RUGBY TEAM FOR AFRICA

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 11, 7 October 1927, Page 15

RUGBY TEAM FOR AFRICA

FINEST SIDE OF FORWARDS

SELECTION GENERALLY WELL RECEIVED

STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN OF SELECTORS z> The final selection of the New Zealand team to tour South Africa next year has been generally well received, thus evidencing that the selectors have done their work well. As a matter of fact, the New Zealand team practically picked itself, as most amateur selectors got within four or five of the final selection in their random shots. “After viewing the trials in the difArent centres, and also the North Island v. South Island match.” declared Mr. 15. McKenzie, chairman of the hew Zealand Rugby Union's Selection Committee, to a Dominion reporter yesterday, “1 am convinced.that our Rugby is at a high standard. Never before in the history of the Kamo in this country have we had such a wealth of high-class forwards. and I say this with a full knowledge of the great forwards that have 'represented the Dominion from 1893 uf to the present time.' Individual players may bo quoted from past teams, by .way of comparison, but the forwards chosen to go to South Africa as n team will be the finest side that, has ever represented New Zealand. The backs chosen consist to a large extent of seasoned players, and supported by the inclusion of promising younger players who will develop on the tour, the Springboks will find the 1928 (cam a different side to that which they met in New Zealand n few years neo.” Mr. McKenzie explained that the selectors had chosen emergencies for every position, so that in the event of any player being unable to make the trip the vacancy could bo filled immediately. HOW TO TACKLE THE s SPRINGBOKS MASSED FORMATION CAN BE OUTFLANKED “In-view of the forthcoming Rugby tour of South Africa next year by the All Blacks.” writes Mr. T. A. Grace, of Rotorun, ox-Alaori international forward of 1921, “I consider it the duty of anyone professing to know something about the play of the Springboks to impart such knowledge for, the benefit ot those who will represent New Zealand next year in South Africa. “Now, as one who has had the pleasure of playing against the Springboks of 1921 who visited New Zealand, besides having seen them play against several provincial teams prior to our playing them, I naturally took keen observation of tbeir method of play, and after the Maoris had played them (in which game I played), I found that my summing up was not far wrong. So I will briefly relate my personal 'experience of the Springboks.

Orthodox Back Play. “First of all, their stylo of back play, as everyone who studied them will agree with, is more orthodox than ours, aiid they seem to think that the most effective method of scoring tries is to get the ball out to the wings. Consequently, whenever they -secure tho ball from tho scrums they endeavour to got it out as quickly as possible to the wings, and rarely do they alter their style of attack with a' ‘cut in’ by tho centres, or a short kick through, as is practised by us, although it is possible that they may ' have changed their tactics aftei having seen the New Zealanders in ection, but due to tl)o general inferiority of our back play then to what it is now, it is doubtful whether they would have profited much by seeing our style of play as it. then appeared to them Assuming that their system, as far as tho backs are concerned, is still tho same as it was in 1921. viz., ‘let it <ut to tho wings/ then to counter this we want to send good, . determined, and fearless tackler,s of the Grensido type as wings to oppose these Springbok fliers. Their imide backs also do not appear to run so straight as ours, so that a fast set of forwards, like the Brownlies, and Richardson and Finlayson, would «on nip their passing movement in the bud. Attacking Formation of Forwards. “Another phase of their play,” continues Mr. Grace, “ is the formation of the forwards, or in more concise words, their attacking formation. Their 1921 pack had the attacking in massed forniation worked to a very fine art. initiated at times from either set scrums or line-outs, and which when once started took a mighty lot of stopping. They not only used their feet, but when occasion warranted, would handle the ball, and keep passing it over to one another until they thought it limo to open up tho attack by letting the ball out to the backs. “Our forwards will find these tactics very hard and disconcerting, especially tho close passing in the ruck, and as tho present South African forwards are sure to be as big and weighty as ever, it will require big, strong, resolute and fast forwards to oppose them, and stand up to their massed sorties. _ All Blacks Masters in the Loose. “Judging, however, from the class of forwards that wo have to-day, the Springboks . will require to be 100 per cent, .better forward to beat our.pack, for, good as they are in the tight, we will always be their masters in the loose. If our forwards use their weight in the tight, and with plenty of dash and speed in the open, then I don’t think the Springbolt forwards will have it on us as far as forward play is concerned. “Re scrummaging: If our scrums are packed properly, wo should get more than our share of tho ball, for our Maori pack did it in 1921. so I don’t see why our present forwards should not do the same, notwithstanding the fact that our hookers were specially coached for about three weeks bv the late W. Cunningham and Mr. W. J. Stead, both of the 1905 All Blacks.

