DRASTIC CHANGES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22363, 23 June 1947, Page 3

DRASTIC CHANGES

AUSTRALIAN XV. SECOND TEST HOPES FIVE QUEENSLANDERS IN (10 a.m.) SYDNEY. June 23. Sweeping changes in the Australian team for the second test next Saturday have been made by the selectors, as a result of the Ail Blacks’ decisive win over New South Wales on Saturday. The Australian selectors consider their forward play has been too loose and not vigorous enough and, therefore, have concentrated on picking men conspicuous for hard play in the tight. Windon and Cornforth. tvvo of the bes! loose forwards in Australia, have been dropped as well as Hardcastle who was captain in the first test, but who has not reproduced recently the form he had shown last year in New Zealand. D. Keller, a front-row forward, has also been dropped to make room for the younger and faster, E. Tweedale. Team on Saturday The Australian team is: Fullback: K. Windsor. Threquarters: J. Macbride, T. Allan. K. Bourke. C. Eastes. Five-eighth: N. Emery. Halfback: C. Burke. Back row: ,G. Cooke. Middle row: A. Buchan, D. Kraefft. N Shehadie, W. McLean. Front row: M. McMaster, K. Kearney, E. Tweedale. McLean, the captain of the Wallabies in New Zealand last year, takes Ilardcastle's place as captain. Cooke toured New Zealand last year with the Wallabies. Kraefft and Shehadie are young, strong forwards who performed well this year for New South Wales. Cremin has been dropped from the first five-eight position on the ground of slowness and a chance has been given Emery who played five-eighth for New South Wales against the All Blacks in the second match in Sydney. Allan, who was with the Wallabies in New Zealand last year, is to play at centre instead of the wing where he played on Saturday Fullback Changed Howell was injured and has been replaced by Bourke, a Queenslander who would have been in the first test had he not had to drop out through an injury. Windsor is a better kicker than Piper. Windsor, Bourke, Cooke. McLean and McMaster are all Queenslanders. The Australian selection has given new life to the test. Had Australia fielded more or less the same side in Brisbane, the result would have been considered almost a foregone conclusion. The Australian team is so extensively remodelled that now no one can say just what it is capable of accomplishing. It is obvious that the Australians have learnt something of New Zealand’s strengths and weaknesses and hope to be able to neutralise one and capitalise on the other. The Australians are not at all downhearted by Saturday’s result and are still optimistic of beating the All Blacks. The players have a double incentive to do so because practically every one of them is playing tor his place in the team for Britain