The Second Test

Evening Star, Issue 19924, 21 July 1928, Page 5

The Second Test

All Blacks’ Team Selected South Africa Without Stanley Osier and Slater Crowd of 35,000 Expected

f Spbctal re Pkjsss Association.] JOHANNESBURG, July 20. (Received July 21, at 10.15 a.m.) The teams for the second test are:— NEW ZEALAND PULL-BACK: I>. A. Lindsay (Otago, 13.6). THREE-QUARTERS: B. Grenside (Hawke’s Bay, 13.0). S. R. Carleton (Canterbury, 11.5). A O. 0. Robilliard (Canterbury, 21.8). FIVE-EIGHTHS: W. A. Strang (South Canterbury, 11.4). L. M. Johnson (Wellington, 12.3). HALF-BACK: W. C. Dailey (Canterbury, 20,10). FORWARDS: H. J. Swain (Hawke's Bay, 13.2). S. Hadley (Auckland), 12.6. M Brownlie, captain (Hawke’s Bay, 14.3). G. G. Alley (Canterbury), 15.7. B. Finlayson (North Auckland), 15.4. W. Hazlett (Southland, 14.7). R. G. M‘Williams (Auckland, M. 5). WING FORWARD; R F Stewart (South Canterbury), 15.1. SOUTH AFRICA FULL-BACK: Tindall (Western Province). THREE-QUARTERS: Todd (Natal). Van Der Wcsthuizen (Western Province). Dobie (Transvaal). Brand (Western Province). FLY-HALF : Rennie Osier (Western Province). HALF-BACK: Devine (Transvaal). FORWARDS: Mostert (Western Province). Kruger (Transvaal). Van Druten (Transvaal). Daneel (Western Province). Van Wyk (Western Province). Pretorious (Transvaal). Nel (Natal). Potgictcr (Western Province). STEWART AS ROVER IS IT A WISE DECISION ? Stewart will play wing ioraaid, M‘Williams going into the pack. This is the only alteration in tho first test side in scrummaging. Stewart will go down in the front row ns a loose head. It is hard to understand the attitude of the Selection Committee, for they take one of the best forwards from the pack and play him as a rover. In the few matches in which Stewart has played in this position he has caused a breakdown of many movements, frequently getting in tho way of the live-eighths. In the match against Northern Provinces his handling was palpably weak. Playing him as a rover will probably tend to weaken the New Zealand test team. ALL OUT FOR A WIM HEW ZEALANDERS CONFIDENT The game, however, promises to ho another glorious struggle. New Zealand is going all out for a win. Ihe team is even more confident than before the first test. The picked fifteen have undergone a week’s hard training, and every member is now said to be fit; but Grenside appears to be limping slightly. His knee has not properly healed; vet he says that he is quite fit. SPRINGBOKS UNFORTUNATE The Springboks have been unfortunate in that Stanley Osier (centre) and Slater (wing three-quarter) have both torn their thigh muscles while training, and will not play. Their places will ha taken by Dobie and Brand. HOME SIDE’S DISTINCT ADVANTAGE WILL AGAIN BE VICTORIOUS Discussing the prospects of to-mor-row’s match, the Johannesburg ‘ Star says: “The South Africans have two distinct advantages over the All Blacks. They are its effective scrummagers and their superior touch kicking throughout the team. Despite the improvements the tourists may bo able to show, these advantages should enable the Springboks to confirm the Durban result, though perhaps the margin may be smaller. Both advantages are the result of South Africa’s allegiance to orthodox Rugby.’’ Dio Burger, in the Afrikans’ paper, says: “ Tho opinion of almost every Rugby enthusiast in tho country is that the Springboks will again bo victorious, mainly because the New Zealand forward pack cannot stand against the cream of South Africa’s forwards. Solid scrummaging seems a lost art with Maurice Brownlie and his men,- Until the All Black forwards learn that to shove and shove in hard, tight scrums is the first consideration and spectacular open play a secondary matter they will not be successful in any of the remaining three tests.” A crowd of 35,000 is expected at Ellis Park to-morrow. Special trains are arriving from all over the country. To-day the All Blacks went flying, and all who went up were delighted with the experience.

