GOOD CHANCE FOR CANTERBURY Victory sought against side called best in N.Z.

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32715, 18 September 1971, Page 48

GOOD CHANCE FOR CANTERBURY Victory sought against side called best in N.Z.

(By

J. K. BROOKS)

Otago was the best provincial Rugby team that the Lions encountered in New Zealand. This was said emphatically by the touring side’s coach (Mr C. R. James) and the captain (S. J. Dawes) at the end of the triumphant tour.

This afternoon at Lancaster Park the Canterbury team will try to upset this assessment when it plays its long-standing rival for the second time this season.

On a comparison of recent form, Canterbury has a good chance of succeeding.

Otago was clearly the better side in the earlier encounter, at Dunedin, butt the lesson was not lost on Canterbury, and it has tightened its forward play in recent matches.

Under the able coaching of Mr E. A. Watson, Otago has won a reputation for the purposefulness of its rucking and the efficiency of its back play. Canterbury has discovered this to its cost in losing five of the last seven games against the southern side. This season, Otago won six of its first seven games, the only loss being at the hands of the Lions. But the rucking of the Otago forwards was so good in this match that Mr James lamented that he did not have a film of this aspect of play to take back to Britain. Lost spirit Since then, however, Otago has lost the fire and spirit which characterised its earlier performances. On the North Island tour it lost three of its four games, and since its return it has lost to Auckland and scraped home against South Canterbury. As a result of this fall in standard, Otago has dropped its leading try-scorer, M. P. Collins, who was the South Island’s left wing last Satur-

day, and the first five-eighths, A. J. Clark, a South Island reserve. Canterbury, on the other hand, has displayed a steady improvement since its southern tour, although its sweeping wins against minor unions in the last three matches might have given it a false sense of security. However, R. W. Norton, I. H. Penrose, and A. J. Wyllie —none of whom played in the earlier match against Otago—are in the pack today, and this will give Canterbury a chance of at least holding Otago in the forwards.

Behind scrum The services of L. J. Davis and W. D. Cottrell were also missed by Canterbury at Carisbrook, and their presence this afternoon will ensure steadiness behind the scrum.

The home side has gambled on K. J. Gimblett being a success at centre. The

blonde five-eighths has played only once in this position for Canterbury. He has the temperament and the experience to succeed, but he must resist the temptation to cut infield. The biggest stumbling blocks for Canterbury will be the strength in the tight of such Otago stalwarts as W. W. Townsend, K. Murdoch, and L. A. Clark, the elusiveness of G. L. Colling, the half-back; and the solid midfield defence mounted by D J. Robertson and G. Sims.

The Otago first five-eights, L. H. Jaffray, who has been out of action because of injury for three months, will be the subject of close attention by the Canterbury flankers. If he can move the ball quickly, however, the All Black rightwing, B. A. Hunter, might give the Canterbury defence some anxious moments.

W. F. McCormick will have an important role to play for the home side, for the dependability of Otago’s mid-field defence and the diligent covering of Hunter should stifle any orthodox attacks. With McCormick in the back-line, Canterbury might be able to seize a slight advantage op attack.

Kicking important If, however, a state of stalemate is reached in this contest between two strong packs and reliable backs, the goal-kicking of McCormick and L. W. Mains will be of the utmost importance. The teams are:— Otago. Mains; Hunter, Sims, S. Thompson; Robertson, Jaffray; Colling; R. A Roy; R. Smith, Townsend, J. D. Matheson, J. C. Adams; Murdoch, D. A. Pescini, Clark.

Canterbury. McCormick; R. J. Woolhouse, Gimblett, D. A. Hales; Cottrell, O. D. Bruce; Davis; Penrose; A. E. Matheson, J. F. Bums, H. H. McDonald, Wyllie; A. E. Hopkihson, Norton, A. McLellan.