THIRD SOCCER TEST

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 91, 8 July 1927, Page 10

THIRD SOCCER TEST

The Sole Selector Farce — Is Mr. Salmon All At Sea? AUCKLANDERS JETTISONED (By “Perseus”) THE third Soccer Test match between New Zealand and Canada to be staged at Wellington to-morrow will be the critical one in the series of four. At Dunedin the first game ended in a draw, while last Saturday’s game in Christchurch saw the Soccer “All Blacks” go down, after a dour struggle, by the odd goal in three. An astonishing feature of the contests so far has been the attitude of the New Zealand sole selector, and his vagaries have been the subject of much comment in Soccer circles throughout the Dominion.

TT was realised when the Canadians landed in Auckland that we had with us a fine team of clever expon-

ents of the round ball code who would take a lot of stopping - when they got into their stride. So far the only check in their triumphant tour has been a one-goal defeat on the West Coast of the South Island, where the burly miners bumped them off their game, and the All Blacks made a draw of the first Test in Dunedin.

The Kanucks play an artistic and finished game, combined with all their weight and energy, and a will to win which carries them

through. To uphold the standard of the “ Silver Fern” against the bearers of the

“ Maple Leaf” the N e w Zealand Council, in its wisdom, selected Mr. Bert Salmon, of Wellington, as the sole selector

r-, , o . for the New ZeaMr. B. L. Salmon , and represe„tatives, on a clear and distinct understanding that he would consult with

the selectors in the main centres. When making his first selection, Mr. Salmon, without consulting the Auckland selector, asked the local authorities whether Tinkler, Innes and

“ Garrett” were available for the first Test, and after a vehement protest from the Auckland Football Association about this casual way of doing things, five Aucklanders were ordered South to uphold New Zealand’s honour, and did so with credit in the first two Tests.

From the report of one of the Auckland members who has returned, the Auckland “All Blacks” travelled to Dunedin, where the first team assembled, and there trained themselves until the night before the match when the real trainer arrived and explained how they were to beat the Kanucks the next day. The sole selector was not present at the Dunedin match; in fact it is stated he did not see the Wellington v. Canada game, but a draw evidently justified his selection, and his silence meant that he was satisfied for the same New Zealand lads to carry on the good work on the following Saturday at Christchurch, as the same team exactly turned out, and went down by the odd goal after a very hard game. Then someone must have woke up the sole selector in his armchair, in the Soccer war office in Wellington, as he

had kept Dan Jones, the New Zealand skipper, under orders to remain on deck, and wired Mr. Ncesham, the Auckland sole selector, to ship five new men South to save the situation. But the Thistle imbroglio had reached a crisis

here, and the S.O.S. appeal to Auckland could not be responded to.

Now* Mr. Salmon has determined to take drastic steps to justify his job and prove that he is the sole man to fill it. Without seeing his selected “All Blacks” in action, he has sacked the half-back line and brought in four new forwards. So that in to-morrow’s Test, Harry Spencer will be Auckland’s sole representative, and judging by his remarks before leaving, he has a certain amount of dubiety as centre-for-ward in the job ahead of him in rallying the New Zealand front line. Nicolle, of Wellington, who relieves Innes at outside right, broke a leg last season but must be fit again, while Ballard, of the Empire City, is an old-timer who is sure to play a good game, but was not thought good enough for the Wellington reps, against the Canadians. At inside left, McCormack (Otago), is a clever forward, but of a very individual type without a strong ‘sense of team-work, and Hooper, the old Auckland naval hero, is a pure opportunist who gets plenty of goals when the going is good and easy. At the crucial position of centre-half, Mr. Salmon is trying a surprise packet in Campbell, a Petone “B” grade player, who has performed well in club games,

)ut is not to be confused with CampDell, the old Wellington centre-for-vard, who was a champion goalscorer for the “All Blacks” a few years Dack. Burke, who displaces Dan (ones at left-half, is a hard player of :he type to stop the men from East ind West of the Rockies, and Cooper (Otago) has the physique and tem-

perament to stand up to a ding-dong struggle. But the ways of the selector are peculiar and the issue is speculative in the extreme. If the “Ail Blacks” can win or even draw, the final Test in Auckland on the 23rd, will be a game worth going a long way to see. But is the same muddled method of selection to continue? One hopes Mr. Salmon will at least have a look at to-morrow’s game in Wellington, and even if the New Zealand team does make good, it will not be the result of selectorial assistance, but in spite of it.