HARVEY ILL AGAIN H’GREGOR ALSO DISABLED Harvey is ill again, and was taken to a nursing homo last night. His complaint has not yet been diagnosed, but he showed an improvement to-day. M‘Gregor is undergoing special treatment for his' knee, and is nob likely to play for at least three weeks. OUR FLAYERS’ SECOND CHANGE CAN THEY RETRIEVE THEMSELVES ? [By Dap.k Blue ] To-day, at Johannesburg, tho representatives of New Zealand and South Africa will meet in tho second great trial of skill and strength of tho lour test matches, which will bo regarded throughout the Rugby world as deciding the championship ol the game, in tho first Rugby epic at Durban three weeks ago, South Africa surprised followers of the game by decisively beating the New Zealand sido by 17 to 0— a seveto trouncing for an international game. That defeat has not made enthusiasts in New Zealand very hopeful for our chances of success in the second test match to-day, but if our men do manage to turn tho tables on their opponents it will, in all the circumstances, bo a remondous achievement. Over on the Rugby fields of South Africa the representatives of New Zealand have so far undoubtedly met their match Exactly half the tour is over, and the record of the All Blacks is: Played eleven games, won seven, lost three, and drawn one. While excuses could he made at the start of the tour for the team’s comparative nonsuccess on the score of failure to strike knm, unfamiliar playing conditions, differences of rulings, and the effects of travelling, these reasons can hardly bo advanced with great weight now, after the team has been in Africa, lor over six weeks, and when tho measure of strength of the opposition should have been properly gauged. There is one conclusion to ho drawn, that the Africans are playing bettor lootball than we are. After tho All Blacks were beaten by the Combined Cape Town Clubs and Transvaal, though only by small scores, and after our side had turned tho tables on Transvaal by winning tho return game it was hoped the team would rise to the occasion in the first tost. But in that we failed badly and were beaten decisively by 17 to 0. Certainly there was some consolation in the fact that our lino was crossed only once and that 14 of the points came from goal kicking, in which there is a larger element of luck; but, on the other hand, the cabled report told us that the Africans had 80 per cent, of tho advantage territorially, and that our sido was outplayed. On the eve of the second test, therefore, there arc probably not many New Zealanders sanguine enough to predict a win for our side. With tho scanty information which has come to hand about our players and team work so far it is difficult at such a distance to make much comment on what is likely to happen to-day. Before tho first test it was stated by tho Africans that the second test would ho tho most difficult for tho New Zealanders to win. - But in football, as in every other game, there is a glorious uncertainty, and tho psychological effect on the Now Zealand players of the hard ground at Johannesburg, with a crowd elated with the initial success of the Spirngboks at Durban, may have tho effect of spurring them on to greater effort.

While tho writer would nut bo so rash, in view of tho results to date, to predict a win for Now Zealand today, ho feels that tho All Blacks can hardly play worse than they played at Durban. In that, at any rate, there is a little hope. The disquieting feature right through tho tour so far is the inability of our forwards to get the ball. African papers to hand confirm the cabled reports that tho Africans are beating us in the scrums, and if this condition of affairs continues we cannot hope to improve our record very much. Possession of tho ball is tho keynote of success in Rugby, and our backs will not score tries if they don’t get much of the feather. Even if the African 3-2-3 is proving too much for us-—and the writer thinks that it always will, other things being equal—we should get more of the ball than we have been getting if our forwards are putting in tho last ounce. Even if our forwards were not scrummaging well in the opening games, surely by this time they must realise they have to use all their weight and fight every inch of the way for tho ball. Maurice Brownlie is undoubtedly a great forward, but as one English critic in Africa suggests, he may not be a great leader. On the other hand, his successful captaincy of tho Hawke’s Bay team that held the Ranfurly Shield for a record period indicated that ho knew how to handle a team. SOME STATISTICS Some of the statistics of tho present tour of the All Blacks should be interesting at tho present stage. Following are the individual scores in detail in the eleven games played to date:—

