EVE OF THIRD RUGBY TESTASSISTANT MANAGER REVIEWS ALL BLACKS’ PROSPECTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 September 1949, Page 5

EVE OF THIRD RUGBY TEST—ASSISTANT MANAGER REVIEWS ALL BLACKS’ PROSPECTS

[From

CLAUDE KING,

, N.Z.P.A. Correspondent

with the All Blacks]

DURBAN, September 1 (Rec. 10 a.m.). —“Our practices have given me every satisfaction this week, and I think our boys are ready for the tussle of their lives on Saturday, said the assistant manager, Mr Alec McDonald, today, in a review of the third test prospects. The players appeared to have freshened up as a result of their return to a lower altitude and freedom from the heavy travelling of the middle part of the tour, he added. The team chosen seemed to be the best that could be fielded. The scrum was the heaviest yet pitted against the Springboks in the test series, particularly by using M. J. McHugh in the back row, where he combined weight with mobility. P. J. Crowley was also showing plenty of dash, and with the other forwards, such as K. L. Skinner, J. R. McNab, and J. G. Simpson, the pack should be capable of keeping play moving at a fast pace “Must Get Ball Quickly’ “I am confident that we have more pace and penetration in our backline, but to utilise that to the fullest we must get the ball, and get it quickly. That will be the task of the forwards. They know full well the calibre- of the opposition and know it means the game of thenlives if we are to win,” added Mr, McDonald. The All Blacks today received an inspiring message from the Prune Minister, Mr Fraser. Throughout the tour such messages, including those also from the chairman of the New Zealand Rugby Union, Mr A. St C. Belcher, have been deeply appreciated. t( ,T7-4X. The Natal Daily News says: With two test victories in hand, the Springboks. must surely consider they have the rubber in the bag. Definitely the odds are in South Africa’s favour and the All Blacks are harder up against it than ever they have bebn in the history of international Rugby. “But if the Springboks are a two-to-one on chance, it is worth remembering that odds-on chances do not always win the race. They won the second test well, but the All Blacks have shown that they are capable of a much better showing than at Ellis Park. For this reason there may be much different football in the third international clash and New Zealand’s .turn, is due,” In the history of South African Rugby cnly three tests have been

played at Durban. In 1924 South Africa beat Great-Britain 7-3, and in 1928 South Africa beat the All Blacks 17-0. In 1933, however, the Springboks received their biggest defeat in test matches when the Wallabies won 21-6, .after losing the first test 17-3. Springbok Forwards Heavier The big nature of the task ahead of the All Blacks in the tussle for possession is reflected in the latest weights of the Springbok forwards, which were announced this week as follows:— Front row: Goffin, 16st 41b, Jordaan, 13st 131 b, C. Koch, Jssl 31b. Middle row: Du Rand, 14st 131 b, Geel, 16st 131 b, Du Plessis, 16st 121 b, H. Koch, 16st lib. Back row: Muller, 13st 101 b. The average weight of- this pack is 15st 71b, but even more impressive is the pack’s strength in. the heart of the scrum, namely the front row props and locks, where' Geffin, C. Koch, Geel and Du Plessis outweigh Simpson, Skinner, Harvey and Willocks by nearly sst. There is no doubt that the AH Blacks’ selectors had this in mind when they decided to play McHugh in the back row, where his weight should be-of value. He is also in his element as a loose forward, as those

who saw his displays in the Eden Park test against Australia in 1946 I and in the Palmerston North All | Black trial last season will remember.'