LILBURNE FOR LEAGUE

Taranaki Daily News, 6 September 1935, Page 12

LILBURNE FOR LEAGUE

EX-ALL BLACK CHANGES GREAT FOOTBALL RECORD • ! ' \ An All Black in 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932 and 1934, Herbert T. Lilbume, captain of the Hutt (Wellington) Rugby club, has tumdd to the Rugby League code and will appear for the first time in his new i-ole as centre for Wellington against Auckland to-morrow. He is also to play three matches for the Central Club and will complete the season with a match against the Australians. Lilburne was Hutt’s mainstay in the team’s effort to win the Wellington senior championship this season, and, although Hutt finished second to Petone, he played inspired football last Saturday, when Hutt beat Petone in a trophy match. Lilburne first played representative football for Canterbury B in 1924 and from 1925 to 1930 he appeared for the A team in every match he was available for. He played for the South Island in 1927 and in the South African tour the next year he played in 14 matches, including two tests. In 1929 he went with the New Zealand team to Australia, also playing for the South Island, and the following year he played in two of the four tests against the visiting British team. In 1931 Lilbume moved to Wellington and played for New Zealand against the visiting Australian team. He went to Australia again in 1932 and 1934 and has played-for Wellington and the north is'land every year since 1929. This year he received a great ovation from 30,000 people at the final All Black trial match at Wellington on June 15 when he took the place of N. Mitchell (Southland). He did reach the AU Black team, however,' although there were many who thought him unlucky. Lilbume played for Wellington against Taranaki at Hawera this year, as a first five-eighth and showed glimpses of his greatness, although his unsuccessful attempt at the ; conversion of Wellington’s final try meant a loss instead of a draw. He was placed as one of the best five players of 1934 by Messrs. Read, Masters and A. C. Swan, authors of the 1934 N.Z. Rugby Almanac, being regarded as the greatest match-winner in the country. Occasionally he has been accused of overdoing the stab-punt, but, says the Almanac, “one finds that while he' is being accused that way his opponents have also been led to believe that he was going to continue with the same idea, only to find that something else has happened, a try has been scored and Lilburne a match-winner again.” His defence is unquestionable and he is probably the soundest inside back in New Zealand. Lilbume has, since the announcement that he intends to play League, stated that 1935 is definitely his last season in football.