TEAM FOR FIRST TOUR GAME... New All Blacks quickly sent into action

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33520, 29 April 1974, Page 24

TEAM FOR FIRST TOUR GAME... New All Blacks quickly sent into action

(Xew Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. Nine of the 15 new All Blacks will make their debut when the touring New Zealand team opens its tour against South Australia at Adelaide on Wednesday.

The newcomers in the hacks will be the wing, J. S. McLachlan, the second five-eighths, J. E. Morgan, the first five-eighths, J. Robertson, and the half-back, B. M. (iemmell.

The new forwards will be the No. 8 and captain, A. R. Leslie, the flanker, K. A. Eveleigh. the lock, J. A. Callesen. and the props. A. Gardiner and I K. J. Tanner. The only players in the team who have played previously for the All Blacks are ■ the full-back, J. F. Karam, the wing, G. B. Batty, the centre, B. J. Robertson, the flanker, I, A. Kirkpatrick, the lock, P. J. Whiting, and the hooker, R. W. Norton. The reserves will be I. N. Stevens. G. Kane, and B. G. William, in the backs, and G. E. Crossman. L. Knight

] and W. K. Bush, in the forwards. ’! The team was chosen yesterday by the tour selectors, ,! Leslie, the coach, Mr J. J. •' Stewart, and the manager, Mr ■I L. A. Byars, just before the 1 party left Wellington airport I for Sydney. Because of the disruptions 2 caused to flights by the ' week-end’s weather, the team ■ did not leave until after 6.30 ? ; p.m. — four hours later than 'scheduled. ’( The later departure meant (the team would have to stay ■ in Sydney overnight, instead of flying on to Adelaide. High winds tj An Air New Zealand ’■spokesman said that Satur!day’s Wellington-to-Sydney I flight had been cancelled beH cause of the high winds here ■ and yesterday’s flight was dei laved because it was not pos- ! sible to get an aircraft into (Wellington earlier. Passengers scheduled to (travel on Saturday on the DCB to Sydney were transferred to yesterday’s flight. 'I The All Blacks were given r ;an official farewell at a New 1 Zealand Rugby Union lunch 1 at their Wellington hotel. The ’ union chairman, Mr J. L. Sul--1 livan, who will be in Australia for five of the 12 matches, r told the players to wear their blazers proudly and remem--5 ber they were representing ■ New Zealand Rugby, tj ’ Centenary games t Mr Byars said that some > people had claimed the tour j of Australia would be an easy r one. "They forget though,” Mr ’ Byars said, “that Australian 1 Rugby is celebrating its cen- . tenary this year, so they

(must know something about the game.” j On Saturday, the All ! Blacks braved atrocious (weather and trained at the I Petone club’s ground. I “It was not as good as 1 j would have liked it,” Mr ’Stewart said, “but you can i blame that on the weather. (The wind and rain stopped (us from doing what we would (have liked.” I The players also put in • half an hour in the Petone’ (gymnasium practising on the iscrum machines. Changes made \ Considering the conditions, jit was an impressive session and the team ran with purpose and snap. However, the handful of spectators shiver(ing on the sidelines were shown few secrets.

; In fact, the 15 which ran (together in the training run (turned out to be much dif(ferent from that named to (play against South Australia, i G. Kane was at centre instead of Robertson, Stevens at half-back for Gemmell, and K. W. Stewart, R. A. Barber, Bush and Crossman (were in the pack for Eve- , leigh, Kirkpatrick, Tanner . and Norton. The mixing of the players '(would seem to suggest that the selectors have not yet ; settled on a shadow test ’ team.