Bright Rugby Expected From Western Counties

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30316, 17 December 1963, Page 20

Bright Rugby Expected From Western Counties

[From T. P. McLXAN, Sports Editor of the “New Zealand Herald"]

BRISTOL, December 16.

By all accounts the All Blacks should have one of the brightest and most enjoyable matches of their tour when they meet Western Counties at Bristol on Tuesday, notwithstanding the fact that rain in the past week or so has promised a heavy and slippery pitch for the match.

Three or four years ago the Bristol Club successfully led a movement for brighter Rugby in this area.

Attendance* at club fixtures here have steadily climbed at a tune when attendances in the tradition* ally strong Rugby centres of Wales have been dwindling Bristol is the heart of the

Gloucester County team and as there are 11 Gloucester men in the team to meet the All Blacks the prom.se of an exciting game seems almost certain to be fulfilled. The great star of the team is J. D. Currie, who won 25 caps as a lock forward for England, mostly in the company of the celebrated R. W. D. Marques of the 1959 Lions m New Zealand. Currie was reputedly a stranger and more durable line-out forward than

Marques and if he is in good form he could be a problem for the AU Blacks. Three other members of the teem are internationals and significantly all are in the front row of the scrum. J. D. Thome, the hooker, toured New Zealand with M. P. Western’s English team in May. B. A. Dovey and D. St. G. Hazell, his props, have won several caps between them.

J. Major should have no great difficulty in holding his own with Thorne. This should improve the performance of the All Blacks and in particular should give W. J. Nathan, who happily seems to have made a splendid recovery from the broken finger injury he suffered against Cardiff, a chance to prove his Worth for the international vith Wales. It is of the utmost importance that Nathan should be fit for this match, for his speed, both with the ball in hand and as a defensive worker, could play an outstanding part in the development of the test. Clarke Being Rested The selection of Herewini as full-back for the third successive match has caused some astonishment, but the simple explanation is that D. B. Clarke is being rested because of his thigh injury. If Herewini again were to play extremely well the tour committee might be presented with a very difficult problem over the choice of fullback for the test —but at this moment it seems unlikely that the committee would consider the drastic and sensational move of preferring Herewini. THE TEAMS New Zealand: M. A Herewini: I. S. T. Smith, P. F. Little, W. L. Davis; P. T. Walsh, E. W. Kirton: C. R Laidlaw; B. J. Lochore; K. E Barry, R. H. Horsley, A. J. Stewart, W. J. Nathan; J. M. Le Lievre, J. Major, I. J. Clarke. Western Counties: J. Colston: M. R. Collins, C. W. McFadjan, J. Bayliss; J. Lewis, T. Hopson; M. Booth; D. Rollitt; R. Smith, J. D. Currie, D. W. Neate, P. Ford; B. A. Dovey, J. D. Thorne, D. St. G. Hazel! (captain).