FEW SURPRISES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27391, 17 May 1950, Page 8

FEW SURPRISES

The AH Black Side RICH IN EXPERIENCE The omission of J. B. Smith is perhaps the biggest surprise in the selection of the New Zealand team- for the first test against the British team. There are. however, only two players in the 15 chosen who are new to All Black honours. They are G. E. Beatty (Taranaki) and N. P. Cherrington (North Auckland).

Beatty, who played in the Ranfurly Shield challenge against _ Otago last year, was first five-eighth in the North Island team which defeated the South Island at- Christchurch, while Cherrington, who played impressively for North Auckland against Otago in the Ranfurly Shield game in 1947, was a member of the New Zealand Maori team last year. Nine of last year’s All Black side are included in the team, these, being R. W. H. Scott (Auckland), W. A. Meates (Otago), R. R. Elvidge (Otago), P. A. Johnstone (Otago), P. J. B. Crowley (Auckland), L. R. Harvey (Otago), J. R McNab (Otago), K. L. Skinner (Otago), and J. G. Simpson (Auckland). In South Africa an Aucklander in F. R. Allen captained the All Blacks, and R. A. Dalton (Otago) was vice-captain. This time the positions are reversed, Elvidge (Otago) being captain and Simpson (Auckland) vice-captain. With Mullen as captain of the British Isles team, the match would probably be unique in that the respective sides will be led by medical men. A. M. Hughes (Auckland), R. A. White (Poverty Bay), R. A. Roper (Taranaki) and V. D. Bevan (Wellington) played for New Zealand against Australia last year, while Bevan was in the All Black side which toured Australia in 1947. Had he been available for selection, it almost goes without saying -that Bevan would have been the first choice as halfback for South Africa. The provincial representation is:— Otago 6, Auckland 4, Taranaki 2, North Auckland 1, Wellington 1, and Poverty Bay 1. Three members of the side played' for the Kiwis in England —Scott, Meates and Simpson.