INTENSE INTEREST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27385, 10 May 1950, Page 8

INTENSE INTEREST

Observers From AH Districts STUDY OF TACTICS PA NELSON, May 9. In the 80 years that Rugby has been played in Nelson, no match has created as wide interest as tomorrow’s first appearance in New Zealand of the British Isles team against Nelson-Marl-borough-Golden Bay-Motueka combined. That interest does not lie in the result—a win for Combined would be a Rugby sensation—but in the form of the visitors, their style of play, their scrum formation and general tactics.* Observers from all parts of the Dominion will attend. The president of the New Zealand Rugby Union, Mr G. A. Finlayson, and the chairman of the Executive Committee, Mr A. St. C. Belcher, will watch the opening match. Mr R. W. S. Botting, the senior vice-president, is now with the British team as liaison officer. Mr G. Bradley, of the New Zealand Rugby Referees’ Association, arrived today to meet the captain and manager. They will discuss interpretation of the laws. He was accompanied by the referee for the match, Mr E. Tindill, of Wellington. Nelson is packed out with visitors for the opening match. The weather today is summery, and the ground hard. Similar conditions will very likely rule tomorrow. Provision has been made at Trafalgar Park for a crowd of between 7000 and 8000, which would be a record for Nelson. There has been one change in each team. I. Leggat, the promising Nelson College five-eighth of two seasons back, will come in as centre to replace F. Hobson, who is injured, and Henderson, who has strained a muscle, has been replaced in the British threequarter line by R. Macdonald (list 121 b).

To the surprise of most people, the British team will have an advantage in weight. Its forwards average a shade under 14st, with the three heaviest men—Hayward (15st 41b), Nelson (14st 31b), and Stephens (15st) —filling what are the lock positions in a 3-2-3 scrum.

The Combined team’s packmen average 13st 101 b, with S. W. Woolley, the former Kiwi lock, weighing 15st 71b. Woolley played for the South Island last year. Britain looks to have the more mobile pack, and, according to the manager, Surgeon-captain Osborne, it will pack 3-2-3 or 3-4-1 as the occasions suit. “There is no secret about our scrumming,” said Surgeon-captain Osborne this morning. “We have no special tricks, but we may employ 3-2-3 when we want to screw a scrum and so on. All will depend on our scrum leader on the field.”

The weights of the British threequarters are worth noting. Of the wings, Thomas is 13st, Lane, a former British sprint champion, is list 81b, and both centres, Matthews and Henderson, are well over 13st. If this three-quarter line gets moving on the hard ground there should be thrilling play. In any case, good judges expect Britain to win by double figures. Play will begin 'at 2.45 p.m.