40,000 Crowd Expected To Watch First Test

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29910, 25 August 1962, Page 5

40,000 Crowd Expected To Watch First Test

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, August 24.

Apart from the second test between France and New Zealand last year, when several thousand more places were available, the 20,000 seats sold for tomorrow’s Rugby test between Australia and the All Blacks constitutes a record pre-match sale for Wellington.

Provided the weather takes the promised turn for the better, officials are hoping that the crowd will not be much smaller than their original estimate of from 40,000 to 45,000.

Further light rain was forecast for tomorrow morning and fair periods in the afternoon. There will be a southerly wind, but this is not expected to be anywhere nearly as strong as 1-e one which reduced the French match to little better than a farce.

The playing surface will be soft and could cut uip badly, although the ground has staged a good recovery in the last 24 hours

It will be the thirteenth post-war match between the Wallabies and All Blacks in New Zealand; another nine tests have been played in Australia. The All Blacks have won seven to Australia's five in New Zealand, and have won all nine matches in Australia. It will also be the twentysecond test for the New Zealand front row prop, I- J Clarke Already holder of the record number of matches for New Zealand. Clarke needs only one more test after tomorrow to equal the number of test matches played by Poverty Bay's R A White. The match will be the

n-in.eteein.tih consecutive test for the New Zealand captain, W. J Whineray—'his seventeenth as captain—and the twentieth test for the AH Blacks’ full-back. D. B Clarke. In the Australian side, the captain, J. E. Thornett. has had more test experience than lan Clarke. He has already played in 22 tests. Luck of the Toss Tomorrow's match will be won by the team, which adapts itself most quickly to the conditions. The luck of the toss could also have a great deal to do witih the result, and the question which will be exercising the minds

of both captains will be whether to play with or face the southerly in the first half.

When Whineray had to make this decision against France, he gave first use of the wind, to the tourists. Although the wind is not likely to be as fierce as for that match, the decision could still be a fateful one for both sides. The teams:— New Zealand.—D. 18. Clarke, T R. Heeps. P. F. Little, P. J. Morrissey. R. C. Moreton. T. N. Wolfe, D. M. Connor. D. J. Graham. K. R. Tremain, I. N. Mac Ewan, C. E. Meads, W. J Nathan. W. J. Whineray (captain), D. Young, I. J. Clarke.

Australia.—J K. Lenehan, J S. Douglas, J. S. Boyce. B. J Ellwood. K. P. Walsham. P. F. Hawthorne. K. V. McMullen. R J. Heming. E. L. J. Heinrich. J. E. Thornett' (captain), R. N Thornett. G. A. Chapman, J. P White. P. G Johnson, J- E Freedman.