Canterbury T o Attack By Tactical Kicking

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32382, 22 August 1970, Page 10

Canterbury T o Attack By Tactical Kicking

(From

J. K. BROOKS)

AUCKLAND. Auckland has gained a reputation as the Jekyll and Hyde team of New Zealand Rugby this season because its form has see*sawed from good to bad. The Canterbury team is hoping it is Hyde’s turn to perform at Eden Park today.

Canterbury is desperately keen to finish its North Island tour on a high note, and to this end it has prepared its playing plan carefully in hard training sessions.

has high hopes of his side having one of its good days, but he is not taking the Canterbury side cheaply. A former Canterbury subunions player, he believes that any Canterbury team is to be respected, and the present side's effort in bouncing back from two defeats to beat King Country has vividly illustrated its worth. Canterbury, however, will have a hard task in the lineouts. Last year, in Christchurch, K. A. Nelson, at No. 7, won the ball as he pleased, and today he will have the assistance of P. A. Lindesay and the massive P. J. Whiting, who was a strong All Black prospect until he broke a wrist early in the season. GEMMELL’S DEBUT R. W. Norton, who has won : 15 tight heads to four on : tout, should give Canterbury | supremacy in the scrums, but i the forwards as a whole will have to show the same determined approach to rucking as they did in Te Kuiti if the

game is to be tilted in their side’s favour. Davis, who is having an excellent tour, might give the young Auckland half-back, B. M. Gemmell, a worrying in. trOduction to first-class football, while Gimblett and R. F. Cocks, with their solid tackling, should contain Auckland’s best attackers. Watkins and K. R. Carring ton. The Canterbury captain, I. H. Penrose, will call for a particularly disciplined approach by his side when it is deep within its own territory, for R. D. Whatman, a capable goal-kicker, and Herewini, with his drop-kicks, have boosted Auckland’s fortunes in several games. Canterbury’s three slightly injured players—A. McLellan, M. S. Moore and H. H. McDonald—all recovered yesterday and will take their places in the team. Further showers are expected in Auckland today, but Eden Park is in excellent order and should offer a firm footing.

The side has placed great store in high punts by the half-back, L. J. Davis, and the five-eighths, 0. D. Bruce and K. J. Gimblett, as an incentive for the forwards to be first to the loose ball. Then, after the ruck, the backs are given their heads, with the full-back, S. M. C. Murray, occasionally running up at top speed to provide an overlap. HEREWINI v. BRUCE

The fortunes of the rival sides today will depend to a large extent on the outcome of the tactical kicking duel between Bruce and the experienced Aucklander, M. A. Herewint On the North Island tour, Bruce has shown Herewini’s flair for landing the ball just ahead of his forwards or his wings. Herewini, at 30, is not quite as effective as he was at his peak, but he will still be a danger man for Canterbury. Auckland displayed splendid form in beating Counties and the powerful North Auckland side at Whangarei, and the astute kicking of Herewini and the lively running of his fellow five-eighths, A. M. Watkins, contributed to the defeats of New South Wales and Taranaki. But the side was well beaten by North Auckland at Auckland and Waikato, and struggled desperately to beat lowly Thames Valley. The Auckland selectorcoach (Mr N. P. Mortimer)