Wallabies Could Have A Tough Warm-Up Match

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30438, 12 May 1964, Page 19

Wallabies Could Have A Tough Warm-Up Match

. (N.Z. Press Association-Copyright)-SYDNEY, May 11. The Australian Rugby Union Wallabies, who make an eight-match tour of New Zealand in August, will probably have a tough warm-up match in Sydney a few days before they leave on August 1. !

The Australian Rugby Union has not yet announced plans, but the Wallabies are expected to play The Rest of Australia about July 28.

The main reason for the match would be that it pushed ahead the teapi’s' preparations for the arduous tour which includes three tests. Three days before leaving for South Africa last year the Wallabies played and beat England. The team manager, Mr Bill McLaughlin, said it greatly advanced their fitness and morale. Taranaki Suggested A second suggestion for a warm-up match is that New Zealand’s Ranfurly Shield holders, Taranaki, fly to Sydney over a week-end late in July to meet the tourists. Another group of supporters say that the 1963 Wallabies, who drew the series against. South Africa, should meet either The Rest of Australia or New South Wales. They say Sydney fans should be given a chance to see the team before its ranks are depleted. Several Full-backs When the selectors come to choose the touring team, after trials from July 11 to 18, they are lively to have a particularly tough job in deciding on full-backs.

T. Casey, P. Ryan, J. Lenehan, D. Clark and S. Spence all have strong claims. Lenehan was the star of the 1962 New Zealand tour, but had to drop out of the South African tour. Spence was his deputy in New Zealand.

Casey are both fighting to regain top form after injuries. .

Another selection worry is the illness of the star lineout specialist, R. Heming, who recently went down with glandular fever. Heming is Australia's top line-out man and in the tests against South Africa he was clearly the master of Avril Malan’s highly rated Springboks. If Heming does not recover in time —one rather; optimistic forecast says he could be playing again in three weeks —the two men most like to replace him are hefty J. Weber, of Randwick, Sydney, and 6ft 4in J. Lucey of the Brisbane charapion club, Teachers.

Ryan and Casey share the position in the South African tests. Clark made a big impression on a country tour with Queensland last year. Ryan has one big advantage at the moment: he -is the only one without some injury doubt. Clark is to have a cartilege operation this week, Spence had to withdraw from the Australian Universities tour of New Zealand because of a knee injury and Lenehan and