Kiwis Name Teams For Opening Tour Games

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31378, 25 May 1967, Page 15

Kiwis Name Teams For Opening Tour Games

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND. The Auckland full-back, R. B. Tait, has been chosen for the first two games the New Zealand Rugby League team will play in Australia at the week-end.

The Kiwis, who will leave for Sydney on Friday, will meet Newcastle on Saturday, and will play Riverina the following day, the first two games of the 17match tour. All of the 26 players will be assured of a run in the first two games, except R. W. Bailey, the centre, and R. I. Orchard, the prop forward.

Although declared fit to tour by an orthopaedic surgeon yesterday, they will not appear until the game against Western New South Wales next Wednesday. This step has been taken by the team selectors (Messrs C. R. Mountford, D. L. Blanchard, and A. Gore) and the team captain, B. E. Castle, to ensure that Bailey and Orchard have completely recovered from their injuries. Bailey has been suffering from a leg injury and Orchard from a shoulder injury. Two balanced sides have been named for the first two games as it is the intention of the selectors to give every player a chance to show his

talents in the important first phase of the tour. This includes five games in nine days, concluding with the match against New South Wales on June 3. For the game against Riverina, one of the forwards will be omitted. It might be O. Danielson or H. Tatana, the Auckland props, who are also chosen for the Newcastle match. The other full-back in the team, J. D. Ellwood (Auckland), will play as a centre in the second game, a position in which he has much experience. The teams selected are:— v. Newcastle.—R. B. Tait; F. R Christian, W. Southern; W. Whyte, P. F. Schultz, G. J. Woollard, G- Brown; B. E. Castle (captain); H. R. Sinel, K. J. Dixon; H. Tatana, O. Danielson, C. O’Neil. Reserves: R. Ballantyne, W. Deacon. v. Riverina. —Tait; Ballantyne, J. D. Ellwood, L. Mills, E. Baker; R, Carey, R. J. Irvine: A. Kriletlch; Deacon, G. Smith; Danielson or Tatana, L. Morgan, W. P. Noonan. Reserve: Schultz. (A captain has to be named for this match.)