CANTERBURY'S NEW ALL BLACK I. A. Hurst grasped his chances, gained just reward

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33032, 27 September 1972, Page 12

CANTERBURY'S NEW ALL BLACK I. A. Hurst grasped his chances, gained just reward

(By

J. K. BROOKS)

Trial Rugby matches can be terribly cruel affairs. Players who have prepared themselves assiduously in the hope of catching a selector’s eye can be swept into anonymity through no fault of their own. L. J. Davis, the Canterbury halfback, can testify to that — with considerable feeling. But for players who find the ball and the breaks coming their way, trial games offer substantial rewards for boldness. This was certainly true in the case of lan Hurst, the young, fair-haired Canterbury centre who was chosen on Saturday for the All Black tour of Britain during the next four months. Hurst was unknown to most of the spectators in

Wellington. This was hardly surprising, for his debut for Canterbury A occurred as recently as August 1, shortly before his twentyfirst birthday.

But Hurst’s name was soon being buzzed round the crowd. He twice brought down the All Black centre, B. J. Robertson, with jolting, shin-height tackles, and he saved a certain try with a smother tackle of R. E. Burgess when he had a three-man overlap.

A splendidly timed pass to a supporting forward, A. R. Leslie, led to G. R. Skudder’s first try, and the Waikato wing scored again after Hurst had scorched through a gap and given him a clear run-in.

Throughout the game, Hurst impressed with his excellent defence—both as as a first-line defender and

in covering—and his eagerness in pursuing the merest

chance. Selection in the 30strong team was a just reward for his efforts. Hurst is a farm management student at Lincoln College, and his meteoric rise is similar to that of his fellow College player, D. A. Hales, who is also in the touring team. The young centre has a farming background — his parents have an 800-acre property at Papakaio,. 10 miles west of Oamaru. At Waitaki Boys’ High School he was in the first XV for two years with the 1970-71 All Black wing and national track champion, B. A. Hunter. G. W. McGee, the Otago and New Zealand Juniors’ back row forward was another member of the side. Hurst joined the Oamaru Old Boys’ Club on leaving school, and, at the age of 18, gained a place in the North Otago team at centre playing outside the steady P. C. Gard. In the course of a full season for the side Hurst played a notable part in the shock 16-8 defeat of Otago at Oamaru. His brother, D. C. Hurst, is a member of the present North Otago team. Last year Hurst became a student at Lincoln College and played Rugby for

Canterbury Colts and Canterbury B. Today’s game will be his tenth in succession for Canterbury A. He has not had many chances to show his worth in his games for the province. and he thought that he had only a “5 per cent chance” of winning a place in the All Blacks. “I thought I was pretty lucky getting into the trials,” he said. A former sprint champion at Waitaki, Hurst has continued to run at Lincoln College in the summer to sharpen his speed for Rugby. “I know I did 75yd in Bsec, but that’s about all I can remember,” he said. Hurst is not only fast; he is also strong, and has a good eye for a gap. He has played "the two-centre game with Hales successfully for Lincoln College, and it would come as no surprise if one or both of these talented players was placed in the problem position of second five-eighths during the tour.

Hurst says he will continue to play Rugby for many years—“until no-one wants me.” On his present form, that day is in the dim, distant future.