TEAM TO PLAY BRITISH EMPIRE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18785, 14 June 1929, Page 14

TEAM TO PLAY BRITISH EMPIRE.

SOUTH AFRICAN CRITIC CHOOSES STRONG SIDE.

Following the tour of South Africa by the All Black side last season, a competent critic in the person of Mr IT. B. Keartland, a Cape Town writer, who witnessed every match the New Zealanders played, consented at the request of an African journal, “ The Outspan,” to name a possible fifteen picked from South Africa and New Zealand to play the rest of the British Empire. Placing the team in accordance with African formation he selected the Springbok Mostert, as forward leader and team captain. From a New Zealander’s viewpoint it is significant that he chose W. C. Dailey as scrum half, and included F. W. Lucas in the three-quarter line, and R. F. Stewart, S. Hadley and R. G. M’Williams in the vanguard. When Mr Graham E. Beamish, official representative of the New Zealand Press Association with the team, selected a side to represent South Africa and New Zealand against the Empire, he also selected the five players mentioned.

The following are comments and the team picked by Mr Keartland: — “ First and foremost I would depend upon the South African pack formation because I am convinced that there is none better. Yet I must frankly confess to a state of doubt as to whether the New Zealand formation with its stronger lines of defence and its more specialised positions in the centre is not superior to the orthodox, and hastily pass on to the selection of players lest in pondering over the matter I might change my mind.” Mr Keartland selects the following fifteen:— Full-back: Tindall. Three-quarters: Slater, E. Osier, Lucas, Grenside. Halves: B. Osier, Dailey. Forwards: Mostert (captain), Hadley, Stewart; Nel, Alley, M’Williams; Daneel, van Druten. “ Right at the onset one has a big problem in choosing between the two full-backs ” (continues the South African critic). “The very highest standard of full-back play was touched by the young New Zealander, Lindsay, in the breathless game he played in the Durban test match and ever since he has been a creditable representative of the country which produced Nepia, though in the last few games before he wa c ini nre'' l he fell a wav somewhat.

Tindall has also been a very trustworthy player. He gave a remarkably fine exhibition in the first test match and was better than Lindsay in the Port Elizabeth game. Both have a fine sense of positional play which is the more remarkable in Lindsay in that he has rarely played in the position before he came to South Africa.

“ I think that Lindsay will develop ‘ into a really outstanding player, but I have an idea he w’ill come into his own as a centre, in which position he j was selected for the touring side and in which he gave a really fine displav in the first Free State match As experience means so much in the position I think I would pin my faith in Tindall “ The wing-three quarter play on both sides has been most important throughout and the only player who showed really penetrating dash such as one expects to see in an international wing was Jack Slater in the first test match, who therefore walks into the team. One must obviously look to the New Zealanders to supply the other player and Grenside, a strong rugged runner with a powerful fend off, must be given the place Carleton’s Claims. “ The centres are much more difficult to determine upon, as Stanley Osier, J C. van der Westhuizen, Lucas, Carleton, all have claims for consideration. Van der Westhuizen appeals to me a great deal, but though he has the ability to draw his man and is quick to get through the gap, he was disappointing in the weak manner in which he finished his movements in the second and third test matches. He also j seems a trifle lacking in pace. On test match work Carleton, a magnificent defender if ever there was one, and Stanley Osier should be given the places, particularly as safety first seems to be the guiding principle in test Rugby as in test cricket. I might be disposed to embark upon an experiment on which few will agree and that is to let Bennie Osier change places with his brother. There is no doubt that Bennie Osier is a great footballer. “Stanley Osier has all the equipment of a really outstanding fly-halt of the orthodox type and would do well in that position, while Bennie should _do equally well at centre where his quickness off the mark would be a great asset to his line and his kicking, both in attack and defence, equally valuable even if he did not get quite so many opportunities to exploit it. I would insist that S. Osier’s position would always be that of inside centre instead

of changing over. He has more chances at goal-getting at fly-half and he must not be deprived of this matchwinning factor, and here I make a huge concession to the New Zealand formation.

“Before I pass on from Bennie Osier, however, I must say that Mark Nicholls gave the best exhibition of second fiveeighths play seen in the tour at East London when for most of the game he was marked by a Springbok centre and no mean defender in Duffy. Other of his displays have not been of the same high standard, however, and for that reason I am passing him over. “It now comes to the question of selecting an outside centre who would have to have speed and dash and after hesitating over the name of van der Westhuizen I would pick that clever player Lucas, who has not had many chances. Thus my line would be Slater, Stanley, Osier, Lucas and Grenside with Bennie Osier, fly-half.

