Springboks Preparing

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 86, 2 July 1927, Page 11

Springboks Preparing

Visit of All Blacks

South African Forward’s Warning

SOUTH AFRICA must prepare, this year, for gigantic struggles for the world’s Rugby championship,” says Flank Mellish, captain of Western Provinces, and possessor of English and African Rugby international caps, in an article in the South African magazine “The Outspan.

\\S are apt (writes Mr. Mellish, who was a member of the 1921 team in New Zealand) to judge South African Rugby by the standard attained in the days just immediately prior to the War » On that basis we must admit ttwd, although our forwards to-day are equal to the forwards of the preWar days, it is doubtful whether our Play is quite on a par with it. 1 have had considerable experience Rugby both in England and South Africa, and I have also played in New I speak, therefore, of the same from a very intimate connecJ*°n with it, although I do not desire to arrogate to myself the powers of 411 infallible critic. I merely give my opinions, learned in the hard school of experience. At the present moment in South Africa there is a dearth of centres of real international calibre. There w#r « welcome signs during the J**«on just gone by that young b °y* were forthcoming who might Perhaps fill the gap. This is our m ain weakness.

At fullback we are well served. As e ßards wings, South Africa has al'v*ys been well off, and has always fen able to hold her own with the ‘Jgby-playing countries of the world, u halfbacks Osier stands out alone ?; the present moment. Concering -orwards, we might not be so “hefty” New Zealanders, yet in innate wil and in the art of forward play ao not think we /have much to learn rom any country in the world. When ' n °y®'Smith’s team was out here it good forwards —some of the • at m Britain—yet we could more . hold our own with this “pack.” ‘ Go not think I am going too far £ saying that, man for man. we were •■ iter than they were. We easily und methods of circumventing their ’Called loose forward. Our back . y Was, of course, superior, although U lt admitted they made no preten,u° na to being “classy” at back, with exception of Kinnear and *** Drysdale. I s2B TO DECIDE WORLD

CHAMPIONS it comes to comparing New with s °uth Africa, then, outthe Service team’s tour in South k and our visit to New Zealand, ? 0 . ft * Ve bothing concrete from which now comparisons. Taking a line, a V j l *’ trough what we did in New durin & a year that was adl dkl 6 ! v lean for South African Rugby, think I can be accused of not fair in saying that we experih a *bore than a modicum of bad when we played in New Zeain the last teat match, tad , d the weather not been so tep>. * e r might have won the “rubof hrv . do not want to be accused loin»! ting * and therefore I am not to affirm definitely that {South

Africa would have beaten New Zealand under better conditions. It must be remembered that New Zealand is improving after the war period in the same ratio that we are ourselves, and there is no getting away from the fact that New Zealand and ourselves, as agreed by the trend of British criticism, and the opinions of those qualified to judge, have a slight superiority over British Rugby, This means that in the season 1928 the winners of the “rubbermay be accepted as world champions on the Rugby field. But we must never forget that the wearers of the black jersey are a hard side to beat. Allow me here to quote a few facts anent the respective doings of the Springboks and the All Blacks in G New Zealand played 33 matches, won 32, lost one, and scored 868 points 88 fcloutli Africa, on the other hand, played 28 matches, won and drew one, sconn o 533 pointo aS Now t to* the international matches. New Zealand beat Scotland 1- /» Ireland 15—0, England 15—0 and lost tQ South. o Africa lost to Scotland 0 6, beat Ireland 15—12, beat Wales 11—U and drew with England 3—3.

We now come to the 131- am ’ which played 27, won 24 and lost three, soorins 441 points against 101. ?n international matches South Af. . 11 16—0, Ireland 38— v. SLo. and England 9-3 scoring against three Points 11S compare this with .ne js-j 26 1 A11 Black team, in land °ir W ° n Scotland did not points against 11- in this fe; ‘lreland o_ r b ’ Ys-u South African side visaed 1 New matches, winning - ’ ed 373 points losing 2, and they *- *1 . against 119. The results of the Tests W Fi e rsl : South Africa 5, New Zealand “second: South Africa 9, New Zealand U ' Third: South Africa 0, New Zealand °-Total points: South Africa 14, New Zealand 18. "THE TERRIBLE SEVEN loos visit to our shores will woHd will watch the doings of the two countries. t ~u ot e a few lines gSS^srg-rasisrs

the 1905 team. ' Speaking of the composition of the All Blacks, he says: “Whilst the back division has built up a splendid cohesion and understanding in play, probably the strongest portion of this team is the vanguard. Their physique is most exceptional for men of activity and speed. They are the heaviest and tallest men that have ever represented New Zealand. Kxcept for the front row men. i.e.. the ■hookers,' there is not a member who is under 14 stone in weight. It is possible for them to put down a pack with an average of just over 15 stone per man. Truly, 'A Terrible Seven.’ In stature, excepting the hookers, Lomas, Irvine and Kirkpatrick, who are all about sft 9in or loin, all the forwards are 6ft in height, and several exceed this. “These giants are all expert handlers in line-outs, in passing movements, and hard to beat for possession in the open. They constitute a tremendous dynamic force, being literally an avalanche of trained brawn and muscle.'' We must not be led away by this well-known Rugby critic, who is somewhat inclined to be overoptimistic, but his views must certainly be treated with respect. I think, therefore, taking all the facts into consideration, the odds are about equal in the forthcoming gigantic struggles between the two countries, providing we immediately set about preparing ourselves and endeavour to form the nucleus of a South African side from the material we have at our disposal. 1 would like here to pay a generous tribute for any success, which, in the future, might fall either to ourselves or to New Zealand. We learnt our football from Great Britain, and if we surpass the masters as the years roll by it is entirely due to the principles of fair play which they drilled into us in the days when we were more or less novices at one of the finest sports in the world.

P W L r> F A New Zealand . . . . 4 3 1 o 42 2 11-9 10 21 South Africa .. 4