Nineteen Players Merit Nomination

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30760, 26 May 1965, Page 15

Nineteen Players Merit Nomination

rpHERE are two schools of A thought when it comes to making nominations for All Black trials. The first says that the provincial selectors should nominate only those players who they think will be selected finally; the other says nominate freely and let the

All Black selectors make the decision. The Canterbury selectors (Messrs R. H. Duff and M. J. Dixon) may follow the second course when they make their nominations for the South Island All Black trials at Timaru on June 15.

Not because Messrs Duff and Dixon would consider

that Canterbury has such a plethora of talent but because this year as well as picking trial teams, the All Black selectors also have to

select a Junior All Black team and they will be anxious to find out the feeling of provincial selectors on young players, who, although, not perhaps up to final All Black trial stan-

dard could be considered for the Junior All Blacks simply because of their age

—the Junior All Blacks have to be under 23 by April 1.

On the basis of form and experience W. M. Birtwistle, W. F. McCormick, B. A. Watt, D. A. Arnold, R. C. Moreton and D. C. Leary are backs who will be nominated.

Other backs that could be considered would be the two 20-year-old first fiveeighths, B. R.Prestidge and T. Mehrtens, and L. J. Davis and A. G. Steel.

In the forwards, D. J. Graham, R. M. Wainohu, J. N. Creighton and J. M. Le Lievre are the logical nominations.

M. R. Dunne, a tried and tested forward, should be nominated as a lock and A. J. Hopkinson, the big country forward also must be considered.

Younger players who could receive consideration are the vigorous North Can-

terbury flanker, A. Wyllie; D. Quested, Christchurch, and M. J. Millar, the Old Boys lock.

These players would, at this stage, be mainly nominated with the Junior All Blacks in mind.