THIRD TEST

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 7 August 1928, Page 5

THIRD TEST

THE SPRINGBOK PLAYERS

S'ICHOLLS'S "FAMOUS THRUST" IN BORDER MATCH

N.Z. BACKS AT THEIR BEST

(Special to Press Association)

(Received 7th August, 8.50 a.m.) EAST LONDON, 6th August, The following 21 Springboks have een chosen to train for the third test—indall, Brand, Slater, S. Osier, Van»r, Westhui/en, Pienaar, Rosseau, Benie Osier, Devilliers, Mostert, Vanwyk, aneel, Pretorius, Vandruten, Nel, utolt, "Boy" Louw, Dold Visser, Gey>r and Oliver.-

South African critics are greatly surrised at th» non-inclusion of Kruger, le veteran Springbbk hooker, -who has (presented South Africa, in every interitional match since 1921. This eliminaon marks the passing of one of the reatest modern forwards.

Presumably Mosterfc will occupy the ile of hooker in the third test.

Devine, generally regarded as an outanding scrum half, has also incurred le displeasure of the selectors over his idifferent display in the second test hen he was unfit. Devilliers, whose combination with ennie Osier was a feature of the first st, will again be associated'with him. ■lt is expected that three new young rwards will be capped. There are rabts about Vandruten, who had his >se fractured at Pretoria. COMMENT ON BORDEB MATCH Commenting on the first Border match '.. B. Keartland in the "Johannesburg ;ar" said: "Mark Nicholls's improveent made a vast difference to the side, sofar as we saw how effective his famis penetrating central thrust can be hen properly executed. In most of leir ■ previous matches the tourists had ainly relied on the orthodox movement • the wing, which, against strong op>sition, beat itself out against the dence, but on Saturday Lilburne and icholls made' their thrusts in the >htre, and backed up as they were by )th forwards and backs, their ingenty completely baffled the defence and e saw New Zealand back play at its sst." H. Du P. Steytler, in "Die Burger," lid: "The match was one in which the 11 Blacks were fully extended in the rst half. Border putting up a .good jht. They; were extremely dangerous i a;couple of occasions. 'There was a ilpable weakness at'fly half. In the scond half the superiority of the All lacks, especially the brilliant work of icholls, caused, a breakdown in the order defence,-and they were not able > cope with the sparkling movements of le New Zealanders ; The play somehat degenerated in the closing stages nd Border could not stand up to the ice they set at the start;" : NEW SPRINGBOK PLAYERS By Telegraph._>Special to "The Mail", ; ; ' AXJCKJIANB, This Day. New men in training for the South Lfrican third; test are: Backs—J. J. 'iehaar (Western Province), regarded as onth Africa's outstanding winger, along dth Van Nierkerk, but both.were out f action at the. beginning of the seam: Apparently Pienaar made a better ecovery than was anticipated. Rousseau, who played centre and ropped the goal which beat the All Hacks for the City Clubs on 2nd June, ras considered by many to be the best entre in, Africa, excepting Stanley Ossr and an ideal partner for the latter. The forwards— Boy" Louw, was forlerly a Transvaaler who. has migrated o 'Western Province and played fine Dbtball in the trials at Port Elizabeth. Dold is an Eastern Provincial forward ?hpm many critics included" in the test ight.from the jump. * ",■. Gjeyer Pretoria's second try rKen New Zealand won 13 to 6. He did ot, appear in either of the Transvaal fixtures.

Viller figured in both, the Northern )islricts game at Kimberley on 7th July when the Springboks ran the Ail Slacks to an 18-point draw) and in the )range Free State game at Bloemfontein dien New Zealand won by 15 to 11. It is somewhat curious that the All Jlacks : finished both these games with ourteen players (Kilby incapacitated at timberley and Sheen at Bloemfontein). Regarding men dropped—Kruger, afer injury in the second test,gave way o Mostert as hooker.

It 'has been proved in both 1924 and 1928 that Devine and Benny )sler was not a match-winning combination, South Africa failing to win (ither test in which they have been ielded together (Britain third test 1924, Irawn 3-3 at Port Elizabeth and the Ml Blacks' second test 1928, lost 6-7). After the 1924 failure Devine , was hopped for the final of'the British Test, vhich South Africa won by 16 to 9.