Backs Again Key To Rugby Victory

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31167, 17 September 1966, Page 17

Backs Again Key To Rugby Victory

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I.J. D. HALL

Canterbury will meet one of the strongest and bestdrilled provincial packs in New Zealand when it plays Taranaki at Lancaster Park today.

Taranaki already has beaten Southland, Otago and Mid-Can-terbury on its South Island tour and its main strength has been its powerful forwards.

j However, if Canterbury can ! repeat its form against Waikato it is quite capable of I beating Taranaki, for it will have more speed and purpose ’ in the back-line. The return of D. A. Arnold )to second five-eighths hasl ' given Canterbury the thrust it lacked in earlier matches.| Outside Arnold, the three- j quarters, A. G. Steel, P. K. i Hatchwell and W. M. Birtwistle, have flourished in recent matches, and on a dry ground should have too much speed for their opposites. Canterbury was badly beaten in the line-outs by Waikato, and it cannot expect much lee-way from the Taranaki forwards. T. Jenkins and I Ellison are very good jumpers, and L. A. Scherp, the No. 8, also is quite a proficient line-out player. Rose wall And Laver In Final (N.Z P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON. K. Rosewall, of Australia, will meet his countryman. R. Laver, in the final of the London professional indoor lawn tennis championships at Wembley. in the semifinal. Rosewall beat L. Hoad, 6-3, 3-6, 7-9, 6.1, 6-4. Laver beat M. Davies, the ! first British player to reach the I semi-final of the event in 17 I years. 6-3, 6-1. 6-2.

If it can keep the game fluid, Canterbury may be able to reduce some of the effectiveness of the Taranaki forwards, who prefer the ball going forward and not having to chase across field or backwards.

This is the last major representative game on Lancaster Park and, with Canterbury now playing aggressive Rugby, it should be a lively match, with the Canterbury backs perhaps a stronger force than the Taranaki pack.

Teams: Taranaki.—K. P. Hurley; L. Clarke. G. McCutcheon, K. O’Leary; T. P. O’Sullivan, R. H. Brown (captain): D. Wards; L. A. Scherp (vice-captain), M. Willis. T. Jenkins, I. Ellisson, R. Coles: I. McDonald, F. Harris, B. Muller.

Canterbury.—W. F. McCormick; A. G. Steel, P. Hatchwell, W. M Birtwistle; D. A. Aronld, B. A, Watt; L. J. Davis; I. H. Pen rose; N. G. Cornelius (cap tain), J. H. Francis, A. J. Banks, A. J. Wylie; H. Meech, D. Pirle, K. Tanner.