Full team effort needed to beat Wellington

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33959, 27 September 1975, Page 48

Full team effort needed to beat Wellington

(From

JOHN BROOKS)

WELLLXGTOX.

The Rugby match between Canterbury and Wellington at Athletic Park this afternoon could well assume the mantle of a promotion-relegation fixture if the national interprovincial competition was in vogue.

Canterbury has won eight and lost six of its representative games this season, and Wellington has an even sorrier record, with seven wins from 16 encounters. Both sides are canable of!

much better football, than their results indicate,’ and they have one last chance to prove themselves today. Canterbury whipped Wellington in the first of the home-and-away fixtures earlier this season, but Wellington was sadly below strength on that occasion, through a variety of reasons.

This afternoon the home side will have the services of the All Black captain, Andy Leslie, the brilliant New Zealand wing, Grant Batty, and the much underrated inside back, Mark Sayers, as it attempts to reverse the damaging result in Christchurch. BATTY FIT

! Batty, who has been off [the scene because of a painiful ankle injury received in the inter-island game earlier this month, has been passed fit to play, and this fact alone dims Canterbury’s hopes of a repeat performance.

It is probable that Canterbury will gain a clear advantage in the struggle for possession, but it is by no means certain that this will decide the outcome. , Wellington is a side which excels in taking its chances from broken play, and this will place a burden of responsibility on the shoulders of the Canterbury flankers, Stewart Cron and John Phillips. If they can deny opportunities to the quickthinking Wellington looseforwards, Leslie and Graham Williams, Canterbury would have a strong chance of [doing the double.

• But it will be imperative [that the Canterbury backs iplay with as much purpose

: as they exhibited in the sec- . ond quarter of the game against Otago last Saturday. ' Nothing less will suffice if ’ victory is to be obtained. ■ A good deal of responsi- ; bility will fall on Kevin Jennings, who will be makling only his third appearance for Canterbury this

season. He has the ability to get the line moving swiftly from his post at first fiveeighths, but it will be a big challenge to him, in view of his recent inactivity. An interesting individual contest will be between the rival half-backs, Lyn Davis (Canterbury) and ’fan Ste-

vens (Wellington). Stevens is firmly entrenched as a member of the All Black squad, but Davis’s consistent displays for Canterbury and his astute performance for the South Island two weeks ago have brought him into contention for a belated proi motion to the New Zealand side next year. Today’s duel,’! therefore, could be of paramount importance with the South African tour in mind. BEI LER FORM

Both teams have had their confidence shaken through a number of reversals, but Canterbury has the more compelling recent form. It lost by one point to the top provincial side, Otago, while Wellington succumbed to lowly Taranaki.

Canterbury has the ability to make its final fling for the season a winning one. But it will achieve this aim ! only if backs and forwards 'work in unison towards a [common goal.