F.A. Trophy Match With Auckland Team Today

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28630, 5 July 1958, Page 5

F.A. Trophy Match With Auckland Team Today

QINCE 1956, Canterbuiy has resisted challenges for the Football Association trophy from Waikato, Otago and South Canterbury, but the toughest opposition will probably be offered by the Auckland team today. Whether Canterbury holds the trophy or not depends largely upon the success of the rearranged forward line.

In representative games this year, Canterbury won from South Canterbury and Wellington, but lost to Otago. Naturally enough, this loss caused concern among local supporters, but those who were in Dunedin for the game say that it was largely the wet, boggy conditons that beat Canterbury. Defence

Auckland will have a good defence, and if Canterbury is to score goals, a vast improvement will have to be shown by the forwards. The team’s weakness was evidently fully appreciated by the selector, Mr Roger Smith, for he has made several changes in the forward line. E. Charlton will again be in the centre-forward position, but as inside forwards he will have with him G. McLaren, who was given a trial as halfback in the Otago game, and D. Charlton, who has been brought back to give more thrust to the attack. P. Saunderson was played as inside-forward in the Jones Cup match, but he now returns to his old position on the wing with A. Gardenbroek as his opposite. Taking McLaren’s place in the half-line will be W. Rodger, who will be making his first appearance for Canterbury. Arriving from England last season, Rodger

has been playing himself back into form, and in the trial last week was the best half on the field. A. Laffey, captain of the New Zealand test teams last year, will be in the centre-half position, and R. Durant, also selected for New Zealand, will be the other flank half. P. Flynn, another New Zealand player, has been chosen again as right full-back, and M. Shardlow has been preferred to A. Juner for the other full-back position. J. Callaghan, Canterbury goalkeeper for several seasons and a contender for national honours, will be Canterbury’s last defence. Whereas eight of the Canterbury players were in the team which won the trophy from Auckland, the northern team has only three of its 1956 players. In goal will be K. Hough, who has represented Australia, Poverty Bay, and Auckland. He gave a grand display against Austria last year and must be in the running for the New Zealand team this year. At right back will be J. Roberts, a virile young player with a strong tackle and he will be partnered by D. Smith, who was chosen as a half-back in the provincial side to meet the Israeli team. Attention will be focused on W. Walsh in the right-half position. Walsh played .first division football for Manchester City and is coach for the Auckland team. A good tactician, he is one of the best constructive halves in the country. Mainstay of the Auckland defence and completely dominant when the ball is in the air, T. van der Brock (6ft 4in) will be E. Charlton’s marker as centre-half. E. Hayden, usually an inside left, who played for the Woking amateur club In England, will be the left-half. Attack

The Auckland selector has ha(? his problems with the Auckland attack also, and several experiments have been made. The line to take the field on Saturday will have G. Barker and G. Eccles as wings. Both are fast with good centring kicks and strong shots. J. Wrathall, formerly a Junior National Cup representative, one of the best ball players in the country, and J. Brown, who played for Leyton, England, are the insioe forwards, and G. McCormack, another Junior National Cup player, reported to be a good shot with either foot, is in the centreforward position.