THE FINAL BATTLE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 304, 17 September 1921, Page 8

THE FINAL BATTLE

SPRINGBOKS V. ALL BLACKS THE TEAMS SELECTED TWO STRONG COMBINATIONS PROSPECTS DISCUSSED i This afternoon football t history will be made in New Zealand. The reputation of the Dominion a» a Rugby stronghold sways in the balance, and a win by the South Africans will mean that henceforth . New Zealand will have to play second fiddle in the Rugby world. The All Blacks ! have in their day fought several - hard battles, but never before have they been up against such a consistently tough proposition as they have met in th® Springboks. Honours at present rest even between the two countries, each having won one Test match, and to-day’s contest is for the rubber. It was in 1904-05 that the All Blacks wrested the world honours from the Englishmen, and since then they have survived all challenges, including that of Harding’s formidable AngloWelsh team, and during the quiescent war period the New Zealand Army team gained further laurels for the Dominion. To-day, however, an invading force 13 clamouring at our gates, nnd the question is will our stronghold hold? A glance at the visitors' record during their New Zealand tour shows that they have won 15 matches, drawn 1, and lost 2, scoring in all 244 points against 81— truly a groat record. Certainly each country has one Test match to its credit, but many of those who saw the first Test at Dunedin aver that the balance of play was decidedly in favour of the Springboks. Speaking generally, however, both teams and. the football public are withholding judgment as to the question of supremacy until after to-day’s game—admittedly the first real test of strength between the two countries. Bad tactics and improper training might reasonably be held tc account for New Zealand’s poor showing in the .first two Teets. The Rugby Union and the selectors have now had ample time to set matters aright/ in these connections, to the end that the All Blacks are to-day conceded to ba a properly and thoroughly trained team, ’■ truly representative of tile footballers of the Dominion. The [Springboks are also satisfied with the condition and form of their pide, so that whatever the outcome of to-day’s struggle neither side will have grounds for complaining that they were beaten by circumstances, and not by merit. HARD FORWARD GAME. Since it is generally anticipated that the game will be more noted for its keenness and hard-fighting than for its brilliance, it is only reasonable to suppose that many of the big issues will he fought out among the forwards. This being the case, New Zealand’s chances are somewhat better than was the case in the .first two Tests. With Bellis —a forward of great aggressiveness and dash —as wing-forward, in place of Donald, who played in the two preceding Tests, and a younger nnd better-trained pack carrying the New Zealand colours, the Springboks are bound. to be more extended thar. has previously been the case. The weather may have important bearing on the match. Yesterday morning broke dull, and a drizzling rain set in after lunch. As the day wore on fairly heavy rain fell, but late at night the weather cleared- somewhat. The meteorological report for to-day, is, however, unfavourable. The rain is considered to have materially improved the All Blacks' chances of victory, but if the skies clear this morning a moderate wind will suffice to thoroughly dry the ground. THE 'TEAMS SELECTED. Yesterday afternoon the All Blacks underwent' a medical examination to test their fitness for play to-day, and in the evening the selectors announced the selection of the same team as "picked” by The Dominion. It is as follows: — NEW ZEALAND. FULL-BACK: ..Kingston. THREE-QUARTERS: Siddells. M. Nicholls. Steel. FIVE-EIGHTHS > 1 Ifwerson. Fea. HALF: Roberts. WING-FORWARD. Bellis. BACK ROW: Fletcher. West. MIDDLE ROW: • M'Lean. Moffitt. Richardson. FRONT ROW: Fogarty. Duncan. SOUTH AFRICA. Departing from their usual procedure, the Springboks picked their team the day before the inatch,. and announced last nigljt that their selection is—as forecasted in yesterday’s Dominion —as follows: — FULL-BACK : , G. P. Morkel, THREE-QUARTERS: Van Heerden. Strauss. Meyer. Zellor. HALVES: Michau. De Kock. FORWARDS -. “Boy” Morkel. Walker. Ellis. Van Rooyen. Mostert. Du Plessis. Royle Morkel. Mellish. Up to the last moment there was a possibility of B? Algnr being played in centre-three-quarter in preference to M. Nicholls, but his ankle, was not strong enough to justify his inclusion NidiM's, on tho other hand, is In excellent fettle, and'is considerably more fit than when he played before. Fletcher. Fra, Uwerson and Siddells have not played in either of the two previous Tests. Fletcher is one of the bed forwards in Auckland, and when in action against tho Springboks in the visitors' match with the combined northern team, he was the outstanding forward on his side, while he also plaved well for New Zealand against New South Wales. Ho is a hard giaf'er. goes from start to finish, and is a fine, heady player. Tfwerson comes with a big reputation. This season he rotnrnod to. the Auckland Grammar School Old Boys, after a spell with the League., and he proved of great service to his club, which finished up joint-winners with Gratton of tho Auckland championship. As a League footballer ho was one of the finest backs under the code in . ew Zealand'. Fea is expected to prove another valuable acquisition to the All Blocks, and but for the fact that ho had a long spell on the bank on account of his being injured curlier in the season, he would doubtless have been played in the earlier Tests. He went to Australia with the. New Zealand University team, and Australian critics regarded .him as the best back nf his side. Playing against Southland recently he was tho life and soul of the Otago team, which 1 inflicted defeat on their opponents. . He

