1971 ALL BLACKS WILL BE NAMED TONIGHT The last throw of the Rugby dice to be made today

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32637, 19 June 1971, Page 14

1971 ALL BLACKS WILL BE NAMED TONIGHT The last throw of the Rugby dice to be made today

(By

J. K. BROOKS)

After the tumult and the shouting have subsided at Lancaster Park this afternoon, the attention of Rugby fol-

lowers throughout the country will be riveted on the announcement of the New Zealand team to play the Lions in the first test at Dunedin next Saturday. As dusk falls on the oval, the national selectors (Messrs I. M. H. Vodanovich, R. H. Duff and P. T. Walsh) will make thfeir final contributions to the pool of knowledge which has been growing deeper as their coverage of the country has increased. Some of the reflections in the pool are as distinct now as they were immediately after the final New Zealand trial in Auckland on May 15. W. F. McCormick (Can terbury), B. G. Williams (Auckland), W. D. Cottrell (Canterbury) and S. M,

Going (North Auckland) remain reasonably certain of winning places in the backs, although the latter is under no misapprehensions as to the extent of the challenges by L. J. Davis (Canterbury) and G. L. Colling (Otago). In the forwards, too, I. A. Kirkpatrick (Poverty Bay), A. R. Sutherland (Marlborough) and A. J. Wyllie (Canterbury) are

still among the most favoured. But there are some ripples in the pool. C. E. Meads (King Country) and K. Murdoch (Otago) have both been hurt; H. P. Milner (Wanganui) no longer has fire in his eye; M. G. Duncan (Hawke’s Bay) is bemoaning the broken jaw which has ruled him out of consideration; and J. P. Dougan (Wellington), after his splendid final trial, has been over-

shadowed in inter-provincial games by O. D. Bruce (Canterbury, J. C. Irving (Taranaki) and R. E. Burgess (Manawatu). The defection of Duncan will revive the hopes of his fellow Hawke’s Bay threequarter, W. L. Davis, who has experience on his side, and of P. C. Gard (North Otago), a centre of great reliability. Milner’s unaccountable loss of form has coincided with a marked improvement in application by B. A. Hunter (Otago), and he did not do his prospects any harm at Dunedin last Saturday. And the selectors will not have forgotten K. R. Carrington (Auckland) and T. W. Mitchell (Nelson-Bays), who confirmed the promise they showed in the final trial by their creditable displays for the Maoris against the Lions.

Dougan remains the front runner among the first five-eighths, but Bur-

gess’s performances in recent weeks have attracted attention; Bruce, in common with the other Canterbury players, has the last throw of the dice today. According to northern reports. Meads is back in action, which probably means his return to the All Blacks —as captain —is assured. But the reappearance of A. E. Smith (Taranaki), previously given up as lost, * could cause a reshuffle among the forwards. The selectors might well take the opportunity to place Sutherland at No. 8, undoubtedly his best position, but this could lead to Wyllie squeezing out T. N. Lister (South Canterbury) as a flanker. This gives the selectors a further problem, for both Wyllie and Lister are valuable players at test level.

There will be no fears about the standard of hooking, whether R. W. Norton (Canterbury) or R. A. Urlich (Auckland) wins the position, but there must be genuine concern about the props. Murdoch has to throw off the effects of a leg injury and B. L. Muller (Taranaki), at last sight, needed to shed a stone or two.

Their more mobile rivals, A. McLellan (Canterbury) and R. A. Guy (North Auckland), cannot be discounted, but the opportunity seems ripe for a compelling performance by A. E. Hopkin son (Canterbury). For the first test, at least, the selectors might tum to experienced men for positions in which the scales are balanced.