Following are details of the points scored against the New Zealands to date' Points, Tries II 33 Convertions 5 10 Penalty goals 7 ... ... 21 Potted goals 4 ... ... 16 Total 80 Tho following shows the number of games in which each player has taken part;—Stewart 9. Finlayson 9, Robilliard 8, Alley 8, Swain 8, M. Brownlib 8, Lindsay 7, Johnson 7, Scrimshaw 7, Grenside 7, Lilburne 6, Carleton 6, Strang 6, Dailey 6, Hadley 6, Hazlett G, Lucas 5, Nicholls 5, Kilby 5, C. Brownlie 5, Horc 5, Ward 5. McWilliams 5, Rnshbrook 4, Sheen 3, M'Gregor 3, Snow 3, Burrows 2, Harvey 1, The resulks of tho eleven matches of (the tour to date have been as fol- < lows:— 1 r. Western Province country team, won ! 11 to 3. ;v. Western Province town clubs, lost, 3 to 7. v. Griqualand West, won, 19 to 10. v. Transvaal, lost, 0 to 6. v. Orange Free State, won, 22 to 0. v. Transvaal, won, 5 to 0. v. Western Transvaal, won, 19 to 8. v. Natal, won, 31 to 3. v. South Africa (first test), lost, 0 to 17. v. Northern Province, drawn. 18 to 18. v Rhodesian Fill teen, won, 44 to 8. Totals, 170 to 80. For tho purposes of comparison tho results of eleven games of tho 1921 Springboks in New Zealand are worth giving, as follow:

BEST OF GOOD LUCK MESSAGE FROM NEW ZEALAND UNION [P*» United Pa*B» Assocutioh ] WELLINGTON, July 21. The Nciv Zealand Rugby Union cabled the manager of the All Blacks; —“ Best of good luck in the second test,” aqd asked him to cable a report on the health of the team. The following reply was received:—“Thanks for good wishes; all the test team are fit, and wo expect a better showing tomorrow. Harvey is in hospital hero (Johannesburg) for observation; Kilby loaves hospital to-morrow on crutches; M'Gregor’s knee is improving; Burrows’s ribs are almost right, and all the others arc well except for a few slight colds.”

-2J i o' •h > *2 o H H

Lindsay IS 3 1 49 Rush brook .*) lo lloblllinrd ... 4 — — — — 13 Lucas 4 -- — — 12 Nicbolls 1 3 i. — — 12 Strang 2 2 — — — 10 Johnson O — — — —- 9 Scrimshaw 3 — — 9 Grengide o — — — — 6 Finlayson 2 — — — ~~ 0 M. Brownlie 2 — — — — B Swain 1 .1 — — — — ;i M‘Williams ... 1 — — — 3 Hore 1 — — — 3 Hazlett 1 — — — — 3 Stewart I — — — — 3 Alley 1 — — — — 3 Dailey 1 — — — — 3 Lilfaurne 1 — — “ — 1 Totals ... 16 4 1 170

v. Wanganui won 11 to 6 v. Taranaki drew 0 to 0 v. Wairarapa and Bush won 18 to 3 v. Wellington won 8 to 3 v. Bulier and W. Coast won 33 to 3 v. Canterbury lost 4 to 6 v. South Canterbury won 34 to 3 v. .Southland won 13 to 0 v. Otago won 11 to 3 v. New Zealand lost 5 to 13 v. Manawatn and llorowhenua ... won 3 to 0 Totals ... 139 to 40 New Zealand played three teste against the 1921 South Africans in New Zealand, and came out as follows:— First test won 13 to 5 Second tost lost 5 to 9 Third tost drew 0 to 0 Totals 18 to 14 The 1024 British team plavccl four tests in South Africa, the results of the games being as follow First test lost 3 to 7 Second test lost I) to 17 'third test drew 3 to 3 'Fourth test lost 9 to 16 Totals ... 15 to 43