SOUTH AFRICA’S ‘CONCRETE’ GROUNDS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 38, 7 May 1927, Page 12

SOUTH AFRICA’S ‘CONCRETE’ GROUNDS

TRIAL MATCHES FOR SELECTION OF ALL BLACKS (.Special to THE SUN.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. Next year’s New Zealand team for South Africa should have a short programme, in the opinion of Mr. S. Harris (Otago). At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union to-day, Mr. Harris said that he had been at Home when the English team had gone to South Africa, and after the first match they had cabled for more men. Eight of their players had been incapacitated on the hard ground. Mr. H. Manoy (Golden Bay) also pointed out that in South Africa there were not enough teams to warrant the playing of more than 20 matches, and that the result could only be duplication, and on the hard ground in northern districts, he assured the meeting, the fields were like concrete.

Mr. Harris moved, as a recommendation to the incoming Management Committee, that not more than 16 matches should be played.

In answer to an inquiry as to whether the Management Committee had committed itself to play a certain number of matches, Mr. S. S. Dean, chairman, said that it had suggested a limit of 21 games, but had made no promise.

Mr. W. J. Hardham asked whether the tour would be anything like a financial success if only a few matches were played. He did not think that this would be a fair thing to the South African delegates. How many matches did the South African team play when in New Zealand? The Chairman: Nineteen.

Mr. Dean said that conditions had changed in South Africa, and there were now some turf grounds in the north.

Mr. Harris thereupon pointed out that his motion was merely a recommendation to the Management Committee, but that he would withdraw it The committee could see the feeling of the meeting, and if it received represensations from South Africa it could weigh these carefully. TRIAL MATCHES

The union decided to play the following trial matches in view of the South African tour next year-

September 21: North Auckland and Auckland v. Thames Valley Waik ito and Bay of Plenty, at Auckland. Nel-'

son, Marlborough and Golden Bayt®j| Buller and West Coast, at 'Wsutport hSeptember 25: Hawke’s Bay, £®J*gj erty Bay and East Coast v. V'airanpa and Bush, at Napier. September 28: Wellington Manawatu-Horowhenua v. Taranaki and King Country, at ra®' erston North. ; m September 2S: Canterbury " South Canterbury v. Otago and Souu. land, at Dunedin. _ , cl] October 1: North Island v. so - Island, at Wellington. It was also decided that the folk* ing further trials should be P®-; early next season to finalise the s tion of the team: — Minor unions of the orth v ' S r^i« B £ minor unions of the South major unions of the North jslano major unions of the South i . North Island v. South Islana, -■ Possibles v. Probables.