Auckland Players and All Black Selection

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 143, 7 September 1927, Page 11

Auckland Players and All Black Selection

H.P.B. Writes: Assuming that A. E. Cooke, Q. Donald, and W. Irvine of Wairapapa, and M. Xicholls of Wellington are unavailable for the forthcoming South African Rugby Union Tour, on form this season the team below looks grood as a North Island team in the forthcoming trials. Here they are. What do you think? V. Butler, 13.8. W. L. E Ivy, 11.12;: F. W. Lucas, 11.4; L. Hook, 11.3. A. Berridge, 12.7;: T. R. Sheen, 11.3; F. Kilby, 10.10. C. G. Porter, 12.12. S. Hadley, 13.0; J. P. Swain, 11.3 I. H. Harvey, 15.7; A. Knight, 13.13; A. Pringle, 13.13; M. Brownlie, 14.10; I. Firilayson, 15.7. Many will laugh at the inclusion of practically an Auckland back team, well, may be they are justified in their mirth, but the Auckland backs have worked up a fine combination, that has proved a wonderful scoring machine, and when one reflects that Taranaki, Manawhenua, Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa have all failed to actually cross Auckland s line this season, sound defence also must be included in their make up. It may be asking too much to expect the inclusion of seven Aucklanders, in a North Island Representative team, however strong their respective claims may be, and more forcibly is this brought to mind when one realises that Auckland has no delegate to extoll its claims, amongst the “Big Six,” on whose shoulders rest the fate of those who will get, or wont get, a trip to South Africa. It is absurd to think that on one performance a man is to be summed up; the very best have their off days; but it will be bad luck for the Auckland provincial rep. whose off day is the 24tli next, the clay of the All Blacks trial match. While speaking of the Auckland trial, it is somewhat reassuring to know the selectors feel capable of blowing up to Auckland for one day. and summing up the Football talent drawn from about one third of the Dominion’s total population. Let us hope that they are capable, and select Auckland’s quota justly. Rugby in Auckland is flourishing from a public point of vi ew; on two consecutive Saturdays 20,000 spectators have turned out to wateh their team do battle with invaders and the team has not disappointed, so fai, toi it has whipped soundly all the opposition which it has met this season. It is problematical if this interest will be sustained in the years to come if the Auckland governing body, does not get a voice in the allocation of the big matches, and a finger m the pie of the Dominion Management Can you imagine a North Island 1 ro bable versus Possibles game at Auckland good fo rat least-a 20,000 gate, I should suggest; but then it is to be held at Palmerston North, which is different.