BRITISH TEAM'S TOUR

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 127, 3 June 1929, Page 11

BRITISH TEAM'S TOUR

COMMENT ON SELECTION

Some information regarding the selection of the British Rugby football team to visit New Zealand next season is to hand by mail from England. The players were chosen, provisionally, by Messrs. J. Baxter (who is to be manager of the team), A. D. Stoop, J. Daniell, G. V. Stephenson, and E. Gwynu Nicholls, all' of whom have been international players in their day. The following comment on the first selection of twenty-nine players is made by the "Birmingham Post":— "According to our notions they aro a formidable lot. With full-backs like K. A. Sellar and T. W. Brown; threequarters like G. V. Stephenson, C. D. Aarvold, G. P. S. Macpherson, and A. L. Norris; half-backs like J. B. Nelson, M. C. Powell, and Greenlees and a capital lot of forwards, the men ought to make a good showing—if they can all manage to accept the invitation. That is where -the snag comes. A good deal of water will have passed under London Bridge by the time we get to April of next year, when the team will sail; and the selectors, of course, realise this fact, and the possibility of many changes. That is why they have acted so early. A six-months trip to New Zealand can be made a pleasant affair. Unfortunately, it is not all our players who can manage it. Some are just commencing to cut out careers; others have businesses and practices in the early flowering stage, when the absence for half a year of one of the principals might prove to be not merely inconvenient, but damaging. NOTABLE OMISSIONS. "These factors must be taken into account, and in view of the possibleone hopes not probable—risk of many changes, no purpose would be served by commenting upon the men provisionally selected. There will be plenty of time to do that when another Eugby season is nearing its close. However, speaking quite in ignorance of what private information might have been available to the selectors, one notices | two omissions. One is that of Bassett, the Penarth man who has done so well for Wales. He is the soundest fullback one has seen, in international matches this season. Another omission is J. D. Clinch, the Irish international, generally admitted to be the best wingforward playing to-day. He would be an especially useful man to play against the New Zealanders. Still, there is plenty of time to discuss these matters months hence. In the provisional list, Scotland, the international champions, are represented by five players, and England-r-who had to battle with France to avoid holding the 'wooden spoon'— by twelve players. Ireland and Wales each have six men in the side. The Midlands are directly represented by H. B. Greenlees (Leicester) and E. Coley (Northampton); while former Midland players are Ivor. Jones and C. D. A. Summer."