SPRINGBOK TALENT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 276, 21 November 1936, Page 4

SPRINGBOK TALENT

South Africa, after a busy season of trials and combings to find talent to tour Australia and New Zealand, has selected iifty-one players to play in trials next April. After that the final selection of the side to tour will be made. The job of sorting out trial talent has been thorough and purposeful. In the Cape Times of October 13, Mr. H. du P. Steytler, who was a member of the 1921 Springboks out here, writing from Pretoria, tells what has been done already. He states that the South African Rugby Selection Committee selected littyone players to take part in trial matches early in April, 1937, in Capetown, after which the Springbok team for the Australasian tour will be chosen. Contrary to expectation, the committee did not select any “certainties.” The players are:— From Western Province Full-backs: Brand and Vlok. Wings; Williams and Lawton. Centres: Hofmeyr, Babrow, and Bester. Fly-half: Van dor Vyver. Scrum-hall: Pierre de Villiers. Forwards: Boy Louw, van Reenen, van den Berg, J. Louw, Watt, Smit, and Apsey. From Other Centres Full-backs: Turner (Transvaal), and B. Reid (Border). Wings: Lyster (Natal), Williams (Griqualand West), Cotzee (Eastern Province), Broodryk (Transvaal). Centres: Wearing (Transvaal)), Lategan (0.F.5.), White (Border), S. Reid (Border), A. Meyer (Eastern Province, Niblock-Stewart (Transvaal ). Fly-halves: Holmes (Border), Seymour (Natal), Eva'ns (Border). Scrum-halves: Craven (Eastern Province), Todd (Natal), Snelgar (Border), Devine (Transvaal). Forwards: J. F. Louw (Transvaal), Lotz (Transvaal), Geel (0.F.5.)). Nel Natal), Sheriff (Transvaal, Strachan (Transvaal). Eergh (Transvaal), Venter (Eastern Province), Jennings (Border), Gccrc (Eastern Province), Fourie (S.-West-ern Districts), Martin (Transvaal), van Niekerk (Western Transvaal), Duffy (Border), Ben due Toit (Transvaal), Segal (South-Western Dis- ’ tricts)). Comprehensive List The above is a very comprehensive list, and (says Mr. due Steytler) there is hardly a player with a possible chance who has been left out. The mild surprise seems to be the omission of Rattray, the Transvaal fly-half, who played so well in the curtain-raiser at Ellis Park; and I would have been inclined to give Geel, the Pretoria policeman a further chance in the trial games. The trials will be played in Capetown from one Saturday to the next, and it is anticipated that the 29 players who are likely to make the trip will be brought into opposition on the final day of the trials. Mr. W. F. R. Schreiner, chairman of the Selection Committee, told me that the number of the Western Province players is not definitely fixed. If there are any gaps to fill on particular days, Province players will be used. A friend in South Africa, who is a shrewd judge and knows Australian and New Zealand form, past and present, gives a summing up of the pros- | pective strength of the team. He says: “You have the names of the 51 I players who will make up the per- | sonnel of the trials to be held in April next. Several others are bound to be included. For instance, if Zimmerman can recuperate from his attack of pnuemonia, he is bound to be included. Men like George Seymour 1 and J. Kemp will probably also be } tried out again. Jack Morkel, too, must receive another trial. He is at j present superior to any of the fiveeighths selected, although his properposition is centre-three-quarter. Then again young Harris, who fractured a leg during the inter-provin-cial tournament, is almost certain to recuperate fully by then, and will, no doubt, take part in the trials. “The same remarks apply to Gordon, Mellish, van der Riet, Engelbrecht, “Fairy” Heinrichsen and L. Froneman, who for one reason or another have been unable to take further part in the trials. t

FIFTY-ONE CHOSEN FINALISTS FINAL SELECTION NEXT APRIL COMMENT ON THE STANDARD

. “Boiled down, the position as it is at the moment ,is as follows:--j 1. At full-back, South Africa is : right up to international standaid. “22 carat” in fact. j 2. At centre-thrccquarter, she is also up to international stand- | ard, although there are no Dally I Messengers. 3. At wing-three-quarter, she is also up to international standard, al- ' i though there are no Harold Holders. 4. At live-eighth, she is sub-stand- [ ard and very much so, in fact, merely up to a good club standard and no higher. A real pity, but. that is the position. 5. At scrum half, right up to inlcr- ; national standard. “22 carat” at ; that. On the basis of Dan Craven , and Pierre de Villiers—not otherwise. 6. At. forward. I should say that South Africa at present is supreme, superior to either England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, New Zealand or Australia. The material open to selection in this department of the game is amazing. There seems to be no end to it.” Sailings of (ho Team The New Zealand Union has informed the South African Board that it and the Australian Unions could not agree to increase the number of players from 29 to 32, although the South African Board has indicated its willingness to meet the expenses of the extra players. The New Zealand Union has informed tne South African Board that it is prepared to agree to the inclusion of an assistant manager, but the Australian Unions cannot see that such is necessary. It seems that an assistant manager has been appointed. Sailings of the South Africans between Australia and New Zealand for next winter are:— Team to leave South Africa by Ulysses on May 14, arriving in Melbourne June 7. Team to travel to New Zealand by boat, leaving 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 17, after match in Sydney that afternoon. Team to return to Sydney by boat I leaving Now Zealand either Septemj ber 30 or October 1, reaching Sydney on October 3 or 4. I Team Io leave Sydney by Nestor on October 5. An itinerary of the Australian section of the tour has been sent to the Queensland and Victorian Rugby Unions for expression of opinion. It would appear to be almost definite that only two Test matches against Australia will be agreed to by the South African Board, but a match 1 against an “Australian XV” will not I be objected to. It will bo recommended that an of-| ficial representative of the Australian Unions shall be attached to and remain with the Springbok team during ' the Australian section of the tour. Fixture List. The New Zealand itinerary is as follows: July 20.—Arrive Auckland. July 24.—Play Auckland’ at Auckland. July 28.—Play Waikato, King Country, and Thames Valley, at Hamilton, j July 31.—Play Taranaki, at New Plymouth. August 4.—Play Manawatu, at. Palmerston North. August 7.—Play Wellington, at Wellington. August 14.—Play New Zealand (first Test), at Wellington. I August 18.—Play Marlborough and I Nelson, at Blenheim. August 21. —Play Canterbury, at Christchurch. August 25.—Play West Coast and Buller, at Greymouth. August 28.—Play South Canterbury, 'at Timaru. i September 4.—Play New Zealand i (second Test), at Christchurch. I September 8. —Play Southland, at Invercargill. September 11.—Play Otago, at j Dunedin. September 15.—Play Hawke's Bay, I at Napier. September 18.—Play Poverty Bay, East Coast, and Bay of Plenty, at Gisborne. Se H.-i-iber 25. —Play New Zealand (third Test), at Auckland). September 29.—Play North Auckland, at Whangarei. October I.—Leave Auckland for Australia and South Africa. ti