SEARCH FOR NEW HALF

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19375, 13 July 1937, Page 7

SEARCH FOR NEW HALF

TASK FOR SELECTORS PROMINENT BACK PLAYERS CHOICE OF PACK DIFFICULT (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last night. Tiie half-back problem which lias confronted the New Zealand Rugby selectors since the defection through an injury of last year's half. B. S.

Sadler, may have been solved as a result of to-day’s two All, Black trials.

Making a poor impression on Saturday and starting off in little better style to-day, L. Russell, the Waikato half, improved rapidly, and in the final stages exhibited form as good as Sadler’s. A highlight was a dash on the blind side in which he left Dixon standing to send Dick away for a try. Russell was on the ground with the ball, but was up in a flash to originate this movement. His display was not perfect, but it had a touch oi genius.

Clothier’s performance was in a different category from the sound game he played behind the North Island scrum. lie could do little more than kick even when there was every need to send the ball out. Many of his kicks made more trouble than they relieved.

MeAulifTe was just as sound as on Saturday. The best feature of his game is the accuracy of his passes. Another bright feature of to-day’s games was the work of J. Dick on the wing. Dick knew what to do when he received the ball, ns his five tries out of nine show. Speed, a quick side-step, and, above all, quick thinking, are his assets. Another good wing three-quarter was Morrison. Once he used a side-step like Dick’s arid left Pollock behind to ground the ball under the posts, but

mostly he relied on hard, straight running. His defence was very sound, and Black could do nothing against him.

Dixon’s was a similar game to that of Saturday. He appears to have nothing beyond a fair amount of pace and willingness to give anything a go. McAneney Likely Wing

Cobden, Sutherland and McAneney saw little of the ball in their game, but tiie last-named looks a likely winger.

Pollock was a much-improved fullback, but lie is still not as good as lie can be. Ilis kicking lias not the length of Gilbert’s or Taylor’s, and Easton’s place-kicking is becoming noticed, it is still difficult to choose from tiie fullbacks.

Mitchell was the only All Black centre three-quarter to-day. In experience and football ability lie is head and shoulders above anyone else appearing in tiie trials. Killeen is a shadow of the man who thrilled spectators at Eden Park in the Auckland-Wellington match in 1933.

Tiie best five-eighths on the day were R. Vcilcli, Wellington, who was brought in to fill up a gap, And Crossman. Veiteli is speedy off the mark and runs straight. With a better man than Rtraclinn outside, Veiteli, Mitchell and company would have run up a huge tally. Strachan can penetrate occasionally, but has little idea of how to use an opening.

Crossman showed something of the ability which lias made him famous in the King Country and Auckland. With his speed he has a clever swerve, and this carried him past Solomon many times to-day. However, he ran away from his supports too often for his work to be of great advantage. Solomon's form was even poorer than that of Saturday. He appeared not to relish the position of first liveeighth, but there is none better at covering up mistakes. Sorting Themselves Out So far the backs have sorted themselves out into something like the following order: — Fullbacks.—Gilbert, Taylor, Easton and Pollock. Wingers.—Cobdcn, Dick, Sullivan. Morrison, Phillips and MeAncney. Centres. —Mitchell and Barton. Second five-eighths.—Hooper, Griffiths and Solomon. First live-eighths. Trevathan. Veitch and Crossman. Halfbacks.—Russell, McAu 1 i(Te and Clothier. Outstanding among the forwards is Rankin, his exhibition to-day being

even better than Saturday's. He runs and handles like a back. He is playing as well as ever, although his game to-day was somewhat more subdued.

The opposing hookers to-day were Orman and Hadley, and Lambourn and Dalton. Lambourn had easily the more success of .the latter pair, but this was balanced by Dalton’s fine work in the loose. There was not much between Hadley and Orman. Both were good loose forwards.

Best and Chcstcrman, both playing for the first time, were hard-working forwards with plenty of pace and weight.

Two forwards on the winning side who revealed pleasing form wore George and O’Dowda. Both were in the picture when the forwards took the ball downfield.

Pepper was a vastly-improved man after an average display on Saturday. His good work in the tight was probably noticed by the selectors when many others were “shining." Also improved were McKenzie and Jackson, both proving hard men to stop when they got under way, and fighting hard in all phases of the game. Of the other two opposing packs, Anderson, Ilorowhenua,-was replaced by Wells, who did not impress. Ilatterslev did some clean work in the line-outs at the start.

Milliken was again the best allround forward on the field. Andrews and Parkhill were always on the scene. Reid’s strength was felt in the scrums and line-outs. Pearce again was of great value in the defensive rucks. A prominent feature was the leading work of McClenaghan in the loose. On Saturday lie lost time in looking for support, but to-day lie went away at speed on his own, and generally found someone ranging alongside.