Win by Maori XV augurs well for Pacific tour

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33212, 30 April 1973, Page 24

Win by Maori XV augurs well for Pacific tour

(New Zealand Press Association) WANGANUI. The selectors have called on five players not involved in the New Zealand Maori XV’s match against Wanganui on Saturday to join the touring Maori All Blacks party in the Pacific next month.

The Maoris beat Wanganui, 16-6, at Spriggens Park on Saturday, although the Wanganui team was weakened with injury.

The All Black prop, S. Mc-j Nicol, withdrew from the Wanganui XV, as did the first ! five-eighths G. Young. The I goal-kicker, R. Barrell was on the field for only 25 minutes before he aggravated a knee injury and went off. ; Although depleted, Wanganui was by no means broken. [The forwards fought doggedly [and with amazing success in [the first half but found themiselves camped on their goal|'line in the final 40 minutes. If the Maoris did not show

too much of their usual ebullient Rugby style, the forwards allayed any fears about their ability for the forthcoming Pacific Islands tour.

Of the team w’hich beat ■Wanganui, only the halfback, H. Tangaere, has been excluded for the tour.

The Maori eight rampaged about, either ball in hand, thumping into Wanganui defenders, or combining to shove the Wanganui pack about at will.

However, one of the eight emerged head and shoulders above the rest —W. Bush, the Canterbury prop. Bush turned on a dynamic display of Rugby for a full 80 minutes. He was without peer, tidying up the lineout ball, wrenching it from mauls or thundering forward in telling charges. His display was one worthy of All Black honours.

With R. Norton and K. Lambert sharing the front row with Bush, the Maoris were unbeatable.

J. Maniapoto thrilled the crowd of 5000 with his tremendous bursts from the lineouts, and the loose men, R. Barber at No. 8 and the flankers, T. Waaka and T. Carter, showed exceptional speed on a slippery ground. i B. Going, until he began kicking a little too often, illustrated clearly typical Going elusiveness with good runs. Wanganui, although for much of the match on defence had its heroes too —the hard-tackling five-eighths, G.

Neilson and B. Milner, and the North Island under-18 player W. Osborne, in his representative debut for Wanganui. Scorers —Maoris: Tries, R. Barber, Bush. G. Skudder; conversions. N. Pickrang (2). Wanganui: Penalty goals, Barrell (2). FIVE MATCH TOUR The touring Maori team, which will play five matches in Fiji, three in Tonga, and two in Western Samoa, leaving Auckland on May 9 and returning on June 10, is:— Full-backs: N. Pickrang (Otago). K. Going (North Auckland!. Wings.—P. Yates (Counties), G. Skudder (Waikato), P. Goldsmith (Counties). Centres. —G. Skipper (Wellington), E. Stokes (Bay of Plenty). Five-eighths. — 11. Huriwai (Poverty Bay), B. Going (North Auckland). Half-backs.—C. Jacobs (Bay of Plenty), T. Davis (Auckland). No. 8s. —R. Barber (Southland), L. Haddon (North Auckland). Flankers.—T. Carter (Hawke's Bay), T. Waaka (Auckland). Locks.—R. Lockwood (Waikato), J. Maniapoto (Bay of Plenty), G. Phillips (North Auckland). Props.—W. Bush (Canterbury),

K. Lambert (Manawatu), H. Tu j I (Auckland). Hookers.—R. Norton (Canter-; bury), F. Walker (Wellington,. ; The captain will probably be [named later this week after the; [council of the N.Z.R.F.U. has I considered recommendations I from the selectors.