1949 All Blacks Should Be A Strong Combination

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 October 1948, Page 3 (Supplement)

1949 All Blacks Should Be A Strong Combination

Though it has yet to establish its place in history, the 1949 New Zealand Rugby team, as an untested product, gives the impression of beingsound and solid from stem to stern, says the Evening Post. Brilliant stars and dubious dark horses are equally hard to find. Once regret at the non-availability of such players as J. B. Smith (who demonstrated last Saturday how badly the team lacks a centre threequarters of his class) and V. D. [Bevan has been expressed little scope (remains to mourn a popular idol who has missed selection. It is expected that the forwards will have to bear the brunt of the weai’ and tear in South Africa, and they appear to be well equipped for that purpose. Most of them have proved to be strong and durable. It is important that, almost without exception, the forwards are lean and hard. There does not appear to be one who might be in danger of running to flabbiness either aboard ship or in the event of missing two or three successive matches on the tour. The two players who were on most people’s lips while the selection was being discussed during last week-end were G. V/. Delamore (for his selection) and G. F. Henderson (for his omission).

At His Worst

In respect to the former it can only be assumed that the selectors were satisfied on the strength of nis play this season ftnd in the past that [his brilliance had earned him a place. Whatever else might be-said of his performance last Saturday the majority of those who saw it and who watched him on other occasions, must have been convinced that he played about as poorly as it was possible for ihim to play. If there is uncertainty a.s to whether Delamore was lucky to get . in ithere is next to none on the question (of Henderson being unlucky. Point is given to this impression by the fact that the selection of three first fiveeighths—the only department of the team in which a position was more than duplicated—left room for only 15 forwards. And it was in Henderson’s sectoi’ that a forward was left out; there are only three side-row' forwards in the team. - Henderson’s misfortunes do not end there. The North Island selectors gave his Wairarapa team-mate, A. W. Blake, a place on the side of the scrum and put Henderson down in the back row, a specialised position of which he showed little under-St-Gindin**. The tour may well show that Mr V. G. Cavanagh, Otago’s forward coach has done a great job for New Zealand Rugby by training his men to ruck, and scrummage and co-operate in th? lineouts as his men do.

Springbok beef may tell its tale but the Otago men, together with such powerful toilers, as M. J. McHugh and H. F. Frazer, promise to be harder’ to shift than any New Zealand pack yet

put down against opponents from South Africa or anywhere else. Of the half-backs, who offer a marked contrast in size, it can only be hoped that their present reasonable efficiency will develop during the tour. The five five-eighths should all be capable of doing a good- job but the situation at centre three-quaiter is not nearly so satisfying. M. P. Goddard, though brilliant in many respects, scarcelj' fulfils all the specifications of a Test centre, while R. R. Elvidge has clearly been picked as a centre instead of a second five-eighth only because no other companion for Goddard has presented himself.

On the wings much will depend upon whether W. G. Argus can retain his best form and whether P. Henderson will continue to develop as he has done in the past two seasons. W. A. Meates and E. G. Boggs are both strong and determined players. For football of the class which will have to be played against the Springboks, however, New Zealand does not appear to posses (apart from Henderson) the speed on* the flanks which could be desired. The presence of R. W. H. Scott ensures that the tourists will have at least one really first-class full-back, while the display given by J. W. Goddard last Saturday did much to relieve earlier fears that the drop from Scott to the next best would be altogether too sharp. When everything is summed up it will doubtless be* agreed that the selectors did a thorough and conscientious job without fear or favour and with a complete disregard of the parochial approach to choosing national teams.