Mitchell still out

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34151, 12 May 1976, Page 42

Mitchell still out

For Terry Mitchell, Canterbury’s No. 1 rugby wing in recent seasons, regaining the place he lost in the provincial team towards the end of last season is not proving easy. Last evening the selectors (Messrs S. F. Hill and D. A. Arnold) named their team for Canterbury’s first national championship match, against Marlborough at Lancaster Park next Wednesday, and the left wing, the position

regularly filled by Mitchell, is Scott Cartwright. Mitchell has been bracketed on the right wing with Dave McGuigan, but Mr Arnold said last evening that McGuigan would play if he was fit. McGuigan is in doubt 'because of a chest injury he : suffered at work yesterday. The irony of the situation in respect to the three wings is that Mitchell was the only one of the trio considered worthy of an All Black trial last week-end. He was, in fact, nominated for the trials in • preference to Cartwright.:

McGuigan was nominated, but not selected. The selectors have retained the mid-field combination of Andy Jefferd and Murray McEwan, which was not particularly effective against South Canterbury last week, thereby ignoring another All Black trial nominee in Bruce McPhail. There is only one other change from the side that narrowlv beat South Canterbury. Kerry Tanner, who suffered a badly torn ear in the All Black trials, is not available and his place will be taken by another trialist, John Ashworth. The team is:—D. Heffernan; McGuigan or Mitchell, Jefferd. Cartwright; McEwan, O. D. Bruce; L. J. Davis; A. J. Wyllie; S. E. G. Cron, V. E. Stewart, D. M. Thompson, J. K. Phillips: W. K. Bush, R. W. Norton. Ashworth. Reserves: S. J. Scott, K. R. Jennings: B. L. Higginson, S. I. Purdon.