Dailey and Kilby. "The best scrum-half display given on the tour was by D. Devine in the Transvaal match, but he did not sustain his form. De Villiers, the other Springbok scrum-half, was very good indeed in both the first and third test matches, while both Dailey and Kilby are exceedingly fine players. Really, I suppose one should play de Villiers with Osier as they know one another’s play, but I consider Dailey the best player in the position on account of the manner in which he vanes his play and the New Zealander would go into my team. “The forwards would play the hammer head scrum of 3-3-2. I have not the slightest doubt that this is the best formation. The winger or rover does not appeal to me in the least as he is essentially a spoiler and obstructionist. “To condense the many fine forwards we have seen in both packs to eight players is the hardest task of all because there are only about four players who select themselves as the saying goes and any of a dozen might be included to make up the pack. The first thing to determine is the hooker and this is one of the most difficult of problems. Both Mostert and Kruger have been highly successful for South Africa and the whole of the three New Zealand hookers, Swain, Hadley and Burrows. are the most accomplished in the position. “ I do not think the South African hookers have been more successful than the All Blacks because they are better hookers, but mainly because the South African formation is an assistance and they have been better supported in the essential matter of solid push. My preference will, therefore, go to Hadley who throughout has proved himself a fine hooker and a great worker in the tight. I would put Mostert on the one side and then look for another big strong forward, and, moreover, a clever one to go on the other side. Alley’s Claims. " Stewart, to my mind, is the best forward in the All Blacks’ side and moreover is recognised by his fellows as a solid pusher when set to do so and I will therefore put him in the front line in the certainty he will fully hold his own with the opposition. My main consideration for the second row of forwards will be weight and power. All my forwards need not be too clever so long as they combine first as a scrum-making machine and . then fulfil the various functions associated with vanguard play. I would take G. *1 - Alley for the centre of the second row and include M"Williams, a really accomplished forward, and P. J- Nel, not because he is one of the first four forwards in the country, but because he has the weight and strength that will I help to balance the pack, while in the back row I should have G. Daneel, one of the best forwards seen in the whole of the test matches, and Dr van Druten, who can be used if necessary as a defensive winger “ These two rear rank men can m an emergency take any place in the back division. Thus, without waiting to ponder over the selection and the many good men I have missed out, my team would be as indicated. “Maurice Brownlie and Ftmayson, both very fine forwards of their type, are passed over because rightlv or wrongly, I do not think they wo. k in the scrum.”

Wimbledon Champion As Clever as Ever.

R. Lacoste, the Wimbledon champion, brought off a double win in the North London Hard Court Club lawn tennis tournament on April 23. "'hen he retained his challenge cup in the men’s singles and won the doubles m partnership with J. Brugnon, his victim in the singles final. Brugnon was off-colour, and was easily beaten by 6-1. 62, 6-3. All that Lacoste had to do was to play with his usual accuracy. The length of his h- - ting was impeccable and, in angling ms voile vs, he used the whole breadth of the court with unfailing judgment. Speed is the essence of success in football—individual speed, speed in combined movements, speed in c.efence, speed in covering faulty movements, and mental speed. Old Boys, being superior to other teams in these several departments, quite properly occupy the top of the competition table m Christchurch. Speed makes for attractive football: slow motion play fills the " bankers ” with a desire to throw bricks —or curses —at the culprits. Dozens of tries are lost every Saturday owing to slow-working brains, hands or feet Dailey is an outstanding example of combined action and mental speed Mirable dictu, the grubber kick, was in evidence several times on Saturday during the progress of the Oval match, and not by accident, but py design. Why it is not more frequently exploited is one of things that is beyond the comprehension of the average spectator. While the grubber is a rarity, on the other hand the lofty kick is far too frequently indulged in. and as often as not to the detriment ’ of the kicker’s side, either because the ball goes out of touch or lands in the 1 hands of an opponent. The short ; kick also is worked to death, failing i in its object nine times out of ten. ; s* i The Australian Varsities’ Rugby - team had a poor run in New Zealand. I They began by defeating Victoria Col- ; lege, and then lost every other match * played. New* Zealand won the first t test. 15-3, the second 2617, and the ; third 18-3. ■a 55 1 Scott, the Varsity full-back, tvas an 5 over-worked player on Saturday, being t called upon to do a great deal more than his share, owing to the faulty 1 play of those in front of him. On the “ whole he shaped uncommonly well anti 1 looks like developing into a reliable 3 last line mar h church) player, shaped well ioi Athe letic, and showed that he could use his y feet when he scored in the first spell, i says a Wellington writer, commenting rl on Saturday’s match Athletic V. Yvel--1 Tington.