TEST FOR DOSHISHA BACKS

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31030, 9 April 1966, Page 11

TEST FOR DOSHISHA BACKS

QNE of the main aims of the Japanese Rugby team, Doshisha University, now touring New Zealand, is to ascertain just how Japanese club teams measure up to the standards in New Zealand. Doshisha has now lost four of the six games played so far; its wins being against Buller and Lincoln College but it will have a proper climate to test its ability against proven players -when it plays the Canterbury University invitation fifteen at Lancaster Park on Monday. The main feature of the Doshisha team has been the speed and unorthodoxy of the backs and the willingness of the whole team to

’ play attacking Rugby. In ' most matches, however, the , inability of the light and , small forwards has negar tived the undoubted ability - of the backs because they i have not been able to provide enough possession. t The invitation team with > such brilliant backs as W. ; M. Birtwistle, D. A. Arnold i and R. C. Moreton will ceri tainly attempt to make the s game as open as possible • and not necessarily out of - respect for those two fine - forwards, D. J. Graham and r. T. H. Moynihan, who have come out of retirement. > A game in which Birt- • wlstle, Arnold, Moreton and f B. M. Weenink are allowed - full rein to exploit their un- > doubted attacking skills

could provide some of the most spectacular Rugby seen at Lancaster Park. So far in their six games the Japanese students have not been outplayed by any opposing back-line and already they have met Canterbury, Victoria and Otago Universities, three of the strongest club sides in New Zealand. Even if they can only match the backs of the invitation fifteen on Monday the team can return to Japan with the knowledge that their standard of Rugby is probably equal to most that New Zealand club sides can offer except on the score of physical attributes in the forwards.