TEAMS POLES APART Rumanians relax, Juniors train

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33934, 29 August 1975, Page 20

TEAMS POLES APART Rumanians relax, Juniors train

f.Veic Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON. ~

The Rumanians and the Junior All Blacks, are poles apart in their approach to tomorrow’s “test” at Athletic Park. The Juniors were given a gruelling hour and a half practice in pouring rain by their coach ( Mr E. A. Watson) today, while the Rumanians relaxed at their hotel.

The Rumanians have decided not to practise at all for the match. A scheduled training session for today was called off after several players complained they were tired. “They are not used to playing two matches a week and training on the other days,” said the New Zealand Rugby Union liaison officer with the team (Mr R. W. Thomas). “They feel they have done enough.” This surprising decision means that several of the Rumanians in the team for tomorrow’s match will not have had a run since Tuesday — and that was only a 45 minutes practice conducted at half-pace. Mr Watson, however, had his players out at a suburban ground yesterday for a hard--on session. “That was what they wanted.” he said. Concentration at the session was on rucking and

kick-offs, and the forwards,) led by the captain, G. _N. I Mourie, capped it off with scrum practice up a steep) : bank. The Junior All Blacks will! again train today, while the: Rumanians again either relax! at their hotel or wander | about Wellington’s streets. The Rumanian team for tomorrow’s match is strengthened by the return to fitness of the lock, George Daraban, and the prop, Dumitru Musat, both strong, big forwards who were sorely missed when Rumania turned in a listless performance against South Canterbury. Mihai Bucos, the kicking fly-half, will go back into the team at the expense of Dumitru Alexandru, who sprained an ankle on Wednesday. The wing, lon Constantin, who missed the South Canterbury match because of a gashed . finger suffered against Southland, also returns to the side. The only real surprise in the Rumanian team is the I omission of the flanker, Con-

stantin Fugigi, regarded by the Rumanians as one of their best forwards; but he has been in poor form on tour.

10 minutes Rugby The Rumanian team will leave Wellington for Rumania on Monday morning. One of the team, the brilliant utility back Valeria Irimsecu, will go home having played little more than 10 minutes Rugby on the month-long tour. Irimescu, who is 33, went on as a replacement against Marlborough last week, and immediately set up a try and then kicked the conversion from the sideline. He was again in the reserves against Southland last Saturday, but was not required. He did not play at Timaru on Wednesday and is not in the reserves for tomorrow’s encounter. Irimescu said . yesterday that he doubted whether he would last the full 80 minutes of a match. “I’m getting too old,” he said. He had also had sore ankle tendons after the Marlborough match, and had trained sparingly since then.

A mystery

Irimescu’s official function on the tour has been something of mystery. He has been affectionately dubbed “the K.G.8.” by New Zealanders touring with the team. But his Rugby knowledge is undoubted, and he has confirmed that he will become the Rumanian Rugby Federation’s coach later this year. At official functions during the tour, Irimescu has been introduced as “the senior player and assistant coach,” and has had a large say at team training — but the official coach (Mr P. Cosmanescu) is still the “boss.” Rumania in a letter last January said that it would bring two coaches on tour, Irimescu and Cosmanescu. Under the International Rugby Board rules which govern tours in New Zealand, only one coach — officially the assistant manager — is allowed, and so Irimescu was included as a player.

Rugby.—The Shirley Boys’ High School Ist XV lost its first match of its return journey from Auckland down the east coast of the North Island yesterday. It lost to Tauranga Boys’ College. 11-4.