NORTH AUCKLAND TEAM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26531, 5 August 1947, Page 6

NORTH AUCKLAND TEAM

ARRIVAL HERE TO-DAY Twenty-one players were chosen by the sole (Mr A. Sowman) for Northland’s southern tour, following ah exhaustive series of trial matches. The, touring side is as follows:—Fullback, G. Hook (Whangarei); threequarters—G. Cunningham (Whangarei), J. B. Smith (Bay of Islands), N. Cherrington (Bay of Islands), K. Rika (Whangarei); five-eighths—P. Smith (Bay of Islands), I. Proctor (Whangarei), J. Murray (Mangonui); halfbacks—M. N. Paewai (Bay of Islands), D. Codling (Whangarei); front-row— S. Pausina (Bay of Islands), K. Werner (Mangonui), J. Te Haara (Northern Wairoa), P. Grove (Whangarei); second-row —S. Young (Bay of Islands), C. Sterling (Mangonui), C. Mcßae (Rodney), I. Fraser (Whangarei), S. White (Mangonui); back-row, N. Jurisich (Bay of Islands), J. Isaacs (Northern Wairoa). After defeating Auckland by 19 points to 17 on Saturday, the team flew to Christchurch, and will arrive in' Dunedin by the 4.18 p.m. express to-day. • The Northland team is captained by the Kiwi and All Black centre-three-quarter, J. B. Smith, who played in Dunedin for New Zealand in the first test against Australia last year. The vice-captain, Young, and Proctor, are fellow Kiwis. Proctor played for the Kiwis against Otago last year. The team assembled at Whangarei on July 27, and had four days’ training under the former All Black forward, Mr I. A. ("Bunny”) Finlayson, before leaving for Auckland. Mr Finlayson, who is accompanying the party on tour, represented ' New Zealand against New South Wales both in the Dominion and in Australia in 1925, and made further appearances for the All Blacks in Australia in 1926, in

South Africa in 1928, and against the British team in 1930, the two tests in which he played, including the match at Dunedin. Last season North Auckland defeated the touring Australian team by 32 points to 19, and Taranaki by 16 to 6, but lost to Auckland by 10 to nil. Hook, Cherrington, J. B. Smith, P. Smith, Proctor, Codling, Isaacs, White, Stirling, Fraser, and Pausina, members of the Northland touring side, all played against the Australians. Paewai, the former Otago player, was a member of the Wellington team which was defeated by Australia by 16 to 15. who appeared for Otago 10 times between 1940 and, 1943, subsequently represented Auckland, Wellington, and this year North Auckland. He has played for both the North and South Islands. Murray, a former Hawke s Bay and New Zealand Maori player, is a member of one of the northernmost clubs in the Dominion. Formerly a New Zealand Rugby League representative he played for Northland against Otago at Whangarei in 1939, when Otago won by 25 points to 12, Murray coming as a replacement in the second half. Cunningham and Codling played in the same game. Hook, a former Auckland representative player, who is Northland’s full-back, played at second five-eighths for Wanganui against Otago in 1939. . The shining lights in the North Auckland backs against Auckland on Saturday were the captain, J. B. Smith, at centre, his brother, P. Smith, at second five-eighths, and the half-back, M. N. Paewai. A message from Auckland states that any suggestion that Johnny Smith was past his best was soon proved wrong. He was the main source of danger in most of the back attacks and repeatedly got past L. Dobson, the Auckland centre, with his strong, brushing runs. Dobson could not handle him at all. P. Smith, also a member of this year’s All Blacks, is a bright and dangerous type of player.