"To sum the whole position up briefly, we are about to undertake the hardest tour (hat it. has ever yet been our lot to tackle, and,for that reason, if we want to achieve success and honour by being acclaimed the undisputed champion Rugby country of the world we must not leave a stone unturned, whereby those heights may bo attained." AN AFRICAN VIEWPOINT “PROPHECIES, PRAYERS & PESSIMISM” Commenting on the flood of matter appearing in the South African Press about the forthcoming tour of the All Blacks. '‘Touch" in the Cape Argus, of August 27, says that if New Zealand have declared war on South Africa the subject could not have' been more thoroughly boomed. Commenting generally on the tour fhis writer adds:—"We have been fold of the strength of Now Zealand Rugby over and over again, we have been told the names of the All Blacks

who ni’y or may not play, and we have read prophecies, prayers and pessimism. I have read nearly everything that has been written about the coining of the All Blacks and after carefully weighing all the facts that have been advanced and tho fancies indulged, have come to three conclusions. They are (1) That nobody lias the faintest ilea what will happen; (2) That there is extraordinary interest in the tour, and (3) That Sonth Africa is desperately anxious to be ready for the All Blacks. . . .

“I defy anyone, either in this country or New Zealand, to say with any degree of accuracy tvhat will happen in 1928. Not until the All Blacks have landed, and not nntil they have played their first matches shall we know. At present we have not tho vaguest idea of what to expect beyond the fact that the New Zealand team ought to bo a very strong one. There is no standard of comparison, for so much has happened since 1921.

“As far as the four tests are concerned probably not until the first has been won or lost shall we he able to guess the result of the rubber. I do not think the All Blanks will finish their tour undefeated, but if even one provincial side boats them it will be a triumph. . . If wo can, let us look forward quietly and sanely to the tour. . . There must be preparation of course, lint let it he on sound orthodox lines. The win-at-nny-price snirir never yet brought a victory worth mentioning. SNOW NELSON'S SECOND ALL BLACK Dominion Special Service. Nelson, October G. By his selection in the All Black team —which, by the way, has given great satisfaction locally—E. Snow, the Nelson representative and Nelson Club player, gains the distinction of being the second Nelson player who has represented Nelson as an All Black. The only other Nelson player to attain this honour was George Harper, who went to New South Wales over 30 years ago. Snow first camo into the limelight in Nelson football in 1919, and since then he has represented Nelson in practically every representative fixture, if not all, since that year. In 1920 he won a place in the South Island country touring team, and 1921 found him in the Possibles v. Probables match at Christchurch. In 192-1 Snow played his way into the South Island team for the annual North v. South fixture, and was considered for the 1924 All Blacks. The climax of his football career came yesterday, when ho was selected for the South African touring team. During the season just closed Snow lias shown better form than ever before, and has acted as player-coach for the Scddon Shield team. To play his way into the 1928 All Blacks, Snow has been through the .test of five strenuous matches in seventeen dnyg. On September 12 he represented Nelson v. Golden Bay. and since then has played in (he trials nt Westport and Christchurch, ,in the North v. South match, and finally in the Possibles and Probables match yesterday.