THE ALL BLACKS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 203, 28 July 1937, Page 10

THE ALL BLACKS

PLAYERS FOR TRAINING. A PROBABLE LIST. The final decision on the twenty-five players the New Zealand selectors propose to put into training for the first Test against the Springboks will be reached at a meeting of the selection committee in Wellington next Saturday. Those most likely to be announced (says the Auckland Star) are:— Full-back.—J. M. Taylor (Otago) Wing-three-quarters. —J. M. Watt (Wellington). J. Dick (Auckland), J. L. Sullivan (Taranaki), T. C. Morrison (South Canterbury). Centres.—T. H. C. Caughey (Auckland), N. A. Mitchell (Southland). Five-eighths.—J. A* Hooper (Canterbury), C. A. Crossman (King Country), D. Trevathan (Otago). Half-backs.—H. Simon (Otago), J. J. McAuliffe (Canterbury). Front Row.—E. Jackson (Hawke s Bay) A. Lambourn (Wellington), D. Dalton (Hawke’s Bay), J. 0. Hattersley (Canterbury), R. R. Hull (Auckland). Middle Row.—J. G. Rankin (Canterbury), S. T. Reid (Hawke’s Bay), R. R. King (West Coast), R. M. McKenzie (Manawatu), R. H. Ward (Southland), A. A. Parkhill (Otago), H. Milliken (Canterbury) and F. J. Green (Otago). MANAGEMENT OF ALL BLACKS. Much will depend on the management of the New Zealand team (says the exchange quoted). It is understood that three men are under consideration by the management committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union, Mr M. F, Nicholls (Wellington), one of the selection committee; Mr W. J. Wallace (Wellington), and Mr A. McDonald (Wellington). All three are men of wide experience. It is known that the man whom the Springboks do not want to see in charge of the All Blacks is Mr Nicholls. They know his football genius and they have a wonderful respect for his judgment. Whether Mr Nicholls is the chosen man will not be announced for a few days. He was the manager of the All Blacks in the two Test matches against last year’s Australian tourists. The players openly said that he was the best manager they had ever been under. One of the bookers remarked during the trials at Wellington that he had learned more football under Mark Nicholls in one week than he had learned throughout his career. manawatu” team. SELECTION FROM 20 PLAYERS. Selection of the Manawatu Rugby representative team to meet the Springboks next "Wednesday is awaiting finality; its personnel will probably not be announced until towards the end of the week. Twenty players have been chosen to practise, and from these the team will be selected, three backs and two forwards having to be dropped from that number. Players required to attend the practices are as follow:—E. Fell, Ewart, Sullivan, Williams, R. McKenzie, Newman, Terry, Nicol, Waugh, Buick, W&l----din, W. Powell, Fleming, Jack Finlay, L. Findlay, Edlin, Le Quesne, G. Wasley, Thomas, and R. Gillespie. The Manawatu team will practise at Johnston Park, Feilding, on Thursday evening, and assemble at Palmerston North during the week-end under the control of Messrs W. Gleeson and J. Ryan, They wil be kept together from then onwards until they meet the Springboks. . The management committee of tne Manawatu Rugby Union, at its meeting last evening, expressed its appreciation of an offer made by Mr C. C. Woods, director of the Palmerston North Y.M.C.A., to place his services and the gymnasium facilities at the disposal of the team for training purposes. *

TO-DAY’S MATCH

SPRINGBOKS AT HAMILTON

Per Press Association. HAMILTON, July 28. Tli© failure of Russell to pass the doctor has necessitated a slight change in the Combined team to meet the Springboks to-day, Robinson, the original full-back, going into Russell’s place and G. Childs filling the full-back position.

While light rain fell early this morning the weather is now clear and fine and.the indications are for ideal conditions overhead. This afternoon the ground, while somewhat heavy as the result of recent rain, is in comparatively good order. Enthusiasts commenced to arrive at Rugby Park at 7 o’clock this morning and by 8 o’clock a continuous stream of people was arriving to secure unreserved accommodation.

This morning a number of the visiting Thayers were the guests of the Hamilton Golf Club, others being taken on a motor drive round the district.