LEAVENING OF YOUTH IN ISLAND TEAMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 September 1949, Page 4 (Supplement)

LEAVENING OF YOUTH IN ISLAND TEAMS

There is a good leavening of youth with experience in the teams. that have been chosen for the inter-island Rugby match to be played at Christchurch on October 1. All Blacks of former years are included in the two ( sides, but every member of last year’s South Island team is now m South Africa with the All Blacks, 1 except D. H. Herman who has been 1 passed over by the South Island selectors on this occasion. Of this year’s North Island team only J. B. Smith and V. D. Bevan, played in l the match at Wellington last October. R.' C. Stuart, one of the South Island flank forwards, replaced J. R. McNab in the South Island team when the latter was injured in the first half last year, and A. M. Hughes replaced E H. Catley in the North Island team in the last five minutes of the game.l Six Otago players have gained selection. They are R. W. Orr, G. J. 1 Moore; D. R. Wightman, H. W. Wil-j son and W. A. Lunn, C. Todd being a reserve. The other Otago nominees were C. M. Garden, W. J.-McNab and K. J. O’Connor. . . I Remarkable Rise | The feature of the selection is the ( achievement of Wightman, a 20-year-old student of the University School of Physical Education, who in his first season of senior Rugby has won his way into the South Island team as a second five-eighth. Wightman, a player of splendid physique, has had a remarkable rise in the game. He went to Dunedin from Morrinsville. and was a five-eighth in the University C team last year. He advanced from University B to the A’s this season, and his play at centre three-quarter helped his team to win l the premiership. With the British team in New Zealand next.year Wightman may be one of the young backs to attract attention. Orr, 'Moore. Wilson and Lunn were in the New Zealand team for the first test against Australia. Orr played firstclass football in the north, and his only lapse from grace was in the return game against Southland. Moore has had a heavy season, and moreover has been hampered in recent matches by an injury to his ribs. While wilson’s play in the front-row has always been on a high plane, he. too, has suffered an injury, and this will keep him out of the New Zealand team for the second match against Australia tomorrow. His inclusion in the South Island team was a certainty however, and so. too, was that of Lunn, who was chosen for both tests against Australia. Lunn is a great forward in the making. One of the interesting features of the game may be the duel between the All Black captain and former Kiwi, J. B. Smith, at centre in the North Island team, and D. Reeves, the highly promising young Canterbury player in the South Island team. It may be a case of Reeves’s dash and zest against the polish and finesse of Smith’s experience, but the North Auckland player has run into top form in recent games and may play a leading part in

the inter-island game. Kearney As Five-eighth The South Island three-quarter line will be completed by J. L. Taylor, the South Canterbury winger. The first five-eighth will be P. Kearney. Kearney, a good footballer, at first fiveeighth for Canterbury, was opposite Dickson last Saturday, and apparently had the edge on the Buller man.

J. T. McKenzie, the Southland halfback, who was in the final South Island trial last year, made a somewhat indifferent start this season, but has been fulfilling- his earlier promise in recent games. Southland provides two members of the South-Island pack in T. A. Budd and J. R. Stuck, who have both earned

their places. Budd was a member of ; the 1946 New Zealand team and gained selection again this year. i Stuart, the Canterbury breakaway, participated in the All Black trials last year and is a member of the New Zealand team for. the tests against Australia this year. S. W. Woolley, the tall ; Marlborough lock, is a former Kiwi player, and W.-J. Mumm, the Buller front-ranker, has appeared in three previous South Island teams. I There is more of the “new look” about the South Island team than the I North side, which includes in Smith, ,J. K. McLean (wing), V. D. Bevan J (half-back), and A. M. Hughes (hooker) , four players who have already represented New Zealand—Smith, McLean and Bevan toured Australia with the All Blacks in 1947, and Bevan is still probably the best half-back in the 1 country. i J. W. Kelly, chosen as full-back for the North, joins the ranks of players who have represented both Islands. He played at full-back for the South Island at Invercargill two years ago while representing Canterbury. His best displays for Auckland have been given in the centre. I T. R. O’Callaghan (Wellington) and G. E. Beatty (Taranaki) are a solid and experienced combination at fiveeighths for the North. The former has been selected for the New Zealand team in the second test against the Aus- . tralians tomorrow. I The North Island pack will lack nothing on the score of experience, D. Beard (Wanganui), the former Wellington player, A. E. Rowan (Waikato), Hughes (Auckland) and D. H. O’Donnell (Wellington) being seasoned forwards. Beard is a fine all-round player, but as he does not weigh much more than 13 stone it remains to be seen how he will pair with the young Auckland lock, D. Cutler, who tips the scale at 16 stone. Wanganui Well Represented Wanganui’s fine showing in representative games, is recognised by the inclusion in the North Island team of D. E. Grant and H. C. B. Rowley in addition to Beard, but the continued overlooking of F. W. Crist, the outstanding Wellington forward, is difficult to understand. R. A. White, of Poverty Bay, is described as-a young forward of promise, who has been selected for New Zealand against the Australians. Altogether, two even teams appear to have been chosen, and with the tour of the British team in the offing, young players will be out to prove their mettle in an effort to win recognition in the important matches to be played next season when there will undoubtedly be gaps to be filled in the All Black side now in South Africa.