is good on the side-step, quick to grasp an opportunity, and is very fast. Siddells is the dark horse of the team. A Wellington representative, he into prominence as a member of the University team. Unorthodox 111 his play, he has a style peculiarly his own Mostly ho has played as a full-back, in whith ixisition he achieved a reputation on account of his ability to convert defence into attack by means of strong, forcing runs, connecting up with the backs. It is yet to be seen if he will stand the pace as well as Ford does. However he is a player of great possibilities, ’and ho may prove to amply justify his inclusion. ' As regards the South African team, three backs-Van Heerden, Strauss, Do Kock—and, one forward—du Plessis—did not participate in the second lest. Kruger the visitors’ star forward, is missing on ’account of injuries, while Clarkson, who is regarded as their strongest centre, has had to stand down on the same account. On tho other band, De Kock, a power among their backs, has recovered from his injuries, a\id by playing him half the Springlxiks have been able to release Meyer for tho three-quarter line, where he was badly needed.

CONDITION OF THE GROUND The Athletic Park was examined yesterday afternoon and again last evening bv officials of the Rugby Union, who reported that the ground was in excellent order They stated that the rain had bad practically no effect, and the ground would be very hard even if much more rain fell. REFEREES FOR TO-DAY’S GAMES The following referees have been appointed to control to-day’s games:Dannevirke v. Selwyn, 9 a.m., Mr. H. B Welliiigton v. Wairarapa (schools), 10.15 am. Mr. R. E. J. Martin. ’ Auckland v. Wellington University, H-30 a.m., Mr. 11. Leith. King Country v. Wellington B, 1 p.m., Mr. G. F. Bradley ■ New Zealand v Soutn Africa, Mr. A. B. Nielson- '. _ r . Tho Wellington team to meet King Country will assemble at the Park at midday.. Any decision which may tie necessary relative to abandoning any of the curtamr:.,ieers will bo made this morning. SPRINGBOKS AND MAORIS MR BENNETT’S EXPLANATION ACCEPTED. By Teleeranh— Press Association. Rotorua, September 16. The Arawas have telegraphed Mr. Bennett (manager of the Springboks team), accepting his explanations and denials, and reciprocating his feelings of regret at the sending of the cablegram after the Maori match. They state that the sentiments expressed by Messrs. Bennett and Pienaar at Rotorua again dominate the situation. [lt was reported in Thursday’s issue of The Dominion that an offensive cable-' gram had been dispatched to South Africa regarding the match between the Springboks and' the Maoris nt Napier. At the same time it was stated that Mr. Bennett and his team repudiated all connection, with the message, and regretted very much that it should have been sent,' ’as the Maoris had been particularly hospitable.] RUGBY FOOTBALL (To the Editor.) Si r I bef to take, exception to a remark reporteil by the local Press to have been made by. Mr. Slade, in which he says: “If we lose it will bo God help us!’ but if Wb win the cry’ will be 'Come home, all is forgiven! The suggestion made by Mr. Slade is that the New Zealand. public are no sports, and if New Zealand fails to win the Test on Saturday the whole blame will fall on the Rugby Union officials and their selectors, and that the South Africans will he denied any credit that is due to them for their win. A greater slur on the football public of Neu’ Zealand would bo hard io imagine* and it is hard to say what the ■Springboks thought when they saw this statement in cold prrnt. As regards his Assertion tluit ii pJew Zealand win "All will be forgiven,” all T can say is that nothing will be forgotten until the Rugby officials give a satisfactory explanation to the following queries:— . (1) What happened to tho gate receipts in the Welliugton-Springboks match? (■’) Who are making the profits out of the official programmes—the Rugby Union or the contractors? and. Who are contractors? , , (3) By what method did they select the winners of the medals for the two best players in the first two Tests? (4) Why was the player selected as the best back on the ground in the first Test left out of the. second Test? (5) Why was Roberts left out of the first Test? These are onlv a few of the numerous questions which the public are asking themselves and when they are answered in a straight forward and satisfactory manner, the clique who mismanage the Rugby game in this country will perhaps be entitled to ask forgiveness—l am ’ 6tc ” PUZZLED.