RUGBY SELECTION

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 55, 2 September 1937, Page 11

RUGBY SELECTION

NEW ZEALAND'S TEAM

PHILLIPS AND RANKIN

INCLUDED

New Zealand will meet South Africa in the second Rugby Test, to be played at Chrislchurch on Saturday, with much the same team as that which performed- so meritoriously in winning the first Test. The selection of the actual fifteen to represent New Zealand on Saturday, has been made, and, in yiew of the first Test achievement, it occasions no surprise. The replacing of Cobden. by Phillips and the inclusion of Rankin in Ward's place in the forwards are., the only changes that have been made.

Rankin, who is purely a loose forward, playing largely as a rover,- was in the original fifteen for the first Test, but owing to. an illness he did not play and was replaced by Ward. In that Test, the retirement of Cobdeh caused Ward r to deputise as a wing-three-quar-ter,-for more than half the game. Now .Ward has had a stroke of bad luck. In the recent Wellington-Southland match he sprained an ankle, and, though with the New. Zealand players in training for the second Test, he has not recovered sufficiently to be considered for a place in the fifteen.

Mitchell (Southland) was not available for the second Test, nor was Morrison (South Canterbury), who had been selected as one of the trainees. When it was found that Morrison had not recovered sufficiently from an injury Sutherland (a Southland wing-three-quarter) was. brought into the training squad. Caughey (Auckland) also had been chosen, but could not accept for business reasons. Green ■(Otago) was chosen as an additional forward to train in view of the second Test. '-..■■■

The selection of the New Zealand team for Saturday's match is as follows:—

FULL-BACK: J. M. Taylor (Otago). THREE-QUARTERS

J. Dick J. L. Sullivan W. J. Phillips (Auckland) (Taranaki) (King Country)

FIVE-EIGHTHS: J. A. Hooper' D. Trevathan (Canterbury) (Otr.go). HALF-BACK: H. Simon (Otago). BACK-ROW FORWARD: A. A. Parkhill (Otago).. MIDDLE-ROW FORWARDS: R. R. King S. Reid

(West Coast) (Hawke's Bay) J. G. itankin B. McC. McKenzie .(Canterbury) , (Manawatu) FRONT-ROW FORWARDS: •Dv"S. Baltonj A. Lambourn, E. Jackson (Hawke's Bay) (Wellington) (Hawke's . : . Bay)-

Emergencies;

Backs: A. C. Crossman (King Country), A. Sutherland (Southland). .'Forwards: T. H. Pearce (Auckland), H: Milliken (Canterbury), F. J. Green (Otago). '

THE SPRINGBOK SELECTION,

A Press Association, message from .Timaru 'states,' that after training; yesterday afternoon it was.announced that eighteen . players had been selected from' whom to choose the Springbok team for the second Test at Christchurch on ' Saturday, the names of three extra backs being included.

The.list is as follows:—

FULL-BACK: G. H. Brand.

WING-THREE-QUARTERS: F. G. Turner, D. O. Williams. CENTRE-THREE-QUARTERS: L. Babrow, J. White, or S. R. Hofmeyr.

STAND-OFF HALF;

T. A; Harris or D. F. van dcr Vyver,

SCRUM-HALF: D. H. Craven or P. de ViUicrs. FRONT-ROW FORWARDS: S. C. Louw, J. W. Lotz, M. M. Louw.

MIDDLE ROW;

L..-C. Strachan, P. J. Nel, M. A. van den

Berg, W. E. Bastard. BACK ROW: W. F. Bergh.

The possibility of a wet ground made an" alternative back formation necessary. Harris is still suffering from a knee injury as a result of the knock he received in the South Canterbury match, but the rest of the team are fit.- •■■■'■

GOOD SHOWING EXPECTED.

After what happened in the first Test tjaere would be little justification for making much change in the New Zealand team; Even in the case of Ward the selectors would have had good reason to bring him back into the pack, and many people will be disappointed that this player is not there. However, the intention with the New Zealand, team in the first place was to have an outstanding loose forward operating, Rankin being in mind for that purpose. Evidently Rankin has made a good recovery from his illness, and it will be interesting to see what the effect will be of having a royer on the job against the Springboks in the second Test.

New Zealand did well with their seven packmen last time, and, as has been stated previously in "The Post," there is no reason why from their side the form should not be as good, if not. better, on Saturday, with the advantage—if it turns out that way— <if' the loose man causing the Springboks some further concern.

SPRINGBOKS WILL, BE HARDER,

Good and all as the New Zealand performance was in the first Test, it can be taken for granted that the strength of -the opposition will be greater in the second clash. The Springboks made some mistakes1 at Welling-. ton which arc not likely to be repeated .at" Christchurch. This is the vital Test for them, and it is to bo expected that from their side the pressure will be on in greater measure than if was in the first" Test.

The Springbok pack has been changed somewhat from that which rhetNew Zealand at Wellington. "Boy" Louw, the team's, master in tactics so far-, as the forwards are concerned, takes the place of Jennings. There will .also be Nel's leadership and weight, the captain having stood down from the first Test. Nel takes ths place of Bergh, who is moved to the ■No/ 8 position, on the back of the scrummage, and van Reenen is dropped. This time the pack will, be found to be a more solid one than at Wellington. • : Indications are that ,the Springbok backs will be an improved division. Again the final selection is being delayed to see what the weather will be Jike. The error of judgment'in playing Craven as the fly-half in the first Test will not be made in the second Test, for which Harris's claims are strong, though this nippy player is reported to .be suffering from a slight injury. With Brand at fullback —which means added confidence, apart frajn beit&c jflaoHJumea Is

available for the wing position in which he is a danger, as is Williams on the other wing. White and Babrow should be the centres, and if Craven and Harris are the halves the back division will be a very formidable one.

Nobody will realise this move than the New Zealand representatives, and they will tackle their job just as determinedly as wall the Springboks in their effort to even up the Test position.