paid dividends because the side was moved up to senior rank thenext year, and gave Kearsney its best season ever, during which every senior schooi in Natal was met and defeated. That side played as a unit, and was lucky to be free from injury. The players handled expertly, and they were fast. There was a minimum of kicking and a maximum of handling. Quick to take advantage of opponents' faults, the side frequently turned defence into attack. At the end of that season the team celebrated with dinner at Rob Roy. Father of one Kearsney wing, Norman Theunissen, financed the dinner. Newton Walker, who by this time wore an outsize in boots, and had a healthy appetite, put up a new record by demolishing 13 ice-creams after several helpings of the other courses. Talking of Theunissen reminds me of the day when his father brought him to Kearsney as a nipper. "All I want is Norman to become a first class rugby player," his father said. He had his wish,for he played wing frequently for Natal. When he played his first game against another schooi, he was on the wing against an under 12 team from Eshowe. Norman zigzagged his way towards the Eshowe line andscored a try. His father, following rapidly along the touchline, took with him a gentleman's hat and someone else's tie. Father ran almost as fast as his offspring. It is sometimes difficult enough from week to week to decide on the best combination to play when competition is keen. You can appreciate how much more difficult it is to assemble a "best-ever" side (in this case from 1928 to 1947) having regard to so many differing factors and not the ieast the changes in style of play and the greater demands made upon the modern forward in pace and handling. Jack Crawford, Ken Dyer and Earle Smith are three full backs from whom to select. Jack had a mighty right boot. He matched it with his left when he was off injured with a right leg muscle. During his "convalescence" he was advised to pick up any small twig when out waiking and to swing his left foot at It. Pebbles would do as well. The result was that Jack learnt that rhythm makes for a good kicker. Earle was a deadly tackier but he never quite mastered the niceties of line-kicking. Ken was a neat player with immaculate hands, a good sense of position and :e any team, h . , Ken as fullback. sinc owever good,requires a really good goalkicker it will have to be ; l" " Pairing John Barratt and George Bazley at centre is a comparatively easy task, and at once releases some possible players for the wing positions. John and George were both strong runners,stout defenders and knew what to do with the bail when through a gap. They would give the side a tremendous solidity and at the same time add brilliance because oftheir undoubted speed and strong running. Puffing Eric Groom would be an automatic choice on one wing. He used to bound his way to a try line, change course deceptively and once into his stride was a most difficult man to bring down. Vacey Ash (who once did 10.2 sees,for the 100 yards on a sand track at Stanger before Kearsney had its own athletic track), Arthur Stockii, and L. Kirk, Ian McLeod, Bobby Foss, Jimmy Hopkins, Keith Rock, Noel Baker, Ronnie Zeller, Roy Mason(who scored so many exciting tries through the adroit use of the short punt ahead) or Norman Theunissen for the other wing! There was no gamer wing than Jimmy Hopkins but lack of weight would count against him. In his own right Norman had pace and was a determined runner who knew where the corner flag was. Moreover he was elusive. But what realiy gains him the final vote is his wonderful covering in defence. Norman was one ofthe few wings who realised that a team occupies both sides ofthe field. Often when danger threatened on the wing opposite to that where he was posted he would be on hand to save. 299
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