CANTERBURY UNCHANGED

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32634, 16 June 1971, Page 30

CANTERBURY UNCHANGED

The Canterbury Rugby selectors (Dr J. D. Stewart and Mr M. J. Dixon) have retained their faith in the Canterbury team which convincingly beat Wellington on Saturday by announcing the same XV to play the British Lions at Lancaster Park on Saturday.

"We think we have sufficient strength, mobility and experience to match the Lions,” Dr Stewart said last evening.

Neither Dr Stewart nor Mr Dixon has seen the Lions in action, apart from on television. However, Dr Stewart was very impressed with both Otago and the Lions after watching the hour-long edited telecast on Monday evening. “Otago’s pack has always been tremendously good at rucking. If we can get as much ball as they did, I feel we might be able to create scoring opportunities a little more effectively,” Dr Stewart said.

“I thought that a couple of scoring opportunities were lost because of a lack of ex-

perience, especially in their mid-field backs.

“I thought Otago had 60 per cent of the game, judging by the telecast Nevertheless, the fact that the Lions could win by such a margin shows how good they are.

USE OF BALL “The thing which impresses me about the Lions is their ability to use possession which most orthodox New Zealand sides wouldn’t regard as good ball,” he said.

Dr Stewart and Mr Dixon have obviously stressed the importance of consistent tackling next Saturday. “The tragic thing for Otago was that on the two occasions its tackling lapsed, this cost them 10 points. Certainly Gareth Edwards and John Williams should have been stopped,” he said.

Dr Stewart added that he hoped the Canterbury scrummaging would be able to cope with its opponent’s.

TECHNIQUES “Its pretty obvious what the Lions technique is, especially when it is their opposition’s put-in.

“They create tremendous eight-man pressure and try to create bad ball,” he said, adding that' Canterbury had tactics to counter this.

However, he has reservations about countering two of the Lions other obvious strengths.

"Our line-outs will have to improve drastically from the Wellington game. "And Barry John’s accuracy is phenomenal. He’s the neatest goal-kicker I’ve seen for a while. The team la:—

W. F. McCormick; R. J. Wool- £?"£• £ A- J “ e l sh . L. W. Jones; W. D Cottrell, O. D. Bruce; L. J. Davis (vlce-captaln); I. H. Pennae (captain); A. J. Wyllle, H. H- McDonald, J F. Bums, A. E. Matheson; A. E. Hopklnson, R. W. Norton, A. McLellan. Reserves—K. J. Glmblett. B. F. Elder; I. G. Grant, K. J. Tan-

The manager is Mr C. H. J. Rhodes.