Several Surprises In Rugby Team Selection

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29219, 1 June 1960, Page 19

Several Surprises In Rugby Team Selection

YITITH several exceptions—two ’’ of them notable —the composition of the two Canterbury representative Rugby teams selected to play games during Queen’s Birthday week-end, was as expected. The team of 19 players to tra”el to the West Coast to play Buller on Saturday and West Coast on the Monday, is quite a strong one notwithstanding the absence of several of the province’s foremost players with the New Zealand team in South Africa and the New Zealand Universities’ team in Australia. The B team, however, does not impress as a particularly strong one and there are several positions in the backs in which weaknesses could be revealed.

Albion’s approach to the game this season is shown when it takes a penalty kick.

On Saturday, with Merivale kicking the ball out from penalties, Albion cqncentrated pn the up-and-under. In general these were well placed, and the first fiveeighth G. G. Barr was usually the first Albion player

to the ball. When the other Albion players follow up as fast as does Barr, their team will make more capital from these penalties. ★ The Christchurch Boys’ High School first fifteen gave its best performance this season when it beat University A in an under-20 match on Saturday. In the second spell the school team scored a singularly fine try. From a ruck about the University 25, the school first five-eighths brought off a very swift, neat scissors pass with his second five-eighths, whose acceleration shot him through. Then three of four forwards carried on, with swift finger-tip passing, and it was a forward who scored the try. ★ The Linwood back-line was disrupted by the attentions paid the

inside backs from line-outs of the Technical-Shirley No. 8, G. Altandishliev, last Saturday. Aliandishliev played his way up through the grades to the combined team’s under 20 side last year and after one game in the senior second divi-

sion team this year was selected for the senior team. A fast loose forward, with an improving knowledge of the No. 8 play, Altandishliev should attain higher honours.

The most notable inclusion in the touring side is that of the former All Black and Canterbury Ranfurly Shield five-eighths, J. Hotop, who is now stationed at Darfield. He returned to Canterbury at the beginning of this season, a little more portly than the Hotop of 1955, but he showed quite conclusively in the game between the Cantabrians and Canterbury at the start of the season, that the added weight, while affecting his fitness, had certainly not impaired his elusiveness. Today Hotop, who is 31, carries little surplus weight and reports suggest that his inclusion in the team has been fully justified. Right Wing On the list supplied to the 1 newspapers, J. Patrick (Merivale), is shown in the right wing position, a rather strange choice when C. Devine (Christchurch) has been playing so well in this position. Devine is given the right wing position in the B team.

The two most surprising omissions from either team are G. McConchie (Linwood) and K. G. Orsbourn (Christchurch). McConchie in recent games has had little to do, but he played constructively each time he did receive the ball. Orsbourn is a particularly fine loose forward and an unlucky one in that he has had very strong opposition for a loose forward position in recent years. His exclusion from both teams is very difficult to understand.

In the B team, L. Geange (Marist) and D. Taylor (Tech-nical-Shirley) appear rather fortunate to win places in view of their most recent displays, and the young Albion pair, G. G. Barr and J. R. Adams, first and second five-eighths, are just as unfortunate. In a team not noted for its strength, these two have played enterprising and consistently good football this season.