RUGBY N.Z. Selectors Make Some Experiments

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29246, 2 July 1960, Page 7

RUGBY N.Z. Selectors Make Some Experiments

(From

GRAEME JENKINS,

An improvement in panning and handling is the main aim of the All Blacks in thetatenth match in Africa, at Salisbury on Saturday. At their main training run for this match, against Rhodesia, mneh greater empbads was laid on passing and Tiandlifu* than has been the case previously.

Originally it was thought that the Rhodesian XV, which the AU Blacks beat 13-9 cm Wednesday, would virtually be a national side, but the home selectors have made seven changes in their team for tomorrow. The New Zealand selectors have brought in 10 new men.

Mishandling has been one of the curses of the tour with dozens of scoring chances being tossed away by a pass or passes being muffed at just the vital time. From now on much more care is to be taken.

In an effort to give as many players as many games as possible between now and the second test, in three weeks, the selectors have dropped what appeared to be their policy of playing the strongest possible side on every occasion and tave made several experiments.

W. A, Davies, selected primarily as a full-back, will play this match at first five-eighths, a position to which he is no stranger and one in which he can use his speed off the mark to good effect. J. R. Watt wiU play at centre instead of on the wing. Watt has played most of his recent Rugby in New Zealand at centre but this is the first time he has done so in an AU Black side. A forward move which could be significant is the switch of positions for P. F. H. Jones and C. E. Meads. Meads moves from lock to the flank with Jones moving into lock with R. H. Horsley for the second time in Africa. When the team was selected it was thought that Jones would play more matches at lock than on the side of the scrum, but this has not proved the case. Meads has played more matches for the AU Blacks over the last four years on the flank than at lock and in recent matches has shown a liveliness which has suggested that he could be of even more use on the side than at lock, although he "has a decided weakness for being caught off-side.

NXJ’OL Staff Correspondent]

The teams are: New Zealand.—D. B. Clarke; D. H. Cameron, J. R. Watt, T. P. O’Sullivan; T. R. Lineen, W. A. Davies; K. C. Briscoe; D. J. Graham (captain); W. D. Gillespie, P. F. H. Jones, R. H. Horsley, C. E. Meads; I. J. Clarke, R. J. Boon and M. W. Irwin. Rhodesia—.D. Deysel; K. van Zyl, F. van Niekerk, G. Brooklyn, M. le Roux; H. E. Rowley; G. Wright; G. Campbell; D. van Jaarsveldt, G. Roebert, P. de Klerk, A. Armstrong; E. Holton, R. Hill and A. MacDonald.