OTAGO PLAYERS TO THE FORE IN ALL BLACK TRIAL MATCH

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 August 1948, Page 8

OTAGO PLAYERS TO THE FORE IN ALL BLACK TRIAL MATCH

(P.A.) DUNEDIN, August 15. After a drab beginning, play livened up in the All Black trial match at Carisbrook on Saturday. The match had a decidedly Otago flavour, as 16 players from the Ranfurly Shield holders’ province took part. The selectors are believed to have had misigivings about the standard of forward play, after'seeing some earlier trials, but yesterday they saw two first-class packs in action. J. C. Kearney and R. R. Elvidge (Otago), the five-eighths of the B team, were outstanding, Kearney in particular playing a brilliant game. L. Haig (Otago) played a heady game at first five-eighths for the other team. The mercurial South Canterbury centre, M. P. Goddard, after an uncertain beginning, gave a splendid display, paving the way for at least two tries. The best wingers seen were W. A. Meates and I. J. Bolting, both of Otago, Meates scoring one brilliant try. The Southland halfback, J. McKenzie, sent out crisp passes and varied play cleverly. G. .1. Moore (Otago) was the better of the two full-backs. Some of the forwards gave superlative displays, notably R. A. Dalton, the former Wellington player. L. A. Grant (South Canterbury) was splendid in the line-outs and rucks. K. J. O’Connor (Otago) showed a return to his best form in both tight and loose rucks, and D. Hamilton (Otago) was a dangerous loose forward, always on the ball. A feature of the game was the hooking of J. A. Mcßae (Southland), who obtained possession 24 to the 12 times of Smith (Ashburton). T. A. Budd (Southland) was another willing worker, and J. McNab (Otago) was in everything. The A team won bv 17 points to 10.

Tries were scored for the winners by Haig, Botting, and Meates. Haig converted one and kicked a penalty, and Stewart potted a goal. For the B team, Dalton and Elvidge scored, J. W. Goddard converting both. The match was played on a soft ground before a crowd of 15,000.