Trial Teams Contain Few Surprises

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30233, 11 September 1963, Page 13

Trial Teams Contain Few Surprises

HpiiE New Zealand Rugby -*■ selectors (Messrs N. J. MaPhail. J. L. Finlay, and R. G. Bush) have travelled widely and often this year m their search tor talent, and before naming the 72 players to take part in the final All Black trials at Wellington next week they had seen every unices in the country play at least once. However flattering as it mtay to be to Canterbury, Auckland, and Otago to have 33 of the trial players come from their unions, it is somewhat surprising to find that the other 24 unions can provide only 38. Furthermore, the performances of Canterbury and Otago this year have hardly been such as to suggest that they have more than a quarter of the best players in New Zealand. In these days of intense publicity it is unlikely that a Ruglby genius playing in an unfashionable union would be overlooked completely, but it is disappointing, and surprising, that some of the lesser unions Isave not a larger representation in the trials.

Canterbury Rugby can feel well pleased with its representation. Its 10 players place it second only to Auckland, and only two of its nominees, M. F. Whitta and P. H. Clarke, failed to gain places. All the Canterbury players should stand a good chance of being in the final team. D. J. Graham, A. J.

Stewart. J. N. Creighton, J. M. be biewe, D. Young, B. A Watt and R. C. More-ton are All Blacks already, and the other three, W. F. McCormick, W. M. Birtwistle, and D. A. Arnold, are players of considerable ability. Birtwistle’s selection is particularly pleasing. On defence he has some deficiencies, but his ability on attack more than compensates tor that. On a dry day when he can use his startling side-step, Birtwistle could well outshine seme of the more favoured candidates for the wing positions. There are relatively few surprises of selection or omission. The recent poor form of T. R. Heeps and W. A. Davies led to their being dropped from the Wellington and Otago teams, and two other recent All Blacks,

A. H. Clarite and V. M. Yates, also have not found flavour. The great forward strength in New Zealand is reflected in the exclusion of R. S. Abel. N. Thimbleby, M. R. Dunne, and W. D. Gillespie—all very good players who. in other years, would have gone close to All Black selection. Perhaps the major surprise in selection was that of J. D. P. Taitoko as first five-eighths A brilliant attacking player, Taitoko has had rather a chequered career since he first played for Wellington in 1956 and has played with sharply varying degrees of success at full-back, centre, and five-eighths. However, the selectors have not yet disclosed whether they are going to take two specialist full-

backs on the tour or a utility back to complement D. B. Clarke—the inclusion of Taitoko instead of the equally versatile Davies may be an indication that he could be a possibility for that position.