Judge Left Big Team Problem

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31440, 5 August 1967, Page 17

Judge Left Big Team Problem

(By our Hockey Reporter)

The Canterbury selector, Mr R. Cummins, is expected to announce his team next week for the New Zealand Hockey Shield tournament to be held in Whangarei shortly.

Last year Canterbury won the shield In Dunedin, but since then the transfer of its finest forward, B. Judge, has been a loss which has left a major problem in its wake. Seeking a successor, the selector has been juggling with a number of forwards in varying positions, thereby emphasising the problem's complexity. In last year’s, team, W. Thomson made a success of

the inside-right berth, and J. Christensen, sadly out of posileft

tion, was no failure at insldeThis season J. Borren, who

represented Wellington in 1966, is playing well at in-side-left for University, whose three inside forwards—Borren, Christensen and B. Maister, a natural centreforward of vastly improved form—compel sufficient attention to create for the selector a dilemma.

In co-operation with their wings, the University forwards have scored 43 goals to date, a total unapproached by any other club. Canterbury’s goal-keeper appears to be J. Monk, who has done as well for Selwyn as R. McHarg for University, whose talented full-back, B. Turner, is assured of a place. Turner's partner, C. Ineson, could well be included if A.

Patterson is used as a half. The latter’s partnership with K. Thompson and S. G. Maister could provide a competent Unking trio, into which P. Clarke might be eased if Thomson is used as a forward. Mr Cummins’s experiments

have latterly placed Borren on the right-wing and W. Thomson at inside-right If he should try K. Thomson once more at inside-right, with B. Maister at centre-for-ward, he will be obliged to commit the heresy of using Christensen at inside-left again, where his stickwork, back-tackling ability, speed and distribution would be useful, although inhibited. In this situation, W. Thomson might find a place on the left-wing. A powerful left flank would take much of the pressure off the right flank, thereby strengthening the latter.

These various experiments have shifted a considerable number of players out of position, with tiie objective of developing speed and thrust on the right flank. They could place far too many eggs into a fragile basket An alternative to building the attack around a theoretical but so far unrealised right flank would be the

basing of the attack on the three University inside forwards, played in their correct positions. In such case B. Aldridge and T. Crossen might be worth a trial on the flanks on their recent form. Club Championship University should clinch the 1967 senior competition in its match against Linwood High School Old Boys today. Although Linwood is expected to perform well, University should be too disciplined for its opponents. The match between two of New Zealand’s oldest dubs, Sydenham and Selwyn, should be dose, and what the teams lack in skill they will make up for in their traditional rivalry.

Unless Hagley Old Boys show more imagination than they did last week they will be hard pressed in their match with Harewood at Williamson Park. The tussle between Old Boys and Woolston should be close.