NOT TAKING ANY CHANCES

Southland Times, Issue 23308, 18 September 1937, Page 10

NOT TAKING ANY CHANCES

Springboks Choose Strong Pack

MATCH AGAINST EAST COAST TEAM

By J. G. McLEAN

(REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SOUTHLAND TIMES WITH THE SPRINGBOKS)

GISBORNE, September 17. The Poverty Bay-East Coast-Bay of Plenty team to play against the Springboks includes several powerful Maoris. The pack will be among the heaviest they have met. Tuhoro and Ririnui, the front-rankers, are both over 15 stone. Davies, full-back, and Grant, wing, are former Auckland representatives.

The ground was so hard yesterday that it had been proposed to soften it with fire-hoses. Rain has since fallen, making this course unnecessary. The Springboks are plainly taking no chances in preserving their unbeaten record as they have chosen another strong pack. Several players in the meantime are getting few games. C. B. Jennings, who proved himself a fine type of forward, has played but once since the first Test. Yet M. M. Louw continues to play regularly. He is hooking tomorrow as J. W. Lotz is being spelled before the third Test. The Springboks said farewell to Mr P. W. Day, the manager, last evening, presenting him with a silver coffee service. He was deeply touched. He left this morning for Auckland, where he will catch the boat on Tuesday. A. R. Sheriff and G. L. van Reenen are unlikely to play again on the tom - . Several non-Test players humorously say they are saving themselves up for the North Auckland match. Meantime the chief problem is to. combat

travel-weariness. Long bus journeys are undoubtedly conducive to staleness. The team does not (relish the prospects of Sunday’s fatiguing bus trip to Rotorua. Several are angling for lifts in cars. The teams are:— SPRINGBOKS Full-back: G. Brand. Three-quarters: J. A. Brodrijk, J. White, L. Babrow, C. P. Lochner, J. Bester (one to be dropped). Half-backs: T. A. Harris, D. H. Craven, P. de Villiers (one to be dropped). Forwards: H. Watt, L. Strachan, B. du Toit, M. van den Berg, P. J. Nel, M. M. Louw, H. Martin, S. C. Louw. The final selection will be made early tomorrow afternoon. COMBINED TEAM Full-back: M. Davies. Three-quarters: A. McAneny, A. Read, E. Grant. Five-eighths: T. Wi Repa, J. C. Reedy. Half-back: D. Swinbourne. Forwards: R. Rogers, O. Phillips, F. McAneny, T. Whiteley, J. Lockwood, D. Tuhoro, W. Matheson, P. Ririnui. OUTCOME OF THIRD TEST SPRINGBOK MANAGER HAS NO DOUBTS (United Press Association) GISBORNE, September 17. According to Mr P. W. Day, manager of the Springboks, there is no uncertainty as to the outcome of the third Test at Auckland. Interviewed last evening he stated that the loss of the first Test was due to failure of the team to back up the man with the ball. It was a sheer lapse of form which gave no real indication of the merit of the Springboks’ team. The second game at Christchurch brought-out the real form of the tourists and the same qualities would assure the team of winning the rubber. ACCOMMODATION FOR VISITORS TO AUCKLAND (United Press Association' AUCKLAND, September 17. Auckland residents have . responded readily to the appeal to provide accommodation for visitors to the city to see the final Rugby Test match between the Springboks and the All Blacks and by tonight approximately 800 beds had been offered. The Auckland office of the Tourist Department, which set up an emergency accommodation bureau in conjunction with the Auckland Rugby Union, is handling the scheme. A feature of the offers is the large number from people who have never before had paying guests in their homes. In many cases those offering accommodation had no idea of what to charge. Some of the people offering beds for visitors did not wish to make any charge. The results to date indicate unmistakably the desire on the part of Aucklanders to relieve the anxiety of those who, otherwise, would be faced with the prospect of walking the streets. “On Friday of next week,” said the Mayor (Sir Ernest Davis), “I would ask citizens not to be backward in filling the breach.”