Rampant Combined Against The Lions

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31134, 10 August 1966, Page 17

Rampant Combined Against The Lions

(By

I. J. D. HALL

Last year the combined King Country-Wanganui Rugby team provided the most entertaining and provocative play that the 1965 Springboks met on their tour of New Zealand.

It was entertaining because the score was 24-19 and both teams made fulsome use of their backs; provocative because the combined team, after being behind 21-3, tried everything possible and in a hectic last few minutes almost went close to winning the match. Normally a combined Wanganui-King Country team would have little chance of holding the Lions, but today’s feam has a double asset—the Meads brothers. Any team which has them in its ranks cannot be overlooked and the Lions team, which is a shell of the first test team, might be in trouble today. C. E. Meads said the com bmed side would be out to play open Rugby. “We have nothing to lose: no-one thinks we will win so

I we will try everything we can,’’ he said. If the Lions strike the comI bined side in such a rampant mood: with the team prepared i to throw the -ball around and for the Meads to run in the loose then they could be in trouble. C. E. Meads would be the most dangerous attacking player in New Zealand at present —and that means throwing in I. R. Macßae. D. K. Jones. D. Watkins, and D. I. E. Bebb. I The Lions, as an internai tional team, should win: there ’ are only the Meads. Ingram yand Cressey in the backs to ■ make any appeal when comi pared to players who have rep- ; resented their country. ,! But one feels that whatever I'happens—and, it could be a II surprise—it should be a vastly I entertaining game. The teams are: ’ British Isles. —S. Wilson; K. F. Savage, F. P. K. Brenihan, C. W. . McFadyean; S. J Watkins, P. P. Weston; R. M. Young; A. E. I, > Pask; J. -W. Telfer, M. J.

CampbelLLamerton (captain), W. D. Thomas, D. Grant; D. Williams, K. W. Kennedy, D L. Powell. King Country-Wanganui. J. Sowter: J. Redward, P. Johns. R. Paki: J. Mcllroy, I, Ingham; B. Cressy: R. Flintoff: G. Peake, C. E. Meads, S. T. Meads, M. Rush; J. Paiaka. W. R. Wordley (captain). R. Parr. Referee Mr K. McPherson (Auckland).