LIONS MIGHT NOT RISK KEY FLY-HALF John’s absence would help Canterbury

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32637, 19 June 1971, Page 46

LIONS MIGHT NOT RISK KEY FLY-HALF John’s absence would help Canterbury

(By

J. K. BROOKS)

The question mark hanging over the British Lions’ gifted fly-half, B. John, has Some relevance to the fate of today’s game between Canterbury and the touring Rugby team at Lancaster Park oval.

The decision on John’s availability will be made this morning, but it would not be surprising if the Lions’ management decided to keep him in cotton wool until the first test against New Zealand at Dunedin in a week’s time.

It is an open secret that the Lions’ planners regard victory in the test series to be the chief target for this tour. John’s presence in the side at Dunedin is a necessity, because the touring team is pinning its hopes on winning the first of the four-match series.

Defeat in a provincial match would not be regarded as a calamity, and the loss of John’s attacking powers and goal-kicking ability, and the calibre of the Canterbury side, make this a possibility this afternoon.

John is still plagued by a back injury—the legacy of a motor-cycle accident in Wales five years ago—and although he is still in the team at this stage, it would seem a logical step for the Lions to bring A. J. Lewis into the back-line rather than risk the star fly-half at this stage of the tour.

Canterbury has bravely decided to play the game its own way, and to this end it has chosen attacking players such as A. E. Matheson and L. W. Jones in positions for which there were players noted for their reliability on defence available. Hard task It is a hard task for a side which must be at a peak in August and September for the defence of the Ranfurly Shield to attempt to lower the Lions’ colours today. On the last two Lions’ tours of New Zealand, the Canterbury game has been played a month later than this year’s fixture.

In spite of this, and Canterbury’s moderate form in its last two first class matches the side has been simmering at training and might come to the boil this afternoon. The initial task for the home team is to attempt to match the Lions in set play and to gain the advantage in second - phase possession. With A. J. Wyllie, A. McLennan and Matheson in the forwards, Canterbury has a good chance of being first to the break-downs. Then the onus will be on L. J. Davis, O. D. Bruce and W. D. Cottrell to develop the attacks with the certainty they have shown in previous prestige matches.

The Lions have scored 39 tries in eight matches chiefly because the forwards have had a mortgage on first-phase possession. The skills and drills of an exceptionally fine set of backs have done the rest.

Same back-line Canterbury will be mindful of the need to reduce drastically the amount of scrum and line-out possession won by the Lions’ forwards, because the visiting back-line—as it stands at present—is identical to the one which ran Wellington ragged two weeks ago. So as well as playing its own game, Canterbury will also have to place great stress on the need for Wyllie and Matheson to harry the inside backs and for I. H.

Penrose and Davis to supply a cast-iron cover defence. In this context, it is reassuring for the home side to have W. F. McCormick as the last line of defence. The sturdy full-back has limited his appearances in attacking movements this season, ana Canterbury will be the better for his reliability in tackling, fielding, and kicking. The Lions will have a slight advantage in weight among the forwards, but Canterbury should be able to counteract the Lions’ shove in the scrums, and R. W. Norton, the hooker, has already shown that he is a match for J. V. Pullin. Bigger problem The line-outs pose a much bigger problem for Canterbury, because W. J. Mcßride, W. D. Thomas, and P. J. Dixon are consistent ballwinners, and R. J. McLoughlin is adept at developing the peel or the drive. Canter)urys’ hopes will rest on the broad shoulders of A. E. Hopkinson, J. F. Bums, and H. H. McDonald, and there will be particular interest in the displays, on the first two in view of the need for strong men at No. 2 and No. 3 in the line-out in the All Blacks.

The Canterbury backs will have to adopt the attitude Jack took with the Beanstalk if they are to contain such splendid players as C. M. H. Gibson, a superb artist at centre, S. J. Dawes, who must be worshipped by his wings, and G. O. Edwards, a master of the quick break and the lengthy pass. And when J. P. R. Williams comes galloping in from

full-back, Canterbury’s defence will have to be at its very best, because the powerful full-back has shown that he can force a gap if one does not exist.

R. J. Woolhouse, the Canterbury left wing, is a solid defender, but H. T. Joseph must reproduce his tackle of McCormick in the South Island trial this year, and Jones must repeat his shattering effort of the Waikato shield challenge last season if the scarlet tide is to be checked.

Should John take his place in the side, Canterbury could well go the way of eight other sides which aspired to greatness against the Lions. But John’s absence might give Canterbury a chance to halt the triumphant progress of the tourists.