Mid Will Be Hard To Beat

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30856, 15 September 1965, Page 19

Mid Will Be Hard To Beat

Without three of its All Blacks — W. F. McCormick, D. J. Graham and W. M. Birtwistle —Canterbury will find it difficult to beat Mid*Canterbury at Ashburton today.

Canterbury’s dismal performance against Wellington last Saturday was caused by the inability of the forwards to hold a driving pack. Althoug’ not as strong in the forwards as Wellington. Mid-Canterbury will have a bustling pack: something that Canterbury does not easily counter.

The Canterbury backs will be much faster and experienced than their opposites but so far this season it has been only rarely that they have functioned well. There are three changes

from the team that lost to Wellington. G. Waterreus. v>ho played for New Zealand Maoris against South Africa, replaces McCormick. W. J. Thompson takes Birtwistle’s place on the right wing and I. H. Penrose replaces D. J. Graham. The three All Blacks were not considered because they will be travelling to Auckland on Wednesday.

Teams: — Canterbury.— Waterreus: A. G. Steel, D. A. Arnold, Thompson: R. C. Moreton, B. A. W’att; L. J. Davis; Penrose, N. Cornelius, M. R. Dunne, J. F. Burns, Wainohu, E. Veal. J. N. Creighton, A. J. Hopkinson. Emergencies.— W. D. Cottrell, P. Hatchwell, D. Pirie, M. J. Millar.

Mid-Canterbury.— A. H. Smith; P. J. Sheat, A. C. Goodwin, D. V. Simpson; B. J. Hawkins. A. Farrell; R. J. King; M. J. Hanham: T. P. Bird, L. S. Smith, L. D. Neutze. A. F. Cornelius; K. G. Doig, N. A. Goodwin, P F. Prendergast.