AGE AND YOUTH

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 143, 18 June 1937, Page 13

AGE AND YOUTH

THE SPRINGBOK TEAM

PLAYERS OF INTEREST

ARRIVAL AT SYDNEY

United r.css Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.

SYDNEY, June 17.

The Springbok Rugby team, which was delighted to reach Sydney today, was tendered a reception by various sporting bodies. The team paid a call on the Governor, Lord Wakehurst, and tonight it was officially welcomed by the New South' Wales Rugby Union. The gathering was most convivial.

The team is greatly impressed with the Sydney Cricket Ground, where the players indulged in .solid training for Saturday's match against New South Wales.

A feature of the training was the brilliant goal-kicking of the full-back, G. Brand, who drop-kicked several goals from half-way.

Among the 29 members are huge iron-jawed men with cauliflower ears and other scars earned in innumerable battles on the Rugby field, and freshfaced youths, wide-eyed with interest at visiting a new country. . .

SPEAK AFRIKAANDER.

All have an. outlook similar to Australians. They speak Afrikaander among themselves, and invariably use it on the field.

Ferdie Bergh, known as ''the human tank," is the biggest. He is 6ft 3in in height and weighs 17 stone. ■ ,

One of the most handsome men in the team is George Van Reenen, and he'is the tallest, 6ft 4_in. Ben dv Toit and Harry Martin are about the shyest.

D. Craven and P. de Villiers are strange contrasts for half-backs. Craven weighs 14 stone and Villiers nine stone. c :

DIFFICULT* IN GETTING FIT.

The captain, Philip Nel, has a difficult task getting the team fit for the first Test, as not one of the games already played has been of much assistance, and all the games so far have been on wet grounds.

A number of players are .suffering from colds contracted last Tuesday, when they visited the Jenolan Caves, where the weather was bitterly'cold.'

The Springbok side for Saturday is ns follows:—G. Brand, F. Turner, J. Bester, S. Hofmeyr, J. Broodrijk, D. Van der Vyver, D. Craven, M. Louw, J. W. Lotz, S. Louw. P. Nel, P. dv Toit, M. Van den Berg, H. H. Watt, G. Van Reenen. ' ~ '