Canterbury players on trial in Timaru

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32966, 12 July 1972, Page 34

Canterbury players on trial in Timaru

(By

J. K. BROOKS)

Canterbury Rugby players have an incentive to put their best feet forward in the match against South Canterbury at Timaru today.

The provincial selectors (Dr J. D. Stewart and Mr P. D. Clark) intend to review the performances of the members of the A squad after the game before drawing up the list of players required for the bulk of the representa-. tive games in the next two months.

Two players who will be especially keen to make a good impression are P. A. Peacocke, the first fiveeighths, and G. E. Taylor, the right wing. Both men will be making their first appearance for Canterbury A. Peacocke has deceived

many opposing five-eighths with his dazzling footwork and his well-balanced running makes him a potential source of danger to South Canterbury. However, much depends on whether he strikes an understanding with the halfback, L. J. Davis. Today’s game marks the temporary disruption of the well-tried partnership between Davis and O. D. Bruce and Canterbury will hope that Peacocke settles to his task quickly. Taylor is inexperienced in the ways of first-class Rugby, bu. he is strong and resourceful—as well as fast—and if the Canterbury mid-field backs live up to their reputations, Taylor could have South Canterbury’s coverdefence stretching. South Cmterbury has not beaten Canterbury at Fraser Park since 1959 and although its prospects of victory today are not bright it should give its rival a thorough test—particularly in the forwards. YOUNG LOCKS The two lofty young locks from Temuka, R. C. Sharpe and A. D. Grant, have played well against Canterbury in the past and G. A. Young is a strong, vigorous prop who will give great support to the experienced hooker, K. I. Milne. South Canterbury will be without its regular second five-eighths, P. Roddick, but R. M. O’Reilly, formerly of the Mid-Canterbury team, should prove to be an able substitute. R. L. King, the stronglybuilt wing who once played for New Brighton and Canterbury B, is known as an earnest attacker and N. F. Twaddell, the full-back, is a reliable goal-kicker. The Canterbury team will welcome the return of S. E. G. Cron on the flank and W. K. Bush has a golden chance of playing himself into the prop position vacated by A. McLellan. BOOST NEEDED Canterbury needs a good win to restore its confidence, which slumped a little after the defeat by Wellington. It is a measure of the selectors’ determination to achieve this end that all seven South Island representatives from the union have been chosen for the match.

The teams are:— Canterbury.—W. F. MeCormick; Taylor, D. A. Hales, M. P. Collins; K. J. Gimblett, Peacocke; Davis (captain); A. J. Wyllle; Cron, H. H. Macdonald, R. J. Lockwood, J. K. Phillips; Bush, R. W. Norton, K. J. Tanner.

South Canterbury.—Twaddell; M. G. Roberts, N. A. Gray. King; O’Reilly, R. Dorgan; K. J. Tarrant; L. S. Geddes; M. R. Noble, Sharpe. Grant, J. D. Darragh; P. Walsh, Milne (captain), Young.