A BOLT FROM THE BLUE BUT... New Caledonia matches will help N.Z. prepare

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32661, 17 July 1971, Page 14

A BOLT FROM THE BLUE BUT... New Caledonia matches will help N.Z. prepare

(By

D. P. MANSBRIDGE)

The announcement on Wednesday that the New Zealand soccer team will leave for Noumea tomorrow to play two matches against New Caledonia and return on Thursday came like a bolt out of the blue to supporters of the code.

Not a word was mentioned about the trip during the test with Wales at Auckland last Saturday, and the only talk of any team visiting New Caledonia — that is before the Oceania tournament there in October —was the possibility of the Auckland representative side going there.

Confirmation of New Zealand’s acceptance was only made last Monday, and the next day rush notices were sent out to provincial associations to inform the players concerned and to see whether they could get the time off from their employers.

The national coach (Mr B. Truman) named the 16 he had selected for the Welsh match to make the trip, and added other Slayers to stand by if memers of the original selection dropped out. Three failed to make the necessary arrangements —J. Staines, P. Eliades (Eastern Suburbs), and G. Lamont (Mount Wellington) and their places were taken by G. Griffiths, B. Hardman (Christchurch United), and I. Hastie (Mount Albert' Ponsonby).

One of the major factors in the New Zealand Football Association accepting the late invitation was that New Caledonia offered to pay all of the expenses of the travelling party for the two matches to be played.

tomorrow night and on Tuesday night. A second, and equally important factor, was that it also gave Mr Truman another chance to bring his national side together—at least the majority of the players—before the Oceania tournament. And the faet that three of the original selection cannot make the trip has, enabled Mr Truman to add’ other players who were on the fringe of selection for the Welsh test. Griffiths regains his place in the national side through the withdrawal of Staines after being discarded for the match with the Welshmen. However, he was very narrowly a late inclusion in the party for the Welsh test. There had been doubts about the fitness of the Christchurch United captain, K. France, because of a thigh muscle he injured playing for Canterbury against the Welshmen, and Griffiths had been asked to stand by to go to Auckland if France had had to withdraw. Hardman has won national selection in his first full season of New Zealand soccer, and there were many who believed that he should have played against Wales. He has the chance to clinch his place for the Oceania tournament. The addition of both Griffiths and Hardman might provide the answers to two of the strongest criticisms of New Zealand’s performance against Wales—the lack of a tall centre-back strong in the air and the lack of a schemer in midfield. Playing for Canterbury against Wales, Griffiths produced his finest performance of the season, similar to the one he showed

against the English F.A. in 1969 and which took him straight into the World Cup squad. He and France have forged a perfect understanding, and it must be hoped that they will get the chance to be partners in one of the matches against New Caledonia, which will mean the New Zealand captain, G. Bilby, standing down. The role that Hardman will now fill against New Caledonia was that which Lamont largely failed to fulfil in the Wales test — the player who must knit together the defence and attack. For too long against Wales, New Zealand seemed to be fielding five defenders, five attackers, and with no-one able to forge these two sections into one unit. The late addition of Hardman and Hastie should enable Mr Truman to give both of these talented ballplayers the chances to show their mid-field attributes. It is a pity, however, Mr Truman could not take in the party another centre striker. He will have three, E. Thomas, G. Brand, and J. Houghton, but room ought to have been foundfor either C. Shaw (Blockhouse Bay) or B. Baker (Western Suburbs), for Brand was not the perfect answer against Wales. Certainly, Brand deserves another chance, but with limited opportunities of getting the national squad together, neither Shaw nor Baker will be able to strike a blow for themselves. No one suggests wholesale changes from the team that played against Wales; they are not needed. But there were deficiencies that showed on the day against this class of opposition and

every chance should be taken before the Oceania tournament to give others an opportunity of winning selection. It is of some significance that such as Griffiths, Hardman, and Hastie have got their chances only because others have had to withdraw from the squad, and not because Mr Truman deliberately made way for them. After all, New Caledonia is using these two belated matches to prepare for the South Pacific Games in early September. New Zealand should see them also in the same light, as building a team for the Oceania tournament. Victories tomorrow and on Tuesday are of lesser importance.