BRITISH RUGBY TEAM

Taranaki Daily News, 2 May 1930, Page 5

BRITISH RUGBY TEAM

ALL BLACK PROSPECTS.

WHAT THE CRITICS THINK. “A strong team” and “a very useful side’ ’are among the comments of English critics on the British Rugby team which is to tour New Zealand this winter. The manager (Mr. J. Baxter), who is also chairman of the English selection committee, is delighted with the team, but F. J. Sellicks strikes a discordant note in the “London Sporting and Dramatic News.” “The side is not particularly impressive,” he says. The following article gives two different viewpoints, and also an article by C. W. Packford, in London Sporting Life, on the likely opposition the team will encounter in New Zealand. The “Athletic News” comments: — The names of the 29 players selected to make the trip to New Zealand —they leave London on April 16 and return in October —bears a very useful appearance. - The only uncapped man in the pack is J. McD. Hodgson, the tall, young Northumberland player, who. has been on the fringe of the English team this season. It will be noticed that Scotland, whose players formed the nucleus of the team that last set sail from this country—to South Africa in 1924 —have only one representative. The side will be under the control of Mr. J. Baxter, the chairman of the English selection committee, who made a big success of the same task he undertook to the Argentine a few months ago. . ' Mr. Baxter told the Athletic News that he was delighted with the team. “It differs in some cases,’ ’he pointed out, “from the men we first approached a year or so ago, blit we never expected that all those we invited originally would be able to go. “We should have liked men like George Stephenson and G. P. S. Macpherson to have been able to accept, but they could not manage it. Any side that can be selected from 24 internationals —the great majority of them tills season’s choices —must be regarded as representative. “I may say that very great care has been taken with the selections, and if our anticipations are realised the men will blend together splendidly. And one’s own personal knowledge of the men is an assurance that they will be a distinct credit to the United Kingdom both on and off the field.”

Writing in the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, F. J. Sellicks says:

The names of the 29 players who are to tour in New Zealand and Australia this summer are not particularly impressive, and even the most stupid optimist can hardly call them representative. It would be possible, if all were fit and well, to get a fairly powerful 15 out of them, but in some cases there seems but little reserve talent. Suppose, for example, either W. H. Sobey or R. S. Spong got damaged, what would be their prospects in a Test match with the All Blades ? And what if J. Bassett were to be crocked?

There is a good deal of talent among the three-quarters chosen, and if the tour is taken more seriously than has been the case on some previous occasions, the third line should become quite formidable. T. E. Jones-Davies may easily make good, J. S. Reeve and J. C. Morley are not likely to meet with many superior wings, ftijd R. Jennings, the Cornis'hman, may become very useful. He has many of the attributes of a good player, and the tour may give him what he lacks, experience in a better class of football than he can get in the far West.

Some excellent forwards are going, and W. W. Wakefield will get splendid support from G. R. Beamish and the two Dark Blue internationals. It will be surprising to some people if J. McD. Hodgson, the Northumberland skirmisher, does not develop into a.very fine forward. W. B. Welsh, the Border forward, has the distinction of being the only Scottish player in the party, which does not look as if the Scottish authorities were altogether enthusiastic. Since this was written, W. AV. Wakefield has dropped out of the side, which will be captained by F. D. Prentice (Lei-

coster'. The following article on New Zealand’s prospects is by C. O W. Packford, in London Sporting Life: — The visit of the British -team to New Zealand —for this is what is its real intention, although a few matches will be played in Australia —may have a far-reaching effect on the future of the game in the Dominion. As many are aware, the New Zealand game differs slightly from that over here, inasmuch as the direct kick into touch is not allowed from all parts of the field, and there are a few other minor differences. In view of the arrival of the men from the Motherland, the New Zealand Rugby Union is” almost certain to instruct those clubs and organisations affiliated to it to play all games under the rules of the International Board from the very beginning of the season. If this is done, it is long odds that they will play under these rules in the future, which will certainly be a step in the direction of uniformity throughout the Empire. I have many good friends in New Zealand Who keep me in constant touch with sporting matters out there. From what I can gather from them, while the standard of play out there, is up to the average, our men will not be faced with a combination so brilliant as was that invincible team of 1925 which, under the captaincy of C. G. Porter, played 30. matches, winning them all with a score of 721 pointe to 112. Nor should it be equal to Davw Gallagher’s 1905 team that in 33 games only suffered one reverse.

The chief difficulty of New Zealand at the moment appears to be due to an absence of fast outsides, for A. E. Cooke, who was so successful over here, still appears the only one comparable to those wonder men who five years ago played havoc with any defence opposed to them. It would be ridiculous, however, to bank on any weakness behind the sorum, for apparently New Zealand possesses several young players who display real promise of successful development. , They do not appear as yet to have discovered successors to Mark Nicholls, K. S. Svenson, John Steel, J. J. Mill, N. P. McGregor, F. W. Lucas and A. H. Hart, those meir whose bewildering movements in attack created such a sensation.

The forwards, however, are causing them no worry at all. It is hoped that Maurice Brownlie will be persuaded to lead them, and on the form displayed in the last inter-Island game, and the match between New Zealand and the Maoris, the All Blacks should be particularly well served in this important position. It is believed that thereversion to the direct kick into touch rule will be the means of tightening up forward play all round. As regardj the team, it does not eecm possible that there will be many of the 1924 combination left to participate in the Test matches. The Brownlies may play—and if so Maurice will skipper the team —and Cooke and Ronald Stewart, the forward, are certainties, while it is extremely probable that George Nepia—in the opinion of W. W. Wakefield the finest full-back he has ever seen—will once more be at full-back.

I believe Mark Nicholls has definitely retired —at least from representative games—and I have heard nothing of the outsides I have already mentioned, nor of John Richardson, who led the All Blacks in their international engagements in the British Isles, Andrew White, Frank Cuppies and “Bob” Masters, the most prominent, with the Brownlies, of the 1924 pack. Altogether our men appear destined to meet a new All Blacks’ formation. They will face one, however, stiffened, probably, by a few of the old 1926 brigade that will attle as fiercely for the honours.- as. did those great fcdloyvs who won their chief games at Dublin, Cardiff, Twickenham- and Paris.