THE ALL BLACKS' TOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19372, 6 July 1926, Page 14

THE ALL BLACKS' TOUR.

GREAT INTEREST IN SYDNEY.

PREPARING FOR " INVADERS."

PLAYERS' ASSIDUOUS PRACTICE,

A STRONG TEAM EXPECTED.

[FBOM OTTB OWU COTtTVESrON'DENT. ] SYDNEY. July 1.

Greater interest is being evinced here in the coming visit of the New Zealand Rugby Union team—the Ail Blacks—than has been shown in any previous visit since the war. The Rugby Union code has been eclipsed here for more than a decade, but the strides the game has made to return to public favour, coupled with the ojxellent showing the New South Wales team made in the Dominion last year, has aroused an admiration for the code that has been missing in previous seasons.

Not since the serious split with a seclioa of the Wallabys nearly 20 years ago and ths formation of the Rugby League have so many promising players been available for selection to represent the State. This is proved by the difficulty with which the selectors were met in choosing the team. Last Saturday they chose four fifteens, which engaged iii trial matches. The first fifteen played a second fifteen. a.nd the thirds met the fourths. It was generally conceded that the firsts would be practically the same as would meet New Zealand, and undoubtedly it looked the strongest on paper. But to confound the selectors and amaze the public, the seconds, playing wonderfully stubborn, and at times brilliant, football, beat the firsts by 19 points to IS. It was a hard, desperate battle, and the seconds' victory emphasised the wealth of talent the Rugby Union now possesses. Selection of 21 Players. A selection of 21 players to train assiduously for the games with the All Blacks was made on the night of thn trial matches. The players selected werer— Fullback, A. W. Ross (University) ; threequarters, R. E. Foote (University), C. V. Morrissey (Randwick), A. C. Wallace (Glebe-Balmain), A. J. A. Bowers (Randwick), C. Towers (Randwick), S. King (Western Suburbs); halves, T. S. Lawton, F. W. Meagher (Randwick), J. Duncan (Randwick); forwards, H. Woods (Y.M.C.A.), J. G Blackwood (Eastern Suburbs), J. Tancred 'Glebe-Balmain), A. N. Finlay (University), B. Judd (Randwick), W. Ives (Eastern Suburbs), C. L. Fox (Glebo-Balmain), E. J. Thorn (Manly) C. Shaw (North Sydney) D. Telford (Manly), and J. Ford (Glebe-Bal-main). Some of these players are already well known to New Zen landers. Men like Ross Mcrrissey, Bowers, King and Lawton, among, the b' j £ks, and Fox, Thorn and Judd, among the forwards, have already figured in matches against the All Blacks either here or in New Zealand, and their inclusion amongthe . chosen is sufficient indication that their form has been such as to recommend them from the many good players offering. LaWton ha 3 not been playing club football this season. A3 his duties have taken him away to the Riverina, where, however, he has kept himself in guor. condition by playing the Australian Rules game. He will remain with the Rugby team until the contests with the New Zealanders are over. "Dashing Lot" of Forwards. A notable addition to the backs is A. C. Wallace like Lawton, a Rhodes scholar and Oxfcrd University representative, His form has been wonderful in club matches, and if a slight injury to a leg, which he suffered last Saturday, does not adversely affect him, our visitors are sure to find him a thorn in their side. The halfback is New South Wales weakest position, but hopes are held that Meagher wiR satisfactorily fill the position. In the forwafds there is much young blood, and they are a dashing lot, though not as big as the New Zealand pack, which has been facetiously given prominence in the Sydney press as more than a ton of brawn. A notable omission was 0. Crossmail, the brilliant small wing threequarter, but he suffered concussion a few Saturdays back, and though he reappeared for the trial match his poor form showed that he was still feeling the effects, and probably he will not be seen out again this season. '■ \ , , The team practised together on Tuesday afternoon and to-day, and on Saturdayit will go into qurrters for a week. This is a departure in training methods, and is expected to make New South Wales a confident team when it takes the field in the first test match on July 10.