SPRINGBOK TOUR

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 168, 17 July 1937, Page 11

SPRINGBOK TOUR

AUSTRALIAN PART ENDING NOT ENOUGH TESTS WALLACE TRAINS HOME SIDE The Australian Rugby team for the second Test match against South Africa in Sydney on July 17 have been placed once again in the hands of Johnny Wallace, who had them training on the Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, thus having plenty of scope for bringing them to concert pitch. The Springboks will arrive in Sydney on Monday, and have trained carefully for every remaining day of the week, resting on Friday. So both teams for the second Test should be in great shape for the encounter. One is inclined to agree with Cyril Towers and Bill Ceru~ti in what they have said about the Australian XV team which played the Springboks in Brisbane, comments a writer in the Sydney Referee. It is only reasonable that men who, two weeks la.er, have to play in a Test match will not be all out in a match such as the Australian XV against South Africa. The Australian XV did not have time to be moulded into a team. It was a conglomeration of first-class players, with no team understanding, and it was only to be expected that it should prove easy meat for the Africans. Actually, the New South Wales R.ugby Union tried hard to get three Test matches against the Africans in Australia, so that Queensland would have one. But Africa would only agree to playing five tests on the tour, and three of these were allotted to New Zealand so Australia had to be content with two. For financial reasons these had both to be in Sydney. For many reasons two Tests is an unsatisfactory number. If Australia wins the next Test both countries will have won a match each, and no one will have won the series. A third and final Test in such a case would not only decide the issue, but prove a wonderful attraction for the public, who could be expected to take even greater interest in the Tests than they do at the moment. So it is to be hoped that Australia will take a firm stand that in future tours, there be three tests in Australia. And if an Australian XV match is to be played, would it not be better to select a representative Australian team, but exclude from it any players who have played in a Test match in the same season?