RUGBY Jakich Late Change In Auckland Team Today

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30212, 17 August 1963, Page 17

RUGBY Jakich Late Change In Auckland Team Today

D. G. Harker, a big and experienced lock, has withdrawn from the Auckland team to play Canterbury at Lancaster Park today. His place will be taken by M. I. J. Jakich. Harker was expected to arrive in Christchurch today with W. J. Whineray, but Auckland officials with the team were advised yesterday afternoon that he would not be coming.

Harker’s withdrawal will mean a lessening of Auckland’s chances to gain possession in • the line-outs, but it should not weaken the pack for Jakich has shown impressive form recently. The prospect of a firm ground today has delighted the Auckland team. In its first two games on the southern tour—against Southland and Otago—it played on heavy, muddy grounds and in bitterly cold weather. Because of the conditions the teams played tighter Rugby than usual, but today

it hopes to take advantage of the dry ground to revert to its more normal open Rugby. Yesterday morning Auckland had a fairly vigorous training run and later some members of the team visited patients in the men’s wards at Burwood Hospital. Both teams are regarding today’s match as being one of the major matches of the season. But the importance of the tussle should not influence the type of Rugby that the teams are capable of playing. Mr R. H. Duff, a Canterbury selector, said yesterday that Canterbury would be trying to play positive Rugby in which the whole team could be used.