Unusual Selections In Town Rugby Team

Press, Volume C, Issue 29554, 1 July 1961, Page 5

Unusual Selections In Town Rugby Team

pOUOTRY Will field one of its strongest teams in recent years in the annual Craw Shield match against Town at Lancaster Park today. Country has suffered some heavy defeats in recent years but it is certain that it will be a very determined and well coached team that takes the field. Three South Island forwards, R. G“. Cochrane, J. M. LeLievre and K. R. Tremaan, are in the Country pack as well as F. Loe and J. H. P. Strang, who are representative players. R, H. Duff, the 1956 All Black captain, is coaching the Country team this year. An experienced forward tactician Duff will be aiming at containing the Town pack to stop its fast forwards from starting the short passing rushes that crushed Country last year. The Country backs with J Hotop and A. D. Coleman in the five-eighths, will be solid but should be outmatched by the speed of the Town inside, backs. B. A. Watt and R. D. Hoskin. For the Country players this game is their main chance to press for a place in the Canterbury team. It is to

be hoped that Country is not overwhelmed. In recent years the heavy defeats by Town have meant that only players of established reputations have found a place in the representative team. For example, Cochrane. Le Lievre. Tremain and Hotop were all well known before they began playing for Country. Very few unknowns from the

sub-unions have made an impression in Canterbury Rugby over the last few years. The Town team can be depended on to provide attractive Rugby. There are a few surprises in the team. But they are surprises of position and not selection. D. C. Leary, who is clearly the most accomplished full-back in Canterbury has been placed on the wing. If Town way. short of good threequarters there could be a sound excuse for playing Leary out of position But there are at least four players—D. Stephens, J. D. P»sk, C. Devine and R. M. Smith—who should have been preferred. Leary is not a wing by inclination. He is certainly polished, but he lacks speed, the basic requirement of a wing. The surprise in the Town forwards is the placing of M. R. Dunne, who plays lock for his club and played on the side in the AU Black trials, in the front row. His inexperience in that position could hamper the scrummaging of the Town team. Smither's food form in club Rugby has won him the number 8 position over T. D. Moynihan. With his speed and flair for open play Smither should do well in this game. The selection of D. Young ahead of J. N. Creighton who supplanted him for the West Coast tour, probably has little significance, for at present critics and selectors in other parts of New Zealand are unable to separate the two.