ON THE RAND

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 135, 9 June 1928, Page 10

ON THE RAND

♦ ALL BLACKS' TOUR MORE STRONG OPPONENTS Ti!Ai\SYAAL TACTICS (P.y "Drop-Kick.") In preparing their players for Hie match with Iho All Blacks at Ellis Park, Johannesburg, to-day, the l>ugliy tacticians of Transvaal have no doubt given careful study to ways ami moans of counteracting the New Zealand system. The recognised New Zealand formation, however, was thrown overboard in Wednesday's nintch against Griqualand West, and a further variation made to-day, so that the Transvaal men may have been upset in their reckoning. An extraordinary turn of events would be created it' Transvaal pack a two-three-two scrum. Yet tliis is quite within the bounds of possibility, as on the occasion of the New Zealand Army team's visit to Johannesburg the Transvaal team set out to beat the New Zealandei's at their own game. Should a similar policy be adopted by Transvaal today the All Blacks would, no duubt, revert to the usual formation, but in doing so they would be without a regular lock and the wing-forward. Stewart, of course, could bo in a roving capacity. The chances of Transvaal changing their formation would be remote, but the possibility is mentioned in view of the New Zealand Army team's experience. A TRANSVAAL TRIBUTE. The adoption by Transvaal of the New Zealand system was regarded as a remarkable feature of the game with the New Zealand Army team, and a tribute of no mean order to the visitors. The packing of the -wo-thrco-two scrum was amended later in the game to the three-four formation, which, by the way, was invented by Wales, and which was adopted by the All Blacks in the match with Griqualand AVest on ■Wednesday. All through' the game Transvaal played a wing-forward, and though he was up against an oppon ent who, it was stated, demonstrated the wing-forward game to perfection, the experiment was regarded as being very satisfactory. Further tribute to the New Zealand game was paid in the following suggestion made in the course of a Johannesburg report of the game in 1910: "It is now up to the Trans vaal to lead South Africa in adopting the Now Zealand style and developing its possibilities, because we have the young bloods who can use it to advan tage. The extra man out of the scrum should become an institution." The result of the match was 5-3 in favour of the Now Zealand Army team. It was stated that the only unfortunate iaci dent in the match was Ac injury to Hell is, "the New Zealand team's scoring forward, i?nd obviously one of the best forwards ever seen in South Africa." The Army team's wing-for-ward was "Snowy" Lucas, a brother of l'\ \V. Lucas. ANOTHER LONG JOURNEY. Since Transvaal wero considered to be unlucky in not defeating Western Province in last year's Currie Cup tournament, it is to be expected that the All Blacks will be meeting a very si.iff proposition at Johannesburg to-day. After the match with Griqualand West, the New Zcalanders were to remain in Kimbcrley until 7.30 p.m. on Thursday, so that they would have Hie opportunity of one day's further training. It would take them twenty-four hours to get to Johannesburg, where they were duo at 7.30 o'clock last night (South African time). They are, of course, still in the high country: in fact,, at Johannesburg they are G73,j feet above sea level, over 1700 ft higher than at Kimbcrley. For a little time Johannesburg will be more or less the New Zealand team's headquarters, as they have engagements with Transvaal, Orange Free State, Transvaal (second match), and Western Transvaal before yiroeeeding south to Natal, where the first Test is to be played. OUTSTANDING BACKS. At the outset of the present season the hopes that Townsend, the Natal half, would play for Pretoria, were realised. The Pretoria districts have a match with the All Blacks, but this was not likely to prevent the selection of their best players for the Transvaal team. Prinsloo, one of the outstanding players in the Transvaal, was likely to leave Pretoria, but the change did not eventuate. Prinsloo was a certainty as one of the wing-three-quarters for Transvaal, and he has good prospects of a place in the Test team. Another prominent back is Pretorius, a Pretoria centre three-quar-ter. Brink, of the same club, was the best full-back in the province last season. Two fine wing three-quarters in Pretoria are Ashford and Davis, the former being regarded as one of the best tacklers in the Transvaal. Boon (from Western Transvaal) is a good stand-oft' half in the Wanderers' team. There is plenty more material for the back division from such clubs as Harel- : quins, T.U.C., > Diggers, Pirates (who are being looked after by "Boy" Morkel), Pretoria Police, and Witwatersrand University. The Harlequins have Dobic, do wit, Gill, and Kotze; the Diggers have Devine, Orr, van Gass, and Buitendach; in T.U.G. there are Quin, Lcibenberg, MacDonald, and Glatthaar; University have Sieff, Fichardt, and Knecn; Pirates have Anils, OberholV.cr, and Sieff; and Simmers' best backs are Eaath, Stowart, and Bushby. These arc among the most prominent backs in the Transvaal. FINE FORWARDS. Transvaal's main strength, as with most other teams meeting tho All Blacks, will be in the forwards, and of these there is great supply. Pretoria have lost C. Louw, but they still have a great pair in Max Thiel and T. L. Krugcr, the latter being one of the Springboks to visit Now Zealand in 1921. Pretorius (from Stellenbosch) and Nykamp are in Pretoria's pack. Another good Pretoria forward, Dr. Van Drntcn, another noted Sonth African forward, is tho leader of the Harlequins' pack, with Geero and Mortimer a solid pair in support. Smith, Quin, and tho old Transvaaler Smit are in the van for T.U.C., and Wanderers have fine scrummagers in Vealo, Walder (ex-University), Hudson, Botha, Griffiths, Serfontein, and Elliott. Tho Diggers have good material in Pretorious, Oliver, Kuseluk, Davidson, Moroton, and van Bensburg, while "Boy" Morkel is bound to produce some good players from the Pirates, for whom Shepherd and Compton are leading lights. Since the start of tho season in Transvaal there has been very keen interest in tho visit of tho All Blacks, and quite an amount of attention has been given to the methods adopted by New Zealand in scrummaging. Tho indications, therefore, are that the AH Blacks will 1)'! up against a. powerful, welltrained pack. [Since tho above was written the team to represent Transvaal has been received by cablegram, and is published on another p:'gG-]