Vital match in league

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33065, 4 November 1972, Page 46

Vital match in league

(Ji.Z.PA. Staff Correspondent’ TOULOUSE. The injury-hit Australian Rugby league team may delay until just before the match naming its side for the vital World Cup clash against France tomorrow.

The tour selectors were having difficulty finding a fully-fit team, particularly in the forwards, from the 19man party.

The second row forward, J. Elford, is out for the rest of the tour with a spiral fracture of the right arm, sustained in Wednesday’s victory over New Zealand in Paris.

And Elford’s fellow forward. R. McCarthy, is still feeling the effects of the sprains in both ankles he suffered in the team’s loss to Britain in Perpignan last Sunday.

A doctor ruled yesterday that McCarthy could play this week-end, but the team management is reluctant to risk him. The player who took McCarthy’s place against New Zealand, G. Sullivan, injured a calf muscle in the

match and is also having treatment.

Australia and France each has one win in the preliminary round-robin tournament The victor tomorrow will join Britain in the final in Lyons next Saturday. KIWIS HOPEFUL

The result of the weekend’s other match, between New Zealand and Britain at Pau today, has only academic interest. Britain is already in the final and New Zealand cannot reach that stage after defeats to France (9-20) and Australia (5-9). However, the Kiwis are hopeful of scoring their first win in the series, particularly in view of their spirited performance against Australia and the fact that Britain will probably include several of its reserve players. New Zealand would miss the robust Auckland loose forward, W. P. Gurnick, if the chest injury he sustained on Wednesday keeps him out, but R. S. Walker is a lively if light loose forward who deserves his first full game for the Kiwis. FITNESS TESTS The props, M. H. Mohi and R. H. Paul, will also have fitness tests, but Paul is almost certain not to play. In the backs, J. A. Whittaker and J. Wilson, have had knocks, but both should be fit.

The coach, Mr D. A. Barchard, said yesterday that if the Kiwis play as well against Britain as they did against Australia, he will have no complaints. “All our players did their best and our few silly errors were minor ones and not important,” he added.