"BIG-HEARTED CHAPS"

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 144, 19 June 1924, Page 5

"BIG-HEARTED CHAPS"

NEW SOUTH WALES RUGBY SELECTION ..:.. „ ::.;., TO MEET THE ALL BLACKS. That the New Soutli-:..Wales. side"',to meet the famous All Blacks - will -he worthy of New South Wales football was abundantly " demonstrated in. the trial games, writes K.C.W. m._the Sydney "Sun." The play throughout the "trial games on the Grammar School Ground was of the free and open order. In the big trial ten tries were scored, and of these eight were secured by backs after brilliant passing rushes. The forwards had a royal battle, but the Red and .Black eight were really dominant, both in securing possession from the scrums and in harassing the opposing- backs'by quickly breaking from..rucks and. lineouts, and also' by . fast fdllowiiig.-'- "In tins style of forward play Thorn, Elliott, and lwohig- were always conspicuous figures, and they also were responsible tor initiating forward passing movements that kept the backs of A. S. B. Walker's team in almcst constant defence. . . , „

The play revealed a iitinib'er 6i"'urilhant players, who shone in all depart- . ments of the game. W. G. George was responsible for a masterly exhibition as nve-eighth, handling the ball in truly wonderful style,, snapping up passes, cutting in and handing ou t clean and weL-tinied passes to his' three-quarters. A. -b. b. Walker was behind a losing pac 4 i, and hardly ever secured the -ball trom the serum, so that Georaeson, the DnHiant North Sydney half-back, was able to give one of his finest exhibitions <jeorgesou was übiquitous on the field," and further demonstrated his ability as a worthy successor to Walker. Trousdale and Gordon Walker .were centres who made an impression both by their calmness and determination in defence and their heady and clever efforts in. attack. Atkm, a North Sydney lad, played well at five-eighth. Nothling, the Lmversity giant, and- Toby, of ■ j v ' wele im Pressive full-backs and New South Wales may feel secure with either of these as the last line of defence. Smith,. White, and Foote are wingers who rose- to the occasion and showed of their best to the critics , " iw £ the i^111663 of tlie back division. (Wcgan, Stanley, and Sheehan), it can be said that although they seem certain 01 selection, there is* by no.means any large margin of superiority in their favour, and the exhibitions of five-eighth play by Atkin and George, and centre play by Irousdale and Walker, ensures the State of strong representation in tho^n positions. Owen Grossman did not play, but of course, his selection is a foregone conclusion. -° ■ " New South Wales is likely to find trouble only in the forwards. To have any chance against the heavy and fast forwards from Now Zealand'it will ba necessary to meet speed with speed and weight with weight, and although our lonvards are, generally speaking, of the determined and clever order, it appears that we may be handicapped in <rettinmen of weight. The triaYgamTs ?S ed some splendid forwards, declares tha &uns correspondent. Thorn, Elliott, piaclavood, and Bonner are four who by their consistent brilliance, seem cevtarn of selection. Hoskins, Thompson, \\ indeyer, Lrby, and Ritchie aro other good ones. Thorn, has also now to he given consideration as a goalkicker His six goals out of seven attempts were abundant testimony of his ability in that direction. Twdhjg and Greatorex, two other break-aways, figured- prominently and Twohig is perhaps the better but it would hardly be wise to -play either against the man-killing, forwirds of the Dominion. Holds worth and Douglass are two giant forwards who have been playing- splendidly, and either one would fit in well with Bonner in tils weight r°W and giV6' mUCh Wanted

. Sff 1? up> the tria,ls> which were attended by a. large - and enthusiastic crowd were wonderfully reassuring -and tne play was-of such a high standard +r fl'w Ca"-1°? k I to a Stle side tat"'? the field against the All Blacks-a side • that will sp # -kle in brilliant back division attack and solid forward play Ihe form of New South Wales should not be judged by the 1923 touring team »ri..ch had 11 of the be S t playtT^! ten games m the Dominion, and■ m m<>;\ in. b.ydney, won two of the three Te«ts-' 'ZJ U xP - V 0" ree games «SaiD»t U'o strong Jiaon combination. Although In a these contents the Light' Blue°vaniuanl. iiad been uisadvantaged i\s far -is weight and height were concerned, the pack had risen to the occasion sufficiently Ih, L 1 ' c T V°SlilOn a"d Sive-thebril-■l'ant backs chance enough to prove, their superiority over the New Scabndere Ihis policy must bo repealed. H u<i kv forwarcLs will be needed-big-hearted chaps who do not know the meaning of the word "defeat," If these can I chosen, it is possible to select backs still i-apiible of adnunistering defeat to Ui» formidable foemen.