Extra Training For Lions

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31061, 17 May 1966, Page 18

Extra Training For Lions

Crspdt. N.Z.P..4J CANBERRA, May 16.

An unscheduled second training run today by the British Isles Rugby team in Canberra has been ordered by the team manager, Mr D. J. O’Brien.

Only one session was programmed for the day, but a tourist trip has been sliced off the prepared itinerary to fit in a second training run. This morning the Lions trained at Canberra Grammar School and later had lunch at the school. The Lions have done a large amount of training but so far the full results of it have not been apparent in their matches. The New South Wales country team, which the Lions will meet in Canberra on Wednesday, is a strong one, containing five present or former Wallabies. Wednesday’s match could be a full dress rehearsal for the Sydney match against New South Wales on Saturday and the Lions are intent on improving the image they left behind at Melbourne, when they were hard pressed to beat Victoria 24-14.

Apart from the Wallabies the side includes a wellknown New Zealand player, M. R. Dunne, who played for ! Wellington and represented New Zealand Universities against the Springboks last year.

Dunne is a civil engineer working on the Snowy river project. ! Three of the country back-, line are in the New South j Wales team which will meetl the Lions on Saturday. They are the full-back P. Ryan, thel winger D. Grimmond and the five-eighths P. Hawthorne. B. J. Ellwood, a fourth country back, not playing at Canberra, is in the state team on Saturday. Ellwood was not available for selection on: Wednesday. The front row prop. J. White, is a veteran of 24 tests for Australia. The country team, which will be led by the 1962 Wallaby captain, G. Chapman, will be the strongest side the Lions have played so far. The Lions’ tour of Australia would be a flop unless the team improved on the form shown against Victoria, E. W. Kann reported in “The Sun.” Kann said the unknown Victorians, once they had overcome stage fright, “knocked the roar out of the Lions.”

The score did not tell the real story of a game in which Victoria nearly caused the biggest upset in Australian Rugby history. Australian officials who saw the match said that unless the visitors improved, it could have been their last win in Australia.

Kann said mistakes and indecision marred their efforts and weaknesses were exposed. The lack of fire and killer instinct among the forwards, and lack of speed to the ball, must be remedied, and quickly. if the tourists hoped to match New South Wales on Saturday.