RUGBY FOOTBALL Little New Talent In Evidence This Season

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 September 1947, Page 4

RUGBY FOOTBALL Little New Talent In Evidence This Season

The Rugby season in New Zealand, now moving towards its close, has failed to disclose much outstanding new talent. It is doubtful, if an All Black team were to be selected at this stage, whether many newcomers would be likely to be preferred to those who won New Zealand honours last season and again this year.

The tour of the New Zealand Maori team and the North-South match at Invercargill on October 4 will be virtually the final opportunities for gaining distinction in the Rugby Who’s Who for 1947. Even the Maori team, however, despite the absence of the Smith brothers, Paewai, and Couch, contains players already well known.

No full-back has been seen who measures up to R. W. H. Scott (Auckland) at his best. His ability with both feet- superb positional play- and magnificent goalkicking place him in a class above all others seen in action.

A player of distinct promise in J. W. Kelly (Canterbury) was injured at a stage when he was drawing attention to his class both as a fullback and three-quarter. Preston, the full-back in the combined Poverty Bay-East Coast side which beat the touring Otago side, appears well worthy of being given a trial in better class, while Wanganui has in D. McCarthy a player who is proving a big success with the New Zealand Maori team. Wingers Injured Argus and McLean were the most impressive wing-three-quarters in Australia. Mason gave evidence of improvement when he returned to Wellington, but his chances have since been limited in representative games coupled with the fact that he is now on the injured list, Argus, too, has finished his football for the season because of injury.

On their day it is doubtful if there are two more difficult wingers to stop than Boggs and Fox (Auckland). Lyons (Hawke’s Bay) has indicated that he may yet justify the hopes held for him before the North-South match last year, but his opportunities

in the present comparatively weak Hawke’s Bay side are limited. I M. P. Goddard demonstrated in the South Canterbury-Auckland match that he is the most dangerous attacking centre in the Dominion. . Outstanding among the fiveeighths are Elvidge, Allen, Kearney, P. Smith, and Couch. Among newcomers of promise is Moore (South Canterbury). His promising display against Auckland may have been due to the opposition watching Goddard, but he showed ability to size up the situation and make the most of his chances. Jones (Taranaki) has possibilities. Only 20 years of age, he may develop into a fine attacking back with experience. Even Half-backs Quality is more even among the half-backs. Tetzlaff having announced his intention to retire, Bevan must have strong claims to the No. 1 position, but others likely to be in the running are Savage (Canterbury), S. Lee (Poverty Bay), Luff (Buller), and Kearney (Auckland). Forwards who have improved during the season are Hamilton and O’Connor Otago), Bond (Canterbury), Summersley (Poverty Bay), Crowley and Hughes (Auckland). Hughes outhooked McCormick, one of the All Black hookers with the team in Australia, and Burke (Wellington) may be destined to gain higher honours. Summersley is also a capable hooker and fit forward who has ably led the Poverty Bay team. Crowley is one of the heaviest and hardest working forwards in the Dominion. If he could cultivate cleaner handling in lineouts he would appear a logical All Black of the future. O’Connor would probably be difficult to keep out of any All Black team at the moment and is the ideal type for South Africa. In any selection at this juncture, however, it would be difficult to go past such proved forwards as Dalton, Catley, Simpson, Arnold, White, Grant, and Thornton.