Colts Should Open Tour With Win In Hobart

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30454, 30 May 1964, Page 10

Colts Should Open Tour With Win In Hobart

[N.Z.P.A. Staff Correspondent]

HOBART, March 29.

Australia’s most controversial Rugby coach, Mr Bryan Palmer, is a man with set ideas —he is determined that the Combined Southern States XV will put up a good showing in the New Zealand Colts first match at Hobart tomorrow.

A man with the “knack” of turning weak teams into winners, Mr Palmer has been putting the Combined side through strenuous work-outs since its selection on Wednesday night. Mr Palmer is well-known as the coach who schemed the New South Wales’ victory over the 1962 All Blacks —its only defeat on that tour. He admits he has had a hard task in welding together a solid Combined side, but he believes they will do well against the Colts. Three Wallabies The combined side has three Wallaby players, D. Shepherd, D. Kay and J. Douglas. Shepherd, the No. 8, could be the big danger to the Colts team. He is reported to be in first-class form following a successful trip to South Africa last year. Kay, the outside centre, has been having leg muscle trouble, however, and may withdraw from tomorrow’s game. The team’s main problem is lack of a line-out specialist. At this morning’s practice the former Dunedin player, T. Brown, was continually fed the ball. The forwards are a solid pack but will be heavily outweighed by the Colts. Their main advantage could be the experienced

hooker, A. Young, who will be faced with the young Horowhenua player, T. M. McCashing. In the backs the first fiveeighths, D. Montgomery, moved well receiving long passes from the half-back, D. Campbell. J. Donaldson was a long-striding wing, but the full-back, D. Cosson, appeared a trifle slow.

Near Full Strength The Colts team is nearly up to full strength. The back line contains six All Blacks, the only “outsider” being the Poverty Bay full-back, H. H. Henare.

This short but solidly built Maori player will be the side’s number one kicker. At recent practices he has been putting over place kicks from the half-way line. Likely to receive plenty of possession the backs, directed by C. R. Laidlaw, will ha’ve every chance to show their ability. The average weight of the forwards is 14st 11 Jib, the heaviest being the front row prop, G. W. Love. The average height is 6ft 11 in. The peak is reached by H. J. Maniapoto at 6ft 3in. Teams:

Colts.—H. H. Henare, I. S. T. Smith, I. R. Macrae, W. L. Davis, C. C. Moreton, T. N. Wolfe, C. R. Laidlaw (captain), K. H. McMillan, J. M. Finn, K. Male, H. J. Maniapoto, I. Pat terson, R. Webb, T. M. MeCashin and G. W. Love.

Combined.—D. Cosson, R. Wilson, D. Kay, J. Douglas, J. Donaldson, D. Montgomery, D. Campbell, D. Shepherd, D. Suckling, T. Brown, D. Hannell, R. Sherman, G, Mickle, A. Young and A. Soutar.