PLEASED AT FITNESS IN BARBARIANS GAME

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30712, 30 March 1965, Page 15

PLEASED AT FITNESS IN BARBARIANS GAME

“I was surprised and pleased,” said Mr N. J. McPhail, chairman of the All Black selection panel, commenting on the fitness and the standard of play shown by players in the match between the Barbarians and the Harlequins at Hamilton on Saturday.

The match was the first major game seen by Mr McPhail this season and the teams included many players who will be leading contenders for places in the All Black teams to play South Africa this year. Last month Mr McPhail said on behalf of the panel that the selectors required players to be fully fit for the All Blacks trial in June and that the selectors were concerned at the apparent lack of

preparation by many players. “For an early season match the game was excellent,” said Mr McPhail. “Particularly encouraging was the standard of fitness shown by the players. Even at the end of a freerunning match the forwards were still up with the play. “Another encouraging point was that the players made full use of the new rules. In a friendly game it is expected that players can play open Rugby, but in this case there was an obvious grasp of the possibilities under the new rules and as a result the three-quarters were used to the utmost.”

Mr McPhail said he was quite satisfied after watching the game that New Zealand Rugby contained a large number of talented players. “There were 12 All Blacks in the match but they by no means overshadowed the lesser known players." One technical point that interested Mr McPhail was the use of the controlled tapping back in the line-outs. “This is a good method of gaining possession frowned upon in New Zealand Rugby but under the new rules it seems admirably suited to giving the backs greater opportunities,” he said.