Black To Play As A Scrum-half In To-morrow’s Game

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27166, 23 August 1949, Page 9

Black To Play As A Scrum-half In To-morrow’s Game

From the NZPA Correspondent with the All Blacks KIMBERLEY. Aug. 21. The All Blacks’ selectors have decided on the experiment of playing N. W. Black as scrum-half in Wednesday’s match against North-eastern Districts, at Aliwal North. The great weakness throughout the tour, except for the first test, has been the slow service from the scrum, partly dut to .slow heeling of the ball, but mainly to the inability of the New Zealand halves to throw out the ball as far, or with the same speed, as the South Africans, although their play in other departments has been good. In some practices Black, deputising as a scrum-half, threw out excellent long passes, and although the tour appears too far advanced to try experiments. the selectors have decided on this change, as the All Blacks have everything to gain if it succeeds. The team for Wednesday’s match is:—

J. W. Goddard. I. J. Botting, M. P. Goddard, P. Henderson. F. H. Allen. J. C. Kearney, N. W. Black, J. L. Simpson. E. H. Catley, R. A. Dalton, J. R\ McNab, C. Willocks, H. F. Frazer, P. J. B. Crowley, and D. L. Christian. The North-eastern Districts’ team is drawn from a widely-scattered area, and is generally considered the weakest in South Africa. Goddard's Chances With such players as Kearney and Allen inside him, M. P. Goddard, who will be playing his third game in succession, should have every opportunity to attain peak form for the third test at Durban. His dashing form hat given renewed interest to the test series, and the All Blacks are hopeful that in the lower altitude for both the remaining tests (Johannesburg is 5740 feet above sea level) they will be able to repeat their Newland form, where *hey 'demonstrated that, given sufficient ball, they can overwhelm South Africa in general team work. They have only Wednesday’s match and the return game next Saturday against Orange Free State in which to find their third test side, but a mood of grim determination prevails. A f eature of the tour has been that every player has been given a fair chance to prove his claims for the highest honours.