AUSTRALIAN TEAM

Press, Volume C, Issue 29555, 3 July 1961, Page 14

AUSTRALIAN TEAM

Tour Of South Africa (N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) MELBOURNE, July 2. The Australian Rugby Union selectors today named 21 players to leave for South Africa this month on a sixmatch tour. The Australians will arrive in Johannesburg on July 24 and play their first match on July 26. The selectors chose the 21-year-old New South Wales half-back, Ken Catchpole, as captain, but did not name a vice-captain. Catchpole, who is widely regarded as the best scrum half Australia has had, will have to pass a fitness test before leaving for South Africa. He suffered a leg injury in the final test against the touring Fijians yesterday and is to have specialised advice in Sydney. Two of the touring party are from Queensland, the rest are from New South Wales. The team is: Full-back: R. Phelps; three-quarters; M. Cleary. J. Lenehan, E. Magrath, B. Ellwood: five-eighths: J. Dowse, J. Lisle, H. Roberts (Queensland); half-backs; K. Catchpole, O. Edwards (Queensland). Forwards: E. Heinrich, R Heming, P. Johnson. G. D Macdougall, D, Mcdeed, A. Miller, J. O’Gorman, T. Reid. J. Thornett, R. Thoraett, J. White. The team's chief assets look to be the pace and versatility of backs. AU of them, except the two half-backs, can play in most back-line positions. One of the stars of the tour looks certain to be the winger, M. Cleary, an Olympic sprint prospect who is hailed as the best Australian wing-threequarter for many years.