NELSON BUILD-UP FOR HOCKEY TEAM

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32322, 13 June 1970, Page 13

NELSON BUILD-UP FOR HOCKEY TEAM

Canterbury will meet strong opposition from Nelson in the interprovincial men’s hockey match tomorrow, especially if the team produces the same brand of play which earned it a mediocre draw with Otago two weeks ago.

Canterbury has not settled into the form which carried it to the top of provincial hockey last year, but this was understandable in Otago when seven of its key players were not available.

Although seven changes have been made for the Nelson match, neither K. Thomson nor J. Borren will play. Their absence, however, is due to family reasons, and they will be available for the match against Wellington on June 27.

Thomson was not in the side when it was first announced, but Borren has withdrawn since and his place has been filled by the High School Old Boys forward, T. Burrows.

Although Nelson is the strongest minor association in the South Island, it should not prove a great obstacle for the skilled and experienced Canterbury team. The Canterbury full-backs may be suspect, in that A. Chesney has been below top form recently and C. Ineson could be lacking hard match practice as he has been playing club hockey in the senior

reserve grade. He did, however, attend the national training school at Napier at Queen’s Birthday week-end and also played in the interisland match. J. Christenson should play

his usual solid game in the forwards but the remainder of the attackers will be watched closely. With the exception of W. Thomson, all have been playing below their best standard, M. Thomson, on the right-wing, improved slightly last Saturday,

but B. Maister is still having difficulties with his trapping. In the absence of K. Thomson, A. Borren will play at centre-half.