RUGBY Australians Meet Combined Today

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29913, 29 August 1962, Page 19

RUGBY Australians Meet Combined Today

(From Our Own Reporter) WESTPORT, August 28. The Australian Rugby team to play Buller-West Coast at Westport tomorrow, has had two good training runs at Patterson Park since its arrival in Westport. Some members went fishing this afternoon and others played golf at the Kawatiri links. The weather was brilliantly fine after stormy weather, which delayed’ the flight yesterday.

Tonight members of the Buller Rugby Union and wives met the Australians at a cocktail party and tomorrow night there will be a dinner. Three emergencies in the combined team, J. Eathorne, S. Morton and A. King, all of West Coast, are not available but no replacements have yet been named. The combined team trained today. The Australian team is the third to visit Westport. The first, from New South Wales in 1921. beat Buller, 25-0. Australia beat a combined team from the Seddon Shield districts, 15-12 in 1946. and New South Wales country beat Buller by 14-6 in 1960 The game today will be played on unfenced Victoria square and the Buller union has arranged for extensive patrolling of that area. The playing of two curtain-rais-ers. White Star v. Karamea third grade and Star v. Old Boys sixth grade will depend on the state of the ground this morning. The weather may be showery according to the forecast. First Match

The match marks the New Zealand debut of the fullback, J. S. Spence, described in one Sydney publication as “an erratic Rugby genius.’* according to the N.Z.P.A. special correspondent with the team. The stand-in for J. K. Lenehan, Spence is full-back for the Sydney University team and is noted for his ability to enter the line and also for his ball handling. From the Australian point of view the greatest interest will be taken in the success or otherwise of the experiment of playing K. V McMullen, half-back in the

first test, at first five-eighths McMullen will be matched against the South Island and West Coast first five-eighths. T. N. McAra, who is the bestknown of the combined side's backs. The Buller centre. W. Forsyth, has a high reputation locally for his play. The home pack also includes some well-known players, with one of the locks, a former South Island wing, A. Lindbom. The captain of the team is the Buller prop, J. Shaw, a South Island player in 1955, 1957 and again this year. The combined Buller-West Coast team is: R. Dawe (B), B. Allan (B), J. Ryall (WC), B. Brown iWC), W. Forsyth (B), N McAra (WC), M. Geddes (B), J. Halsall (B). O. Nahr (B). A. Lindbom (WC), W. Duncan (B). B. Ross (WC), J. Shaw (B), P. Richardson (WC), W. Boswell (B).