Greengrass replaced

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34130, 17 April 1976, Page 46

Greengrass replaced

Michael O’Donnell, one of the most prominent figures in the Canterbury rugby league trial series, has been belatedly included in the Amco Cup team to travel to Brisbane on Tuesday morning.

The Canterbury selectors! (Messrs J. H. Fisher, J. G. Clarke and M. R. Clinton) promoted O’Donnell yesterday when the Kiwi prop forward, John Greengrass, withdrew because of badly bruised ribs and a swollen hand — injuries suffered in the match against Canterbury B on Wednesday evening. By bringing O’Donnell into the line-up to start the game against Brisbane Eastern Suburbs, the panel has relegated one of the original centres, Gary Taie, to the reserves. The other back substitutes, both three-quar-ters, Francis Lawrence and Lewis Hudson, will remain in those positions. O’Donnell’s strength on defence and alertness on attack must improve the overall solidity of the back-line, and his utility value will be appreciated if the full-back, Kevin Williams, or other centre, Bruce Dickison, suffer recurrances of recent . leg injuries.

He returns to the Canterbury side, for his eighteenth appearance, for the first time since 1974. O'Donnell made his debut as a 19-year-old in 1971, and has interprovincial and New Zealand trial experience at full-back' and centre. A reshuffle of the forward pack has led to Mark Fuller moving up to take Greengrass’s place in the frontrow, with Barry Edkins to have his first full fixture for Canterbury in the second-

row. Rex Dalzell has been left as the only forward reserve. Should Canterbury lose two forwards during the match, it will be necessary to switch Williams or Mocky Brereton from the backs. The task of the selectors was made difficult when two front-rowers, Terry Gillman and Dale Brown, did not play for Canterbury B earlier this week The coach, Mr Fisher, said that Williams, Dickison and Taie passed fitness tests yesterday, and expected that all 17 members of the squad would be used in Brisbane. The revised team is:— Williams; Brereton, O'Donnell, Dickison, Lewis (Hudson; Ken Tait, Waliy IWilson (captain); Fuller. I Alan Rushton, Stewart ’Hogg: Wayne Bunn. Edkins; jMutu Stone. Reserves: Dalzell. Taie, Paskell, Lawrence. ' Snooker.—The Englishman. John Spencer, shot a break of 138 In Manchester — a record for a world professional snooker championship held in England. Spencer, on his way to a 15-5 firstround victory over his country, man, David Taylor, topped bv one point Eddie Charlton’s 137 Motor-cycling.—CZ. a Czechoslovakian motor-cycle manufacturer, intends sending its works moto-cross team to New Zeal ar d later this year in an attempt to boost local sales.