SELECTORS’ SURPRISES 2 test forwards out of All Blacks

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33279, 17 July 1973, Page 26

SELECTORS’ SURPRISES 2 test forwards out of All Blacks

(By

J. K. BROOKS)

The advent of Mr J. J. Stewart as convener of the national Rugby selection panel was marked yesterday by a greater number of surprises than usual in an All Black team.

The New Zealand side to play four matches in August is notable for the omission of two regular test match forwards, A. R. Sutherland and H. 11. Macdonald, and the inclusion of four players who failed to win places in the North Island team only four weeks ago.

G. J. Whiting, J. P. Dougan. R. H. Lendrum, and B. Holmes fell by the wayside after the All Black trials last month, hut they have found favour with Mr Stewart and his fellow selectors,! Messrs R. H. Duff and J.; Gleeson.

Mr Gleeson might '’ave been forced to give ground on these selections because he was the convener of the North Island panel which left them out of the Whangarei fixture.

Whiting, a test prop overseas. was well below form in the trials, but it is possible that he has restored his reputation in subsequent interprovincial games. Dougan, of course, should never have been left out of the North Island team.

However, it is incredible that Holmes has been preferred to Sutherland. Holmes is solid and efficient, but is just not in the Marlborough No. B’s class. The omission of Macdonald in favour of S. C. Strahan was another surprise, because Strahan had announced that he was not available. On his form last season Strahan is unquestionably the best lock in the country, but he appears to be picking and choosing the

periods of his availability for the All Blacks. Lendrum has been tried and found wanting at fullback for several seasons, but has now won a place in his provincial position of second five-eighths. North Auckland’s recent! big win against Auckland! probably helped the cause of Holmes and his fellow northern forwards, M. G. Jones and P. H. Sloane. The gingerheaded Jones, a national junior representative eight years ago, wins an All Black jersey at the age of 30. He outplayed Whiting in the trials, but he was lucky that the well-performed Wanganui prop. A. L. R. McNicol, missed those games because of a neck injury.

Newcomers Sloane, a hooker, and Jones are two of four new All Blacks. The others are

Lendrum, and T. G. Morrison, the spectacular Otago left wing. The side’s appeal will be dimmed by the nonavailability of S. M. Going, B. G. Williams, and R. E. Burgess. Two other star backs, G. B. Batty and B. J. Robertson, are under a cloud because of injuries, and the side will lose a lot of its attractiveness if one ori both of these gifted three-! quarters cannot play. D. A. Hales, L. A. Clarke,!

A. M. Haden. A. I. Scown, I. iM. Eliason, M. Sayers and G. R. Skudder are other All Blacks of the 1972-73 British tour who have been passed by. and L. J. Davis. 12 times a test reserve, and the able K. R. Carrington have also been left out.

Hale- misses The selectors have chosen four mid-field backs but only one first five-eighths, which is bad luck for the southern claimants. D. J. Robertson and O. D. Bruce, Hales would i have made an admirable midIfield utility player; he might i yet be called upon if B. J. Robertson’s legs fail to stand the strain.

Canterbury has only three players in the team, which is good news for the provincial selectors (Dr J. D. Stewart and Mr P. D. Clark). They will now be able to proceed with their task of teambuilding on the southern tour in the second week of August.

Batty, who injured a leg playing for Marist-St Pat’s in Wellington on Saturday, and Robertson, who only resumed club Rugby on Sunday after being out with a hamstring injury, will be subject to fitness tests before the tour begins, the Press Association reported. The All Blacks will play the New Zealand under 23 team in Dunedin on August 1, a President’s XV in Wellington on August 4, the New Zealand Maoris in Rotorua on August 8, and an invita■tion XV in Auckland on | August 11.

Captains I Kirkpatrick was last night appointed captain and Dougan vice-captain, of the New Zealand team. B. Gemmell (Auckland) and P. Ryan (Wai-rarapa-Bush) will be captain and vice-captain of the New Zealand under 23 team.

Batty should be fit for the tour in spite of his injury, the Press Association reported. He was carried from the field late in the Marist-St Pat’s match against Athletic with an injury to his left knee.

"It is pretty sore, but I can move it all right if I don’t twist it round at a funny angle,” he said yesterday. "I don’t think it’s serious enough to have it X-rayed. It should be all right in two weeks.”

Juniors G. Senior, a forward, and B. Cederwall, full-back, both of Wellington, have been omitted from the under 23 team.

With the omission of Senior, the Otago utility forward, G. Seear, goes to lock from the No. 8 position he occupied in recent games, and Ryan regains his place on a flank. R. Myers has been moved from the side to the back of the scrum. The New Zealand under 21 captain, J. O’Connor, of Waikato. has regained the prop position he lost to M. Fatialofa in the Counties and Waikato games. Fatialofa will be in the reserves in Dunedin.