A MUD SCRAMBLE

NZ Truth, 7 June 1924, Page 11

A MUD SCRAMBLE

The Last All Black Trial

Selectors See Little Real Form.

Wellington's wild wintry weather will never be forgotten by the men who were selected to play m the Pos-sible-Probable game last Tuesday, and few of them, will never forgive the city, for it no doubt affected play and players.

Though each, man was determination Itself before the game commenced, all recognised that it was long odds on their producing the form that coilld be shown on a fine day.

Thirty; men were stripped to do battle for thirteen places vacant m the All Black team, and just wheni the best of weather conditions were wanted, the wdrst were dished up.

It was heart ; - breaking to the men engaged, but they went into it like bull dogs, and though the match was Dractically- a mud scramble from start to finish, it was a desperately fought affair.

Now and again a glimpse of bright play was revealed, and it needed no stretch of the imagination to picture what sort of a game it would have been had the gods b*een -more kind. "Tackier" thinks that it would have been the most stubbornly fought out match of the series.

With the conditions as they were, it gave the selectors very little guide as to players' capabilities. . A lot reckoned that it would be a good .test, that it would show the selectors how the men would shape m heavy going, but that was all rot.

Had it been the best fifteen "men m the , Dominion playing the next best fifteen, perhaps it would have been a good try-out, but this was not the case. It was two teams picked at random, combination was not present, and with the conditions ruling was not likely to be found.

Briefly, it was a case of luck. Tho man who was having more than his share was getting mostly into tho limelight. So-and-so slipped at the critical moment, while So-and-so managed to keep his feet. On Incidents like that you cannot rule a man out. One man was lucky to stand up, tho other un'ucky to fall. And, believe me, a player needed all the luck going 'to keep his foot after the first twenty minutes of the game.

The Probables won, and they can attribute their success to the defence of their backs and the clean work of Nepia at full-back. The Maori boy must have given, the Possible forwards a pain with tho way he got his side out of trouble times without number.

Playing against the wind the first swell the ' Probable forwards made good uso of their weight, and at times simply lifted the opposing pack along. Thoy struck their stride too soon for the Possible men, and the first half found thorn easily the" masters.

With the change round, tho Possible men started to get going a bit better, and playing more as r. pack than a lot of Individuals, they held thoir own and had a bit to spare.

It was obviously not a day fjpr back play, and not a great lot was attempted, but the Probables had all the say In what was going. There was a bit of cohesion m the white line, but In tho Possible chain there were a couple of missing links.

"With such a greasy ball, hooking was almost out of the question, and there were not two decent heels all day. The referee was a bit lenient on tho wing-forwards, for very seldom did they put the ball In properly. More often than not It was thrown against tho hookers' feet and came straight out again.

On the day, Nopia was the best player on tho ground. He told the selectors before he went out that ho was going to give everything a go. Ho did, and came out with colors flying.

There was a lot of interest m the two hnlf-backs, for they were lighting for the vacant position. Dalley was tbe bettor, both on attack and defence. He handled the greasy ball with marvellous precision at times. Nlcholls. on the other hand, could not get the leather up at all.

Brown outshone both Bell and Perry, who occupied the centre positions opposite him. The Hawera boy if going to muko history before he i 8 much older.

I'aewai was very unKatlsfactory at first five-eighths. Ho Is far too changeable to be any use to a combining team.

McGregor wns better than on Saturday, and (showed a liking for hard work.

Badeley has nhvay« been a. firreut little mud-player, and Tuesday's gnmo was no exception. He snapped up tho ball off the ground time and again In a way that, surprised all. Badeley dne« not wear the cotton mlt« that most bnckH pull on on wet days, but he ha.M r pair or woollen ones that do not absorb nil tho mud they como m contact with. Hack*, plensv note. Perry wiicj a little bettor than on Saturday, but that m not nuyliiK much. Thl« player h«« bi-en the b||fg<r»t failure of all the Kiuiu'K, and huH no rcu-

son to growl. He has had a few more chances than his play warranted. .He was played at centre as well as outside five-eighths m ■■■ this game, and was just as big a failure there.

Bell did not get too many opportunities, but he made the most of what did come his way. His defence was very strong, too.

The much-talked-of Bailey is not an All Black. He had a couple of attempts at speculating, and that is a serious crime that even the rawest of selectors could not overlook.

Robilliard, with the right men inside him, will turn out the goods. At present he is only an ordinary player, but. he has the football m him.

Elvey was out of place, and at times showed it.

Hart played well and tackled better. When this boy comes back he will startle, a few of the sceptics.

There were two outstanding forwards—Cupples and Knight. Both were going all day, and though they were seen a lot m the open they did not side-step the tight play.

Williams was a better lock than Masters. Neither played at all wonderfully, but the Otago man did now and again shine.

Of the four hookers, Munro was perhaps the most prominent. There was not much between him and Q. Donald, for the latter is also a good hard-working forward.

The remainder of the pack was a very even affair. The lot were always going, and that says a lot. It was not a day to judge play, especially back play.