THE SOUTHLAND TEAM
Sir,—So the Southland team was beaten on Saturday. This year Southland are supposed to be building up their team with a view to defending the Ranfurly Shield within the next year or two. Knowing this, our selectors proceeded to pick a pack of which only two men, Budd and Thornton, have more than a season or two of representative Rugby before them. The selection of Mcßae was inevitable and necessary, but apart from those three there is no excuse for playing the rest. The selectors seem to take great pride in the fact that three of the pack were in the Southland team of six years ago. This, of course, is very commendable. The older they are, the better we like them. Or do we? It would appear that our promising young half-back,. Watson, received no support from his forwards on Saturday. Now, after witnessing some of the good forward displays at Rugby Park this year, I am of the opinion that a team of forwards the equal of Otago, and probably better, could be picked. When a Southland pack that is incapable of supporting its half-back takes the field, it is about time to hold an inquest—an inquest either on the selectors’ methods or their capabilities. I remember writing a letter along these same lines in 1938. It seems that history repeats itself, and no mistake. DISGUSTED AGAIN.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ST19450730.2.65.2
Bibliographic details
Southland Times, Issue 25737, 30 July 1945, Page 6
Word Count
232THE SOUTHLAND TEAM Southland Times, Issue 25737, 30 July 1945, Page 6
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