EVE-OF-TEST CHANGE IN ENGLISH FORWARDS

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30146, 1 June 1963, Page 18

EVE-OF-TEST CHANGE IN ENGLISH FORWARDS

Withdrawal Of Owen Weakens Tourists ’Pack

[By Ou» Rugby Correspondent)

England’s hopes of matching the All Black forwards in the tight in the second test at Lancaster Park today received a setback with the announcement that J. E. Owen, England’s biggest and strongest lock, will not play because of a leg injury. His place will be taken by V. R. Marriott.

Marriott will play on the side of the scrum, D. G. Perry moves to lock, and B. J. Wightman will be the No. 8.

Owen’s withdrawal must mean a weakening of the England pack. He alone of the forwards has looked likely to dispute the All Blacks’ superiority in the line-outs.

The transfer of Perry to lock must lessen the effectiveness of the English loose forwards. The 16st Perry has been one of the outstanding players on the tour, but his ability at the end of the line-out and his speed in the loose must be reduced at lock.

His transfer means that England now will play four loose forwards —an unhappy choice against an All Black pack which has already shown itself capable of beating an English pack determined at meeting the All Blacks head on in a battle for forward superiority. Apart from Owen all of the Ektgland team reported fit last evening S J S. Clarke, the scrum half, had treatment for a leg injury yesterday morning but he ran with the team at practice in the morning D P Rogers, another test player with an injury, was oassed as fit yesterday morning.

England anticipates a tor-

nd forward struggle today It could not expect otherwise after the first test, but New Zealand also is not taking the England team lightly

Both teams have said that they will use their backs at every opportunity but they have qualified any possibility of open back play by pointing to the forward strength of the teams Mr J T W Berry manager of the English team, said yesterday: “If we can get parity in the forwards we will use our backs at every opportunity

“But,” he qualified, “look what happened at Auckland when the All Blacks gained nearly all the ball in the

second half. All we did was defend; you cannot run if there is no ball” “We hope to continue where we left oft in Auckland. where the backs were given every chance to run and pass the ball.” said Mr N. J McPhail, convener of the New Zealand section panel.

“But it must be remembered that England is a good side and we are not taking them at all lightly They showed at Auckland in the first half what they are capable of, and the All Blacks know that they will be meeting a very solid forward pack ” Mr McPhail said that the All Blacks had big and strong forwards and naturally wanted to use them to the best advantage But. he said the selectors still want 15 men to be used as a team

‘We are not trying to divide the team into two components, backs and forwards we will attack with the whole team, not just the backs or the forwards " Training Runs

Yesterday morning both teams had short training runs, England at Christ’s College and New Zealand at Linwood High School. For both teams it was not a verystrenuous work-out and the players mainly concentrated on ironing out any minor imperfection in their play Lancaster Park is in perfect order for the game today All stand seats have been sold, and if the fine weather continues today, it is expected that the crowd will approach 50.000.