LIONS TEAM TO PLAY NORTH AUCKLAND Bevan has chance to win back test place

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32678, 6 August 1971, Page 20

LIONS TEAM TO PLAY NORTH AUCKLAND Bevan has chance to win back test place

(From EARLE READ, N.Z.P.A. staff correspondent)'

WHANGAREI.

The explosive Lions wing, J. C. Bevan, has been given a golden chance of regaining test status, in the tourists’ match against North Auckland tomorrow.

Bevan and A. J. Lewis, who spells C. M. H. Gibson in the centres, are the only “outsiders” in the team to play North Auckland; the rest all played in the third test.

Bevan’s form fell away badly midway through the tour, to a point where the Lions almost despaired of him recapturing it. But his four tries against Manawatu-Horowhenua on Wednesday have put him back into the reckoning.

Although the Lions were restricted in their choice of wings for the match with North Auckland because of the injured knee suffered by 1. G. R. Davies, there can be little doubt that Bevan is being given a chance to take over from the man whe replaced him, D. J. Duckham, on the left wing in the final test at Eden Park on August 14.

As reluctant as they might be to tamper with a winning team, the Lions would probably welcome back an inform Bevan’. At his peak Bevan is a dangerous wing, whether chopping his way infield or using his superb physique to burst through tackles.

Two of his tries against the combined team on Wednesday were beautifully set up for him, but he contributed ingenuity and skill to the others. And, more important, his hands were safe. The team to play North Auckland is:—J. P. R. Williams; Duckham, S. J. Dawes (captain), Lewis, Bevan; B. John, G. O. Edwards; T- M.

Davies; J. Taylor, W. J. McBride, G. L. Brown, D. B. Quinnell; J. McLaughlan, J. V. Pullin, J. F. Lynch. Reserves:—Backs, R. Hopkins, C. Rea; forwards, F. A. L. Laidlaw, M. G. Roberts. The tourists trained in Palmerston North before flying to Whangarei yesterday afternoon, with T. G. R. Davies running comfortably. Their main concern was about the state of the ground after the flooding in Northland. It seems that Whangarei’s notoriety for sticky patches is widely known, because

even before they crossed the Tasman to start the New Zealand tour some Lions were discussing the appointment with S. M. Going in Northland’s mud.

More than 6in of rain fell here in two days this week, but yesterday Okara Park appeared to have survived the deluge extraordinarily well. It was forked yesterday morning so that surface water would drain away, and by the afternoon it was no worse than slippery. Saturday’s match the second to last provincial game of the tour—also marks the come-back of the 1970 All Black, B. E. Holmes.

He has played only two games, one for his club, the other for the Whangarei subunion, since he went down with knee cartilage. He will play on the side of the scrum.