Rugby's big guns at Amberley

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34089, 28 February 1976, Page 4

Rugby's big guns at Amberley

(By

JOHN BROOKS)

Seventeen Ail Blacks and several other players of considerable prominence will give Rugby in Noi tliT’anter-' bury an early and-spec-tacular stall wl eu the.” play in a pecial match at tlie Amberley Domain on March 6. The aim of the game is t-J it the funds of the Amberley and Glenmark dab.' and to promote rugby in the area. Although will be primarily a festival fixtuie. the paiticipants are determined to approach their duties seriously, especially a- man.' of them have aspirations of pisying against Treiaiui. South Africa or Aigentii.a this yeat. With the national trials being held a- -ati\ as Ma; b. leading footballers will need to display timers and f jrm much earlier than usual. Fixtures such as the Amberiey match, therefore, are regarued t. players as essential tur.e-..p uppurtuluties. The riv<d ».u*« v.;. be captained by -..ex Wyllie

and Tane Norton, and many of their Canterbury and All Black colleagues will be on the field. There will be particular significance in the appearances of lan Kirkpatrick, Hamish Macdonald, lan Hurst and Duncan Hales. These four players tirst ■Aut, Ail Black honours from Canterbury. and now play tor other provinces. Grant Batty, who s now in the Bay of Plenty area, will be a big drawcard with his will o’ the wisp dashes. Keen interest, too, will be shown in the form •_f Bruce Robertson, the leggy All Black centre, wh< set up Batty's memorable try against Scotland in 1972. Feigie McCormick, who is pieparing diligently for ins farewell match later next month, and Wyllie’s friendly rival at No. 8, Alan Sutherland, will be two of the most colourful characters in the match. There will be three New Zealand test props on display — Kerry' Tanner and Bill Bush, the Canterbury stalwarts and the sturdy Jett Matheson (North Otagoi. In :r,e backs. Ail

Blacks will include Doug Bruce and Terry Mitchell (Canterbury) and lan Stevens and Mark Sayers (Wellington). Because of the immi-. nence of the national trials, the form of leading uncapped players will be the subject of keen appraisal. Greg Rowlands, the Bay of Plenty full-back, an astute and clever player, obviously is a top candidate. He was asked to stand by when Joe Karam was in doubt for the Scottish test last year.

Brian Ford (Marlborough) and Neil Purvis (Otago), both wings, Lyn Davis and Stewart Cron (Canterbury) ail enhanced their prospectswithg lowing displays for the successful South Island XV iast sea-

Two others whose form should commend them to

the national selectors, are John Ashworth, an improving Canterbury prop, and Tony .Goddard, the first five-eights who played an important role in Marlborough's revival. Vance Stewart, Dave Thompson, Mike Ryan, John Phillips and Bryan

Higginson, ail Canterbury representatives, and tha promising sub-unions flanker, Don Hayes, are also included in the teams. Haves, in particular, should benefit frorti playing in such illustrious company.

The reserves for bo teams have been draw from the Glenmark am. Amberley clubs. They are Geoff Henderson, a former Canterbury No 8, Ross Loffhagen, a South Island under-18 player for two seasons, John and Andrew Munro and Matt Wilson, ail Country colts, Phil Graham and Don Cummings. Tickets are being presold, and already the demand is keen. The venue, the Amberley Domain, has a sloping bank on one side and temporary stands, providing seating for 1000 spectators, will be erected. On the previous evening, Dr J. D. Stewart, a former Canterbury coach, and Waka Nathan, the national Maori team's coach, will join a panel of players from the 1970 All Black team fur a rugby forum in the Omihi Hail.