Springboks Will Be Strong Side

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30447, 22 May 1964, Page 15

Springboks Will Be Strong Side

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 21. The South African Rugby team to tour New Zealand next year is not likely to have any Bekkers, Claassens or Retiefs. This was stated today by the chairman of the New Zealand Union (Mr T. C. Morrison), who has just returned from South Africa.

Mr Morrison, who saw each of the three jubilee matches, had been asked to name the outstanding South African forwards he had seen.

He paused before saying: “Their forwards were characterised by their evenness.” Earlier, he had had no difficulty in reeling off the names of the outstanding South African backs—N. Smith, K. Oxlee, and J. L. Gainsford.

Smith, he said, was a wonderful passing half-back; the fly-half Oxlee was masterly in all departments and had an

excellent understanding with Smith; the centre Gainsford was big and very impressive. Depend on Forwards

It had been possible to guage the likely strength of next years’ Springboks, said Mr Morrison, because in two of the matches the South African backs and forwards had played as units, although in opposition to each other. He would hesitate to say that the backs would be better than those in the 1956 side. Whether they would have the opportunity to show their great qualities would depend upon the forwards. Could we expect to hold the South African forwards? he was asked.

“I’ll say this in favour of the South African forwards: playing against the likes of Whineray, Meads and Tremain, and other great players from other countries, they contained them, and they also had to try to combat the brilliance of the South African backs.”