. Tonight their hotel was draped with red, black, and gold bunting—Waikato’s colours, and a huae flags in the same colours flew from thn flagstaff. The vigorous Mooloo Club, which organised yesterday’s welcome to the Springboks has promised its biggest procession on the day of the match. More than 40 floats are regarded as certain entries in the procession which will pass through the main city streets with more likely to enter. More than 130 pipers in a massed band and two brass bands will also be in the parade.