Sunday Herald (Sydney, NSW : 1949 - 1953), Sunday 20 May 1951, page 8


CAILLOU NOW FRENCH LEAGUE SIDE'S LEADER

By TOM GOODMAN

There were two surprises League team arrived in Sydney

were:

when the .French Rugby by plane yesterday. They

. The revelation that Robert Caillou, not PuigAubert, is the tour captain.

. Absence of the team's

best five-eighth, Charles Galaup..

Galaup could not secure leave from military service, but is ex-pected later.

There is one player on the in-jured list-Test hooker Lucien Martin, who has synovitis in a knee.

EXPERIENCED

Team manager, M. Antoine Blain, explained that Caillou, at 32,- the oldest player in the party, and an experienced leader, had been singled out as senior player.

It is expected that the dapper little Puig-Aubert, spectacular full-back, will be the captain in

the Test matches.

Puig-Aubert led France to vic-tory in the international cham-pionship in the recent Anglo

French season.

Caillou, a shrewd and dashing centre or five-eighth, is now past his football prime, and it is not thought that he will be in the Test team.

Martin, France's No. 1 hooker for several years, did not play during ' the last few weeks in

France.

His injured knee was slightly swollen yesterday when the team limbered up at the S.C.G. No. 2, an hour after breakfast at the Hotel Olympic, Moore Park.

He took part in some jogtrotting. He is receiving treat-ment, and the team's trainers ex-pect that he will be fit within a couple of weeks.

Despite their arduous air jour-ney, the players were in remark-ably bright spirits. They had a lot of fun at their training outing.

They took the eye in colourful playing uniforms; blue jerseys with a red and white V, white shorts, and red socks.

M. Blain, asked about the team's style of football, spread his hands expressively and showed that he had command of three important English words: "The open game." VERSATILE

Versatility is a feature of the French footballers' make-up. There are forwards who fre-

quently have played as backs Qock Calixte in one season was the reserve back in the "internationafs").

Rene Duffort was named in the team as lock forward, half-back, centre, or full-back, v but now is officially designated a "utility back."

There have been changes since

the original team was named. Here is' the revised list of 27 players (including the missing Galaup):- .

Full-back: Puig-Aubert. Full-backs or centres: Maurice Andre, Maurice BeHan. Wingers: Ode Lespes, Vincent Cantoni, Raymond Contrastin. Centres: Gaston Comes, Jacques Merquey. Centre or fiveeighth: Robert Caillou (capt.). Fiveeighth: Charles Galaup (not yet ar-rived). Half-back: Jean Dop.

Half-back or centre: Josef Crespot. Utility back: Rene DufTort.

Lock forwards: Raoul Perez, Gas-

ton Calixte. Second row: Elie I Brousse, Edouard Ponsinet, Michel Lopez, Guy Délaye. Front row props: Louis Mazon, Andre Beraud, Paul Bartoletti, Francois Rinaldi. Prop or hooker: Albert Audoubert. Hookers: Lucien Martin, Gabriel Genoud. Utility forward: Francois Montrucolis. ^

Manager: M. Antoine Blain. Trainers and co-selectors: Bob Samatan, Jean Duhau.