SECOND LOCK

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32349, 15 July 1970, Page 19

SECOND LOCK

Sutherland Likely (From T. P. McLEAN) POTCHEFSTROOM. The Marlborough loose forward, A. R. Sutherland, may Play at lock in the All Black team to meet Orange Free State at Bloemfontein on Saturday. In the absence of C. E. Meads, the team’s tour committee is searching hard for a .partner for S. C. Strahan, who is now playing by far the best Rugby of his career. J. F. Burns, the Canterbury lock, is well regarded for his honest play but is thought to be rather too slow a mover about the field for the kind of mobile Rugby the All Blacks are trying to perfect A. E. Smith, of Taranaki, is a staunch worker but is not well suited to No. 3 at the line-out and he, too, is thought to be rather too slow of foot for the best Rugby. Sutherland, an extremely strong man, has won a good reputation as a running No. 8, but although he might find it most difficult to settle to the hard slog of lock play, especially at line-outs, the experiment is almost certain to be made. It could have interesting consequences. Apparently the tour committee is entirely opposed to the placing of the captain, B. J. Lochore, at lock.