N.Z.’s Oldest Rugby Team— Tour Of Africa Swan Song For Many Players?

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 October 1948, Page 4 (Supplement)

N.Z.’s Oldest Rugby Team — Tour Of Africa Swan Song For Many Players?

The search for All Black talent for South Africa was exhaustive enough to satisfy the most critical, says the Sports Post, Wellington. Hardly a worthwhile source was left untapped. Yet the quest was practically non-productive in the sense that few hitherto relatively unknown players emerged to satisfy the selectors. Most of those in the team for Africa are men who established themselves ( prior to this season — either nationally or in the betterperformed provincial sides. Their representation would have

been even greater had J. B. Smith and V. Bevan been eligible. One, 'perhaps two, of the younger backs probably would then have missed selection. The team, generally, is an old one —the oldest, in fact, ever to represent New Zealand on an important tour. The war and its aftermath no doubt have influenced the position, and so, too, probably has the fact that players, at the moment at any rate, are remaining longer in the game than has been the custom. Nevertheless the lack of development since the war has been very disappointing. In three years we have produced only an odd rising star. Players in the older age groups are so predominant that it is obvious our football is falling down somewhere. The selectors can’t produce out of a hat an abundance of promising material any more than they can rabWits. That is someone else’s business. Figures mean little in football, but just for the record it.. might be

Mills Tunes Up Freddie Mills will fly to South Africa on either October 22 or 29 to meet Johnny Ralph, all doubts having been removed about his fitness. . He resumed training recently, and is satisfied he will be in first-class condition by the time of the fight, which is in Johannesburg on Saturday night, November 6. Ted Broadribb, who travels with him, agrees that his main objective is a second fight with Bruce Woodcock, this time for the British heavy-weight title, but says: “I think Woodcock is in need of a contest or two first, and Freddie doesn’t mind waiting till he has had them. Should be no Need to Fend

One of the most significant features in the performance of one or two New' Zealand Rugby five-eighths today, when compared with their predecessors, was their lack of ability to move as well on their feet, a former All Black told the Sports Post, Wellington. He suggested that it was not necessary for a first-class player to bring his arm (in fending) into play when carving his ?;ay through the defence. “Maybe the ability of my contemporaries to achieve their purpose solely as a result of snappy movement can be traced to the fact that we played a game called “bar-the-door’ at school,” he remarked.

worth while drawing attention to the fact that the average age of the packs likely to play for New Zealand in the Tests next year will be just under 30. That might not be a ripe old age, but it is getting on a trifle. Forwards admitting to that average will have lost just a little of their pristine sheen. They may be as vigorous as ever in the tight, but they won’t step as lively on the run. You can’t beat age in that field. The men who are to go to Africa are collectively slow. That’s the only conclusion that could be drawn from trial form. They will be slower still next year. The average in 1928 was 251— that is, for the Test packs. Four years or so can mean much in the life of a forward. Even the backs who can be considered Test probables are no striplings. They will average 27g years. In 1928 the age was just under 25. And back in 1924, when we had a constellation of top-hole backs, collectively perhaps our best ever, the average in the Tests was 22|. We are attempting no comparative conclusion from these figures. We state them only as facts, gathered from official sources. But one thing seems very evident. For many of the 1949 All Blacks the tour of Africa will be just about their swan song in international Rugby. The forwards of 29, 30, and more, today, and backs of 27 and 28, will be on the way out- two or three years hence; at least, they should be heading that way if our football is to show a natural growth.