South Island League Pack Is Suspect

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30481, 1 July 1964, Page 13

South Island League Pack Is Suspect

ALTHOUGH Canterbury was confidently expected to have a majority of representatives in the South Island Rugby League team before the • recent match against West Coast at Greymouth, it can be considered fortunate to have 10 players selected after its performance there. Canterbury won 15-11, but the score was no indication of the trend of the match. The great improvement shown by the West Coast since its two humiliating defeats by Auckland was the outstanding feature. The dropping of R. H. Turton handicapped the Canterbury forwards in the loose and the great cover-

defence that had hampered Auckland was missing. In fact only I. T. Drayton was impressive as a determined runner with the ball and he deservedly gained recognition by South Island selection. Unfortunately he was forced to withdraw because of injury. Of the Canterbury backs, J. M. Bray played well enough to force his Hornby teammate, B. W. Langton, to accept a wing position. The South Island backs, apart from J. A. Bond, selected themselves on. their performances. Bond, unfortunately, still seems to be trying to find his form after his injury.

However, the forwards do not look as impressive. Of the six selected only C. L. McMaster and Drayton really played themselves into the team. M. L. Cooke played more of an administrative role than a working one against West Coast but his captaincy did much -to raise the morale of the rather worried Canterbury team. It is the front row that raised some eyebrows when the team was announced in Greymouth last week. After he had been outhooked by the Auckland player, J. Lasher, the 1963 Kiwi, G. C. Blackler said that his broken rfb had not affected his play. Yet he is

selected to meet C. O’Neil (Wellington) who has gained selection over Lasher. The two props, G. H. Turner and G. R. Cooper, can be thankful that the South Island has few good players in this position. Against S'est Coast, Cooper played s usual consistent game but did hot look the player he was two years ago. Both he and a rather slow Turner were outplayed by R. G. Hart (West Coast). Hart, who represented New Zealand in 1961-62, has suffered a chequered career but it was thought that he might have been given another chance, if only because he is a better player than those selected. Unless the suspect South Island forwards can win a good share of the ball, the team could do a lot of chasing after the fleet North Island backs at the show grounds on Saturday.