Memories of ’65

Press, 6 September 1976, Page 17

Memories of ’65

Two of the bright young men of New Zealand rugby who played for the Junior All Blacks against the Springboks at Lancaster Park in 1965 were back in action on the same ground when Canterbury met Counties in a national first division game on Saturday. Henare (“Buff”) Milner, who has played first class rugby in every back-line position except half-back in his career, was on the left wing for Counties, and Terry Mehrtens was called in at the eleventh hour as first five-eighths for Canterbury. Milner was centre and

Mehrtens first five-eighths in the national junior side which was well beaten, 233, by the 1965 Springboks. . Saturday’s game was Mehrten’s first for Canterbury A for nine years. He was called into the side to replace Paul Macfle, who injured a knee against Wellington last week. Now 31, Mehrtens played for the Canterbury A and B teams in the late 1960 s before moving to South Africa. While living in Durban he appeared for Natal several times, including a match against the 1970 All Blacks, in which Milner was an opposing wing.