Now, hard rugby begins — N.Z. coach

Press, 15 October 1976, Page 24

Now, hard rugby begins — N.Z. coach

By RON PALENSKI, NZPA staff correspondent Buenos Ares

The All Blacks have flown into Buenos Aires for the start of the major segment of their South American tour to discover that the Buenos Aires selection they play tomorrow is virtually a shadow Puma team. With one or two exceptions, an Argentine official said, the team, chosen from all Buenos Aires’ clubs, is a selection of the best players not picked for the Argentine national side’s present tour of Britain.

In effect, the team is on i the same footing as the All Blacks themselves, who are the next best 25 after the 31 who toured South Africa. The coach (Mr Jack Gleeson) told the team as it recrossed the River Plate from Montevideo that the Uruguay match was a cakewalk compared to the sides they will now be meeting. “The touring’s over,” he said. “The hard rugby is about to begin.” Mr Gleeson, the manager (Mr Ron Don), and the captain, Graham Mourie, have been forced to choose a team of less than full strength in order to give all players a game. All those who did not play against Uruguay have been included. Eight members of the side, Greg Rowlands, Stewart Wilson, Mark Taylor, Murray Taylor, Mervyn Jaffray, Stewart Conn, John McEldowney, and John Black will be wearing All Black jerseys for the first time tomorrow. Another four, Scott Cartwright, Ken Granger, Mourie, and Paul Sapsford made their debuts against Uruguay. The team is:—Greg Rowlands; Scott Cartwright, Stew-

art Wilson, Ken Granger; Mark Taylor, Murray Taylor, lan Stevens, Mervyn Jaffray; Graham Mourie, John Callesen, Andy Haden, Stewart Conn; Paul Sapsford, John Black, John McEldowney. Reserves: Peter Sloane, Stewart Cron, John Spiers, Kevin Green, Eddie Stokes, John Brake.

South Americans’ casual “manana” attitude continued to haunt the All Blacks yesterday. Their time of departure from their Montevideo hotel was changed three times, a cocktail party on Wednesday night put on by the Uruguayan union for the team was charged to the team, the aircraft was half ah hour late, and half the team’s baggage was put on another flight which arrived in Bue-

nos Aires two hours after the team.

The players have become accustomed to it and now work on “South American time”—arrive half an hour after the scheduled time for anything, and you’ll probably be early. One member of the Uruguayan police force yesterday did not share the All Blacks’ sense of humour, however. Some of the players were ridding themselves of Uruguayan pesos—a 1000-peso note was worth about 50c—by throwing them on th* floor at the airport for a grateful cleaner. The policeman, however, took umbrage and angrily told the players they were insulting Uruguay by dropping its money. The practice ceased