HEAVY FORWARDS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 145, 20 June 1936, Page 4

HEAVY FORWARDS

CANTERBURY’SS REP. SIDE PROSPECTIVE TALENT BACKS NOT SO PROMISING Canterbury will be represented this year by a forward team eaqual to any in New Zealand, comments the Press. That is the u-utstanding impression gained from the preliminary selection for the first provincial match of the season. The backs give less cause for optimism, but it must be remembered tnat the first selection has been limited because of injuries to e-ne or two of the province’s leading players, and no doubt a reasonably good line will have been sorted out by toe time Canterbury undertakes its more serious representative programme toward the end of the | season. Ten backs have been chosen for traininb, but in each case only one man who regularly plays in the fullback, half-back and first five-eighth positions has been named. The selector will be quite justified, however, in trying other men in these positions. Clark, the capable Albion half-back, lias been chosen in the absence of J. J. McAuliffe, who is expected to be playing again next month. The latter is easily the best half in Canterbury and probably in the South Island, but Clark is a good solid player, quick and alert on attack and very game in defence. Nolan’s selection as full-back ' was a foregone conclusion, in spit© of the excellent displays of I. L. Behrns in representative matches last year and again in club games this season. Hart’s Brilliance Needed Three wings have been named, D. GCobden, R. Brown and Chinuery, but of course Hart will play in the later matches. Unless diver’s injury improves to such an extent that he feels justified in playing again later in the year, Canterbury must look to Hart to provide the touch of real brilliance to its back movements. Fortunately his form in club games recently has suggested that he will still be New Zealand’s best winger. Of the other wingers, Cobden has been impressive this season. He is a really determined runner. The only doubt about him is in his defensive ability. High tackling may be sufficiently effective in duo game, but it will not stop an opponent of real class. Brown has proved his worth in representative football, and Chinnery was showing fine form when an injury put him out of the game last year. He has not been well served in club matches this season, but he certainly deserves a chance to show his ability. The Inside Backs Eathorne and Greer are the centres, the most obvious choice, C. H. McPhail, ha\ing been out c-f the game with injuries since the first game of the season. Last year Canterbury was able to call on J. Polson after Oliver left for England, but this brilliant centre has not been able to play this year. Eathorne was full-back vn the northern tour last season, but Greer has not played iu representative football. Both are capable centres excep tionally sound in defence, but while Eathorne is probably more brilliant in attack he is also the less reliable. The selection includes two sound second five-eighths, Mortlock and Hooper, but the scarcity of good first live-eighths is reflected in the inclusion of only one man who regularly plays in that position, Henry. Mortlock cannot be passed over, for although he has not proved the brilliant attacking player he promised to be two or three years ago, he is, nevertheless, a wonderfully sound player and an asset to any team. The selector may try Greer or Hooper at first five-eighth, but Henry will be hard to displace. He is a straight and determined runner and a great man on defence, and he has good combination with Mortlock. Recently, of course, Canterbury has lost G. A. Parsons, who was a splendid first five-eighth in representative games last season, and who captained the province on the northern tour. Parsons is now in Wellington. Heavy Forwards Most of the forwards named are clearly entitled to selection, but one or two others hav© been uniucky not to catch the selector’s eye. Among these are Schluter, of Old Boys and •Almond, the Christchurch hooker. The selector evidently intends to concentrate on a heavy front row iu the scrum, and these players can only have been passed over for that reason. The omission pf Howell (Sunnyside) is also •airprising, for he is still playing sterling football and has a good background of experience in big Rugby. Cante’bury has a list of “certainties” which any province would be glad tc posses*, and Hattersley, Milliken, Pablecheque, Manchester and Rankin will form the nucleus of a great forward side. Of these Pablecheque, the burly Sunnyside player, is new to interprovincial football, but he has shown himself in club games to- be a fine forward and he cannot be passed over. Burke is the Sunnyside hooker, and besides being a good specialist, he is a heavy and hard-working forward. Sweeney’s form has not been consistent this season, but at his best he is still u fine player. Th© new men include Mahoney, a fine grafter from the Christchurch pack, Stacc, who toured Japan with the New Zealand University team, Coll, the big Athletic forward who has shown outstanding form recently, McPhail, the vigorous Old Boys player, and Cooper, Linwood’s prolific trygetter. Cooper, it seems, cculd only be fitted into a scrum in this team as a front-row man, for he is one of the lightest of those chosen. He is a of the winging type and Rankin’s position as the loose forward is assured. Altogether there is good reason to hhat Canterbury’s team this

year will mould into a sound combination. The backs may yet be strengthened at important points by the return of injured players, but in *any case they should give a good acount <f themselves. They will have the incalculable advantage of plttying behind a first-class forward pack, and nothing is more important that this in inspiring confidence in a back line. The forwards will be heavy and fast, hard ruckers, but with plenty of dash and fire in th© loose; the backs will be sound if not really brilliant, and their defence should be equal to any test.