Major changes needed for fourth test team

Press, 15 September 1976, Page 40

Major changes needed for fourth test team

' , From T. P. McLEAN Kimberley Sensations as significant as those which stirred New Zealand when the All Black team for the first test with the Springboks was announced may again be experienced when the team for the last test is announced today.

The selectors, especially their coach, Mr J. J. Stewart, whose seat presently must be the hottest this side of the nether regions, really are in a devil of a fix.

For a variety of reasons, the All Blacks have not picked themselves up from the floor since at Newlands they lost al! chance of becoming the first New Zealand touring side in South Africa to win a series.

Their display against Orange Free State last Saturday was pathetic, until very late, w’hen at least two great scoring situations were built up and immediately cast aside. Such was the langour in the forwards — and of course it was really a burning summer’s day at Bloemfontein — and such the inability of the backs to comprehend the necessity of working the ball as fast and far as possible that the first reaction was to suggest that the only hope for the last test must lie in surgery'. It is possible this will be performed at the expense even of such a star as lan Kirkpatrick. Almost certainly, Kit Fawcett will get the chopper and it is not unlikely that the two leading members of the pack of the last few seasons, Ken Stewart and Hamish MacDonald, will go too.

There could be a case for bringing in an old hand, Kerry Tanner, at loosehead, whether or not he’s deficient in kilograms, and finally, in a desperate grasp at hope, if not at victory, Sid Going, only partly because of his hamstring, might be sidelined as half-back. If all of these possible changes were made, the gesture could be termed suicidal. But what are the All Blacks to do? They must win the ball, which means a •trong and vigorous pack of forwards, and they must move it as fast and as far as they can with the intention of 'causing such mastodonic heavy weights as Kritzinger, <le Klerk, Strauss and van Heerden to drag the chain.

A pack as lifeless as last Saturday’s would be murdered at Ellis Park — who knows, this may be South Africa’s last great chance at international level for a long time and the Springboks would not be human if they didn’t go out in a blaze of glory.

One idea which has been canvassed is to play Bryan Williams at full-back. This was discussed before the first test, seriously too, but

on a vote among several senior hands the decision was unanimously made to play Duncan Robertson in that position. It is unlikely Robertson will be considered for it today and it is not at all improbable, that after ail this time Mains will be forgiven for his goal-kicking lapses which caused the first defeat by Western Province. In minor games of comparatively slow pace, Mains has been largely untroubled but it’s seriously doubted

whether his game can take in that extra dimension needed in a test under South African skies. Mr Stewart and his counsellors have some tough decisions to make, and, perhaps because of the severity of the test, the surgeon’s knife won't dig too deeply. But it is essential that somehow the All Blacks recover their pose and determination of the second test. This promises to be the hardest job of all.