SLOW MAORI FORWARDS

NZ Truth, Issue 1079, 29 July 1926, Page 14

SLOW MAORI FORWARDS

Touring Team Shows Weak Points

(From "Truth's" Special Wellington Representative.)

The. "Wellington reps, made a good job. of their match against the N.Z.- Maoris. The Maoris were not equal 5 to the -pace set by the Wellington 'forwards. The game, however, was by no means one-sided, .for at times the : natives gave a finished exhibition of handling the ball. More would have come of those passing rushes only:for the spoiling tactics adopted by "Wellington's inside backs.

T'HE, majority of the Maori forwards 1. -were* slow m .'getting into the ' scrums with the resuit that Wellington invariably got into position and succeeded m hooking the ball when half the time the Maori front- rankers were standing up straight. There was little weight used m the Maori pack. Sam Gemmell was by streets the best of the native forwards and his score m the first half was a typical Hawkes Bay one, where the forward makes little. of running right over the full-back. This- is the only weakness "Truth" can find with Taylor. South was one of the best backs on the ground and his display will cause serious thinking for the selectors. . g Mat Corner and McKenzie were below rep form. Ginger Nicholls was back to his best. As things stand "Truth" would suggest the following backs' for the next rep game: — Full-back, Taylor; wing-three-quar-ters, Sutton and Svenson; centre, Gren-

fell; first five-eighths, Mark Nicholls; second five-eighths, South or Mat Corner; half-Uack, "Qinger" Nicholls. Jessep was'ordinary as wing- . forward. Pringle was the best forward on the ground. He should be away with the All Blacks. Lofty is playing better than ever m his life. Thomas played his usual good game but "Truth" gets m early with a warning to this player that too much attention to the man instead of the ball, will bring him trouble in 1 Hawkes Bay". Moffitt and Tyree were the best of the remainder m the pack, but O'Regan and Warden were always doing well. The diminutive half, Shortland more than justified his inclusion. The little chap went down to the forwards and time and time again he got the ball away from their feet to his backs. Kingi, until he had to leave the field was at times brilliant as five-eighths. . Captain Barclay was just inclined to kick too nluch, otherwise his display was good.