TOUR OF SOUTH AFRICA

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 45, 23 February 1938, Page 8

TOUR OF SOUTH AFRICA

BRITISH RUGBY TEAM NO SPRINGBOK TRI4LS? SIDE SHOULD BE CHOSEN NOW A great deal of interest will be displayed in New Zealand regarding the tour of South Africa by a British Rugby team this year. Apparently the feeling in South Africa is against holding a special series of trial matches to choose the Springbok sides. The sports editor of the Rand Daily Mail, who toured New Zealand witn New Zealand with the South Africans last year, has the following comment to make: — During the voyage back to South Africa there was considerable speculation amorg the Springbok Rugby players as to the policy likely to be adopted by the South African Rugby Football Selection Committee in connection with choos. ig the sides to play against the British team next season in the Test matches. Most of the players expressed themselves very strongly against the policy of holding a special series of trial matches. They felt that the tour of Australia and New Zealand had required generuu: concessions from their employers in so far as leave was concerned. It was obvious that a number of them would be required to get further periods of leave next year tor playing matches against the British team. That being so, still further requests for absence from work in order to attend trials would be asking for far too much from employers. I understand that the South African Selection Committee have not yet had a meeting in connection with next year’s tour, but in any case it is most unlikely that they will favour the holding of trials. The South African team can almost be selected to-day, in consequence of the lessons of the New Zealand tour, though a lot depends of course on whether such outstanding players as Sherriff, Fanie Louw and Jen du Toit will have fully recovered from the injuries they sustained overseas. With the absence of Babrow, the selectors will have to find a partner for Lochner in the centre. Even at this stage, months before the opening of the season, it looks as if it will be hard to displace either Hofmeyr or Johnny Bester, both of them Western Province men.

Lack of experience was Bester’s trouble; and sticky grounds were Hofmeyr’s obstacles to Test selection. On dry weather grounds, such as are likely to be found in this country, Hofmeyr is an attacking player of the highest order.

The one big question the selectors will have to decide is whether there are any young players who have developed sufficiently during the past season to displace any of the men who went on tour.

From the details of the itinerary submitted to the English Rugby Union, it is evident that the selectors will have the opportunity of seeing all the provincial teams except Natal, Eastern Province and North-Easterns in action against the tourists before the first Test, while the others will be seen after the first Test.

While there is just the chance that same Natal, Eastern Province or North-Eastern players may be unlucky so far as the first Test is concerned, they will have every opportunity of making an impression before the next two Tests.

Thus, it seems as if the itinerary, too, is helpful in making the staging of special trials unnecessary.