FINAL SELECTION

Evening Star, Issue 25619, 20 October 1945, Page 8

FINAL SELECTION

RUGBY REPRESENTATIVES N.Z.E.F. TEAM TO TOUR BRITAIN KEEN INTEREST AROUSED (Rec. 11 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 19. • Players selected for the Army touring team are as follows: Full-backs: R. W. H. Scott, H. E. Cook. Three-quarters: J. B. Smith, W. A. Meates, J. R. Sherratt, E. J. Boggs, W. G. Argus. Five-eighths: J. C. Kearney, R. L. Dobson, I. Proctor, F, R. Allen, A. M. King. Half-backs: C. K. Saxton (captain), W. S. Edwards. Forwards: Back row, J. Finlay (vice-captain), N. H. Thornton; middle row, J. Mac Lean, S. W. Woolley, S. L. Young, A. W. Blake, G. B. Nelson, K. D. Arnold, J. G. Simpson; front row, F. M. Haigh, N. J. McPhail, P. K. Rhind, D. S. Bell, J. G. Bond, R. D. Johnstone. POPULAR RECEPTION ASSURED. An excellent Press this morning ensures that the New Zealand team is going to receive a popular reception wherever it goes. That it will prove a much-needed fillip to Rugby here—needed after the long drag of the war years—seems assured. Arrangements for '* introducing "the team to the public have been well handled, there being first the curiosity about the trial games ,at Margate, and then the invitation to Rugby critics to see the last trial. This morning, although the final selection of names was not available when the newspapers went to press, the headlines were saying: "Tough New Zealand players will please our crowds,'' " New Zealanders promise well," and " Tourists will be hard to beat," while other adjectives such as " formidable " were used. The sides in the trial were named " Cassino " and "Trieste;" but neither Saxton nor Findlay played for

fear of the hard ground—and the ground in Kent can be- veisy hard after three weeks without rain. In three trial games it caused one broken ankle, one broken collar-bone and several knee injuries. CRITICS'IMPRESSED. Some of the comments are:— E. H. D. Sewell, the well-known author, critic, and player in the ' Daily Sketch:' "My first view of the pick of this New Zealand Army touring side was under the handicap of an unprepared pitch which I found to be as hard as most roads, but they left me in no doubt that when they play' on a real Rubgy ground they will be worthy successors to any of their forbears. Their back formation of scrumhalf, two five-eighths, and three threequarters was always superior to ours, and will again prove to be so in most, if not all, cases." Clifford Webb, in the 'Daily Herald ': " 1 saw enough to forecast with reasonable certainty that the Rubgy-going public will/have several treats in store and should note carefully the dates when t this touring team is due in their particular locality. Like all New Zealand Rugby teams we have seen here, these boys i of General Freyberg's magnificent fighting division favour the fast and open type of play which calls for clever handling and which, in consequence, is so entertaining to watch. Not that there is any lack of weight in the pack. On' the contrary, there are three or four 16st soldiers who can be called on. 1 foresee some of the teams they meet being shoved far and fast." Ronald Symond, in the ' Daily Mail,' said the team was in fine trim, the forwards were heavy and strong, the backs fit and fast, and their zeal for the game intense. Gerald Walter, in the ' News Chronicle,' said he believes the New Zealanders will be a formidable side, an adjective which is also used by J. P. Jordan in the 'Daily Telegraph.' Hylton Cleaver, in the ' Evening Standard,' says: "The New Zealanders are going to be a tonic to our Rugby—there is no doubt about that. They do not pretend to reach the standard of peace-time All Blacks, but they will delight the crowds with their long and accurate passing,, speed of thought, strength of limb, and good backing UP ' FULL-BACKS. Cook: A Hawke's Bay primary school representative, toured New Zealand, with the Fourth Divisional team in 1942, and played for the South Island Army team hi 1944, and the N.Z.E.F. Maadi side last season. . Scott: Northern military side in 1941, Maadi base in 1943. THREE-QUARTERS. Smith: North Island Army in 1943, base team against tlie South Africans in 1944. „ . . . Meates: Christchurch University in 1943. Canterbury representative in 1944. Sherratt: Wellington representative and All Black trialist in 1939, Eighth Army against the R.A.F. in 1945. Boggs: Auckland representative in 1942-43, North Island and North Island Army team in 1943, Third Division base (New Caledonia), and also Maadi base camp. J Argus: McKenzie Country representative, Canterbury representative in 1941-42. South Island in 1942. FIVE-EIGHTHS. Kearney: Otago representative in 1939-41. Canterbury representative in 1942, North Island Army in 1943, J N.Z.E.F Base teams and Fourth Armoured Brigade. Dobson : North Island Armv in 1943, Sixth Field Regiment in 1944-45. Proctor: Whangarei representative in 1939, Twenty-first Battalian in 194445. Allen: Captain of Canterbury in 1940-41, captain of the Third Division in 1942, captain of the North Island

Services in 1944, N.Z.E.F. against the Rest of Egypt- in 1945. and Ninth Brigade against the Eighth Army. King: Wellington representative, Divisional Artillery in Egypt and Italy. HALVES. Saxton: 1935 All Black, 1938 All Black, etc. Edwards: Wellington Marist and Auckland Garrison, Advanced Base representative in 1944. FORWARDS. Finlav: All Black trialist in 1939, South Island Army in 1940, captain of the N.Z.E.F. in 1941-42. Thornton: 1939 Auckland Varsity and representative, King Country representative in 1940-41. Maclean: Taranaki representative and also All Black trialist in 1939, N.Z.E.F. against South Africa in 1941. Woollev: Marlborough representative in 1939-42. Young: Wellington representative and North Island Army in 1943, Eighth Army in 1945. Black: Wairarapa representative, Nelson and North Island Arniy representative. . Simpson: Auckland League and Manawatu representative in 1943, Maadi in 1944. Haigh: Wellington representative in 1942-43. Bond: Canterbury representative in 1940-43. • . Johnstone: South Auckland representative, N.Z.E.F. in 1943. Rhind: Canterbury representative and All Blaok trialist 1939, N.Z.E.F. in 1940. McPhail: Canterburv representative in 1935-39, All Black "trialist in 1939, N.Z.E.F. in 1940. Bell: Wairoa representative in 1941.