Rugby Horrocks-Taylor Named In Lions Test Team

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28984, 27 August 1959, Page 20

Rugby Horrocks-Taylor Named In Lions Test Team

With only two exceptions, the British Isles team for the third test match to be played at Christchurch on Saturday, is the same as that for the first test at Dunedin,

The major surprise in the team announced by the manager of the side (Mr A. W. Wilson) is the inclusion of the English international, J. P. HorrocksTaylor, who joined the touring team at Hamilton last Friday as a replacement for the injured standoff half. A. B. W. Risman, and who played his first match for the Lions against Wairarapa-Bush at Masterton on Tuesday.

The only other member of the third test side who did not play in either of the first two tests, is the Welsh loose forward, H. J. Morgan. The side is, however, vastly different from that which played in the second test at Wellington. On that occasion the team was hardhit by injuries and the best pos sible side could not be fielded For this third test none of the players in line for selection, with the notable exception of Risman, was suffering injuries and eight of the second test players have been omitted.

The team is:— Full-back: K. J. F. Scotland. Wings: A. J. F. O’Reilly, P. B. Jackson. Three-quarters: D. Hewitt (left), M. J. Price. Stand-off half: J. P. HorrocksTaylor. Scrum half: R. E. G. Jeeps. Back row: J. Fault. Flankers: H. J. Morgan, G. K. Smith. Locks: W. R. Evans, R. H. Williams. Front row: H. F. McLeod, A. R. Dawson (captain), B. M. G. Wood.

The form of Horrocks-Taylor against the combined side at Masterton on Tuesday clearly satisfied the British Isles selectors who have evidently considered his ability outweighs the disadvantages of lack of match fitness. Until Tuesday he had not played since April, but in view of his forthcoming tour of Japan by the combined Oxford-Cambridge Universities team, he had stayed in training after the season in England closed and was not entirely unprepared. On Tuesday he stood up well to the hammering he received in the first half of the game and later in the second half was reported to have combined fluently with Jeeps. It says much for Morgan’s form

in recent matches that he has been selected for a position which has several strong claimants. Although very loosely inclined, he is an extremely fast and intelligent flanker and one who richly deserves his position. After his kicking successes in the last two matches—in which he scored 24 points—Faull’s return to the test side was not unexpected. The team arrived in Christchurch by air from Wellington shortly after noon yesterday. In the afternoon the test back-line had a light training run at St. Bede's College. The test team will have a full-scale training run tomorrow morning but Mr Wilson has asked that this be held in private. Twenty of the players had a game of golf at the Templeton Country Club’s course.

Five North Island members of the New Zealand team arrived in Christchurch on Tuesday evening and after the remainder of the team assembled at the hotel yesterday afternoon, the team trained at Christchurch Boys’ High School.