SELECTORS NAME N.Z. TRIAL XVs

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31060, 16 May 1966, Page 3

SELECTORS NAME N.Z. TRIAL XVs

As if to confound Canterbury’s new back selector, Mr G. T. Nolan, the South Island Rugby selectors have chosen T. L. Mehrtens to play at second five-eighths and B. A. Watt in his usual position at first five-eighths in the South Island All Black trial, to be held at Timaru on May 25.

On Saturday, Mr Nolan picked Watt to play outside Mehrtens in the Canterbury trial this week. Watt, who has won eight test caps as a first five-eighths, represented South Island in the outside position last season. He made such a good impression that he was retained as the outside partner for E. W. Kirton in the final All Black trial. Mehrtens was the first fiveeighths in the New Zealand Junior side which played the Springboks last year. Both men play at first five-eighths for their club sides. 13 From Canterbury The South Island selectors have chosen mainly well-tried players for the game at Timaru; many of them were on view in last season’s trial at Timaru. Canterbury, with eight backs and five forwards, has the largest contingent. A. Hopkinson, the Canterbury prop, has been chosen in his old position of lock to help balance a scrum containing the Otago giant, G. T. Pohlen. The South Island did not supply one forward in last year’s All Black pack and few of the forwards who are to assemble at Timaru have much chance of participating in the final trial. E. J. Hazlett, the Southland prop and captain, is one with good credentials, and the Marlborough No. 8, A. Sutherland, came to the fore in provincial matches last year. Backs Prominent Half the backs in the trial have played for New Zealand, and most of them have good chances of doing so again. D. A. Arnold (Canterbury) will be marked by a punishing tackler, R. Welsh (Southland), and Watt will cross swords with his old adversary. E. W. Kirton. Mehrtens, who will play

outside the well-established combination of Kirton and C. R. Laidlaw; will be opposed by another Canterbury player, W. D. Cottrell. B. M. Teen, the former Canterbury B wing now in Timaru, has been named as a reserve. Also among the reserves is R. C. H. Dench (South Canterbury), who played for South Island last season. The South Island and North : Island trial teams, released I by the All Black selectors in | Wellington yesterday, are:— S.l. TRIAL i Possibles.— W. F. McCormick (Canterbury); I. S. T. Smith I (North Otago), R. Welsh (SouthHand) A. G. Steel (Canterbury); IW. D. Cottrell (Canterbury), B A. Watt (Canterbury); L. J. Davis (Canterbury); M. J. Hanham (Mid-Canterbury): R Vercoe (South Canterbury). R Sutherland (Marlborough). H Morrison (Otago). N. G CorneMus (Canterbury); E. J Hazlett (Southland), G. G. Spencer (Southland). E. N. Fitzsimmons (Nelson). Probables.— B. J. Cullen (Southland): B. Stack (Buller), D. A. Arnold (Canterbury), W M. Birtwistle (Canterbury); T. L. Mehrtens (Canterbury), E. W Kirton (Otago); C. R. La-idla' (Otago): A. Sutherland (Marl borough); A. J. Wyffiie (Canter bury); A. Hopkinson (Canter bury), G. PoMen (Otago), D. W Clark (Otago); J. C. Lindsay (Southland), J. N. Creightot (Canterbury), J. S. Baird (Can terbury). Reserves.—Backs: B. J. Mo' loy (Mid-Canterbury), A. Farre! (Mid-Canterbury), B. Teer (South Canterbury). Forwards: S. R. Hardiman (Southland), R Dench (South Canterbury). I Penrose (Canterbury). N.I. TRIALS Possibles.—M. C. Cormack (Auckland); R. J. Patterson (Auckland). A. Johnson (Waikato), J. Aratema (Bay of Plenty); T. W. Tataurangi (Auckland), R. W. Kemp (Wairarapa): B. A. Coulter (Wellington); K. A. Nelson (Auckland); W. R. Coles (Taranaki), M. Hull (North Auckland), M. Maniapoto (Bay of Plenty), G. C. Williams (Wellington); M. Jones (Auckland), R. -Walker (Bay of Plenty), G. W. Love (Hawke’s Bay). Probables.— B. O’Dowda (Taranaki): A. J. Osborne (Wellington), H P. Milner (Wanganui), K P. Hurley (Taranaki); T. N. Wolfe (Taranaki), S. I. Ingham (King Country); B. Cressy (King Country); K. Macmillan (Counties), L. Haddon (North Auckland), I. Eliason (Taranaki), K. Crawford (Hawke’s Bay), L. A. Scherp (Taranaki): B. T Thomas (Auckland), K. N. Grant (Wellington), K. Murdoch (Auckland). Possibles.—M. Williment (Wellington): M. J. Dick (Auckland). R. E. Rang! (Auckland), P. J. A. Myers (Wellington); G. F. Kember (Wellington), P. H. Murdoch (Auckland); J. Cameron (Taranaki): B. J. Lochore (Wairarapa), W. J. Nathan (Auckland). S. T. Meads (King Country), R. E. Meadows (Wairarapa), M. C. Wills (Taranaki): P. E. Scott (Bay of Plenty), B. E. McLeod (Counties), K. E. Barry (Thames Valley). Probables.— G. Going (Northland); D. Panther (Northland). I. R. Macrae (Hawke's Bay), W. L. Davis (Hawke’s Bay); J. L. Collins (Poverty Bay), M. A. Herewini (Auckland); S. Going (Northland); T. N. Lister (Wellington); R. J. Conway (Bay of Plenty), C. E. Meads (King Country), A. E. Smith (Taranaki), K. R. Tremain (Hawke’s Bay); K. F. Gray (Wellington), J. Major (Taranaki), J. M. Finn (Wellington). Reserves for both games:— Backs: G. Humphreys (Bush), J. Mcllroy (King Country), J. D. P Taitoko (Manawatu), M. Heimann (Bay of Plenty). Forwards: G. Stone (Hawke’s Bay), P. Delaney (Wellington), N. Porima (Waikato), A. Meach (Hawke’s Bay).