ALL BLACKS' TOUR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23058, 8 June 1938, Page 20

ALL BLACKS' TOUR

AUSTRALIA PREPARING NEW SOUTH WALES TRAINEES SOME UNEXPECTED OMISSIONS [from our own correspondent] SYDNEY, June 3 In the announcement of the names of 40 New South Wales Rugby Union players selected to train for important representative matches, the material is known from which the men to do battle against the All Blacks in July will be sifted. There were several unexpected omissions, although the State selectors have announced that the New South Wales teams will not necessarily be confined to the 40 players asked to attend training. MtC Syd. King, the former international threequarter, writing in the Daily Telegraph, expresses the opinion that the omission from the 40 players of his team-mate of the 1927-28 British tour, Cyril H. Towers, means the selectors have called " time " to Towers' long representative career, 'lowers showed unmistakeable loss of form against the Springboks last year, but was selected in the New South Wales team against Queensland in Brisbane last month. " The selectors' decision to omit Towers will be controversial," wrote Mr. King, " but they took the step only after lengthy deliberation, and with a long view to the future welfare of the game. Towers is probably one of the best club players still, but possibly because ho becomes a ' marked ' man when he steps on the field in a representative game, he has not rispn to greatness since 1930. He has shown flashes of old-time brilliance, but not the same consistency. He may yet force his way into the State teams, but he is too fine a sportsman to resent the selectors' action.'Towers is 31. He has not been omitted from a New South Wales team, when available, since 1926." Mclaughlin overlooked FORTY PLAYERS SELECTED An unexpected omission was that of R. E. McLaughlin, a young centrethreequarter of undoubted ability, yet possessing experience beyond that of others given preference. He lost form after the 1936 tour of New Zealand, during which he was injured, but recently, after a spell caused by another injuiV, he has shown good form. B. Travdrs is another young threequarter of outstanding promise whom the selectors hSve not named. In the selection of members of tho Fire Brigades team, which plays, only mid-week matches, the selectors have shown enterprise in going outside the first grade clubs." V. Hardiman, a front-row forward, has made a meteoric rise to representative company. In less than a month he has risen from*third grade. He got his big chance when his club's first grade' team was depleted by injuries to players, and the absence of State representatives in. Queensland. He is 19 years of age and weighs 12st. 51b. The 40 players named by the selectors are:— Fullbacks.—V. Burgess, M. Clifford, R. Rankin. Wing Threequarters.—B. Jones, J. Kelaher. F. W. O'Brien, J. W. Ryan, H. S. Walker..'. Centre Threequarters.—P. K. Collins, K. R. Gilleland, V. C. : Miller, L. Quinlivan. Five-eighths. —V. Richards, L. Smith. Halfbacks.—M. Becher, E. C. Gibbons, C. Ramnlli, C. G. Stone. Forwards.—'V. A. Auland, E. J. Callaghan, W. H. Cerutti, C. H. Gerrand, B. W. Gill, V. Hardiman, A. Hodgson, E. Hutchinson, F. Hutchinson, R. L. Kolly, A. V. Livingstone, F. Lehmann, 1?. L. McCarthy, J, H. Malone, F. Purnell, K. M. Ramsav, A. Rogers, A. H. Stone, R. E. ThoraldSniith, J. E. Turnbull, K. S. Windon, W. H. Travers.

Messrs, A. C. (" Johnnie ") Wallace, and.C. L. Fox, members of the 1927-28 Waratah combination, were appointed coaches, but Wallace, hecause of severe bronchitis, has beert compelled to relinquish the post. He will probably be available to coach the team to meet the All Blacks.