Have Chosen A Minus Side

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30855, 14 September 1965, Page 19

Have Chosen A Minus Side

(By

I. J. D. HALL,

Rugby Reporter of "The Press."/

The Springboks have chosen their A minus team to play the solid Counties, Thames Valley-Bay of Plenty combined team in their last provincial match in New Zealand at Rotorua today.

Because of the closeness of the fourth test the Springboks would have chosen a complete B side but injuries in the backs have forced the selection of Gainsford and Engelbrecht, two players certain to be in the test side.

The forwards, however, are very much the second pack except for Hopwood and Walton and even Walton must still face a serious challenge from Malan for the test team. However, it is still quite a formidable Springbok pack for Botha and Goosen are not far removed from Du Preez and Naude as international locks and the Hopwood, Janson and Schoeman are a powerful trio of loose forwards. The combined team will field a strong pack which includes three All Blacks. Conway, McLeod and Barry, and two big Maori locks, H. J. and M. Maniapoto, both of

whom have played for New Zealand Maoris.

W. N. Gray, a key man in the 1956 series against the Springboks, will be the corner stone of the combined teams back-line but apart from him there is plenty of talent. Heimnan, the halfback was an All Black trialist this year; Potae is a strong running centre and Worrall, the full-back, has a high reputation in the North Island. It can be expected that the combined team will play a bustling type of Rugby—a style which the Springboks do not like very much. But the speed and strength of the South African backs and forwards should be the telling factor in what should be a close game. The teams are:

South Africa: C. G. Mulder; J. T. Truter, J. L. Gainsford. E. Olivier, .1. P. Engelbrecht; K Oxlee; C. M. Smith (captain): D. J. Hopwood: A. Janson P. H. Botha, C. P. Goosen. J. M. Schoeman; W. H. Parker, D C. Walton, J. F. Marais. Combined: P. Worrall; S. Dickey, W. Potae, J. Mita: W. N. Gray. M. Stone: M. Heinmann: K. McMillan; H. J. Maniapoto, M. Maniapoto, K. Barry, R. J. Conway (captain); I. Rasmussen. B. E. McLeod, P. Scott.

Referee, Mr A. Taylor (Can terbury).