Auckland ready for shield defences

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33932, 27 August 1975, Page 12

Auckland ready for shield defences

(By

JOHN BROOKS)

Auckland's defence of the Ranfurly Shield will begin in earnest on Saturday, and the team’s coash (Mr Eric Boggs) is satisfied that the preparation has been thorough. A South Island tour which began badly for Auckland with a heavy loss to Otago at Carisbrook helped to put the side on its mettle. The forwards faced up to their responsibilities. and this helped the team to victories against Southland and Canterbury. “Our programme has fallen into three distinct parts this season.” Mr Boggs said. “The first part consisted of our games against Waikato, North Auckland. Sydney. Wellington and Bay of Plenty “Then came the first shield match, against Thames Valley, and the South Island tour. “The third part will consist of the remaining six shield defences, and an

away game against Taranaki.” Mr Boggs regarded the South Island tour as a period of consolidation for the team; he said that the hard forward struggles had confirmed Auckland’s expectations. He would not be drawn into long-term predictions on the shield series. “We have to take these games as they come. For a start we will be taking on Hawke’s Bay without three of the forwards, Peter Carroll. Stuart Conn and John Allen, and one of the three-quarters, Tim Twigden. They will all be playing for the Juniors against Rumania in Wellington.’’ The side has a matchwinner in the All Black wing, Bryan Williams, who plays centre for his club and Auckland, and a shrewd and capable halfback and captain, Lin Colling. Jon McLachlan, a for-

met All Black wing, is obviously coming back on to his game, and two young men introduced to first class football last season by Mr Boggs, Mike Richards (first five-eights) and Colin Farrell (full-back) are developing swiftly. But the team might be a little thin on forward power, especially in the Hawke’s Bay challenge game.

“We know that without Peter Whiting and Lawrie Knight our line-out play will fall well below last season’s standard, and we will have to compensate for this by improved loose forward play” Mr Boggs said. In this respect, the

shield holder has been fortunate to unearth Dave Webb, a 22-year-old No 8, who scored two tries in his debut, against Sydney, and who fulfilled expectations in the South Island.