SPRINGBOK TEAM AT PRACTICE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 264, 4 August 1937, Page 11

SPRINGBOK TEAM AT PRACTICE

Palmerston North Visit

PROGRESS OF INJURED PLAYERS Dominion Special Service. Palmerston North, August 3. Realising the strenuous nature of the tour which lies ahead of them, the Springboks are avoiding social 'engagements as far as is possible, and all formality was dispensed with by them in Palmerston North, although the opportunity was taken by the mayor, Mr. A. E. Mansford, and the president of the Manawatu Rugby Union, Mr. M. A. Onglcy, to extend them a welcome after they had settled down in their hotel quarters. In preparation for to-morrow s game with Manawatu, the team to represent the Springboks and other members of the party, including some of those who are recovering from injuries, held a practice at the Showgrounds., The forwards, under the direction of P. Nel, captain, practised dribbling ruing, line-outs and various tactical movements. The rearguard members were seen in some sparkling handling bouts and also indulged in sprints. G. Brand spent -some time, practising goalkicking with a new ball. The practice was followed with interest by a number of local enthusiasts. Jerseys worn at the practice included the maroon of Queensland, the white with red band of Transvaal, the narrow red and blue stripes of Eastern Province, and the black and white of Natal. Louis Babrow, the speedy centre three-quarter, is at present nursing an injured knee, but both he and .Broodryk, who injured a shoulder at Newcastle, were at practice this morning. ‘‘Fanie” Louw and H. H. Watt also had their first run since receiving injuries. Questioned regarding the progress of the injured Springboks, Mr. A. de Villiers, assistant manager of the touring team, stated that du Toit, who I>roke two bones in his bad? in a match at Sydney, will, probably be able to play in two weeks' time. Though there had been no casualties on the New Zealand tour, du Toit, Broodryk and Sherriff would be prevented by earlier injuries from playing in the first Test against New Zealand, and Watt and Lawton were also doubtful. The remainder of the team are fit.

No plan of campaign has been formulated for the days the team will spend at the training headquarters near Masterton prior to the first Test. This afternoon the South Africans were taken for a motor tour, the points of call including Massey College. It is intended to take some of the team for a trip around the countryside to-morrow morning via Feilding—one of the strongholds of club football in Manawatu.

Included in the party are several golfing enthusiasts, and arrangements were made for them to play on the beautiful Hokowhitu links. Two of the visitors who are engaged in the legal profession in South Africa watched for a while a case being heard by the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers) and a jury of four in the Supreme Court this morning. The spells for the match will almost certainly be 40 minutes, certainly not longer. Steady rain began this afternoon and was still falling at night, so there is every prospect of a heavy ground. Le Quesne has been replaced in the Manawatu team by G. Wasley. WELLINGTON MATCH Governor-General to Attend The management committee of the Wellington Rugby Union at its weekly meeting last night finalised arrangements for the match between the Springboks and Wellington at Athletic Park on Saturday. The official secretary to the GovernorGeneral of New Zealand, Lord Galway, notified that his Excellency would be pleased to attend the match, accompanied by one akle-de-tampe, Captain R. StuartFrench. It was decided to issue an invitation to the surviving members of the Wellington team which played against the Springboks in 1921 to attend the match as the guests of the Wellington Rugby Union. The chairman, Mr. J. N. Millard, drew attention to the fact that advertisements had appeared in the Press offering seats in the grandstand for the SpringboksWellington match on Saturday for sale. This appeared strange, he said, in view of the fact that seats in the grandstand for the match could still be purchased at the Wellington Rugby Union’s office. The allocation of seats for representatives of the Prciss at the matches to be played by the Springboks in Wellington was referred to a Press committee consisting of Messrs. R. Hornblow (“Evening Post”), S. V. McEwen (“New Zealand Referee and Sporting Life”), and W. A. J. Gibson (“The Dominion”), Mr. Hornblow to act as convener. Loss to Rugby. Tiie chairman. Mr. J. N. Millard, referred to the loss which the Rugby game had sustained by the death last week of Mr. W. Binet-Brown, headmaster of the Johnsonville School, who for the past two years had held the position of president of the 'Wellington Primary Schools’ Rugby Union. A vote of condolence with the relatives was carried, members standing in silence.

Primary Schools’ Tourneys. Permission was granted to play tlie following games at the primary schools’ I

tournament at Wanganui on August 21, 23 and 25: Wellington v. Wanganui, Wellington v. Wairarapa, Wellington v. Manawatu.

Permission was granted to play a. primary schools’ match between Wellington and' Horowhenua at Wellington on August 7.

Permission was granted to the Hutt Valley Primary Schools’ Rugby Union to send a team to Levin to take part in the quadrangular tournament with the Taranaki, Rangitikei and Horowhenua primary schools’ unions, commencing on August 21. A grant of £33/10/- was made toward the travelling expenses' of the Hutt Valley team. Permission was granted to Scots College to take part in the primary schools’ tournament with Hutt Valley, Wairarapa and Dannevirke High Schools at Lower Hutt on August 21 and 23. Permission to Play Matches. Permission was granted to play tile following matches: September 1, Wellington Combined Theatres v. Film Exchanges, Hataitai Recreation Ground ; August 28, Porirua v. Dannevirke. at Dannevirke; August 21, Pinehin, Johnston and Co. v. John Chambers and Son Ltd.; August 10, A.M.P. v. Government Insurance Office, Kelburn Park. RUGBY FIELDS Advice by Springbok Captain The captain of the South African Rugby team, P. J. Nel, on the team’s arrival at Auckland, said that the Springboks expected to learn something from New Zealanders, and perhaps the South Africans might be able to teach the New Zealanders a few things. Philip Nel, who is a farmer, gave some useful advice at New Plymouth as to I I‘ow New Zealand playing fields should be grassed in order that they might stand up to play in wet weather. He was of opinion that New Zealand Rugby fields have not been sown with the most suitable grasses, and thought that if they were put down in kikuyu, which is used in South Africa, the surfaces would improve and would not be so affected by wet weather as they are at present.

Nel said that the grasses on the fields he had seen so far on the tour came straight up out of the ground, and did not provide a surface that would stand up to play in wet weather. He felt that the grasses used in South Africa, the main one of which kikuyu. would bring about an improvement in this respect. because they spread over the ground by means of stolons or runners, and these runners formed a dense mat, which, while it allowed the water to pass through freely, prevented the ground from churning up into mud. The grasses stood up well to severe Transvaal frosts, and they should do even better in New Zealand.

Kikuyu, lie said, provided a splendid outfield for cricket. The practice in Africa was to dig up the wicket and substitute other turf.