Tough debut for Holden

Press, 24 May 1977, Page 34

Tough debut for Holden

By

JOHN COFFEY

Steve Holden, whose only previous first-class football experience was as a rugby union midfield back some seasons ago, will have a testing debut in representative rugby league as the South Island full-back against the world champion Australian team at the Show Grounds tomorrow evening.

The belated inclusion of Michael O’Donnell in the New Zealand World Cup squad and the non-availabil-ity of Kevin Williams, the other Canterbury full-back in recent years, left the island selectors with a difficult vacancy to fill. A very consistent performer, Holden has been extremely prominent in the reconstructed and much-im-proved Sydenham side and he was the most prolific goal-kicker during the first complete round of the Canterbury premiership. Sydenham signed Holden mid-way through the 1973 club programme and he has been a valuable source of points in his adopted code. In little more than three full seasons — he suffered a broken leg in 1975 and spent a long period on the sideline — he has accumulated a career aggregate of 457 points.

While Holden will be entering a new sporting dimension, a second back-line change brings the former Kiwi stand-off half, Bob Jarvis (Hornby), back into contention for the later fixtures in the World Cup tournament.

Jarvis was not considered for the South Island team originally, was promoted to reserve back when John Low (West Coast) withdrew and will now partner Lewis Hudson (Linwood) in the centres. Eddie Kerrigan has been switched to the wing to take the place of his Papanui team-mate, Gary Taie, who was stunned by a high tackle when playing for Canterbury against Wellington on Saturday. The new reserve back is the Papanui and Canterbury scrum-half, Ken Tait, who has not previously appeared above provincial level. The South Island players are to assemble in Christchurch this afternoon and will train twice in preparation for the match against the Kangaroos. Mr Harry Walker, the coach, has scheduled a run at the Show Grounds this afternoon, and another will be held this evening to assist the West Coast members of the side to accustom themselves to floodlights. Meanwhile, Australia has named a powerful squad for its World Cup defence. Some of its aura of invincibility was removed, though, when New South Wales — the “shadow” Australian line-up — was held to a 14-13 win

by Queensland at Brisbane on Sundav.

Queensland, in fact, scored three of the five tries in the game, and it was only the superior goal-kicking of Mick Cronin which carried New South Wales through. I Last Wednesday' night, New South Wales had gained a 19-3 victory in the first match of the inter-state series. There will be no respite for opposing forward packs. Beetson, Veivers, Ray Higgs, Denis Fitzgerald, Terry Randall and Greg Pierce were all in the Australian world championship team two years ago, with the very impressive loose forward, Rod Reddy, joining Geiger and Morris as the only other newcomer.

Tom Raudonikis, the regular Australian test scrumhalf since 1972, was only the second-string to Steve Mortimer for Sydney and New South Wales, but was back to his best at Brisbane and will probably partner the seasoned John Peard against the Kiwis. The centre pairing of Cronin and Steve Rogers is arguably the most penetrative in the code, and Mark Harris (wing), Allan McMahon (wing or full-back) and Graham Eadie (full-back) have a keen insight to the requirements of international rugby league. The Australian side, which will be managed by a former test forward, Mr Duncan Hall, and Mr Cliff Brown, and coached by Mr Terry Feamley, arrives in Christchurch tonight. Australia’s squad is.— Backs: Graham Eadie, Allan McMahon, Mark Harris, Mick Cronin, Steve Rogers, Mark Thomas, Steve Crear, John Peard, Tom Raudonikis. Forwards: Arthur Beetaon (captain), Greg Veivers (vice-captain), Rod Morris, Denis Fitzgerald, Terry Randall, Nick Geiger, Ray Higgs, Greg Pierce, Rod Reddy.

The Australian XIII to play the South Island at Christchurch tomorrow will not be decided until the Australian squad assembles in Sydney today. The new Australian coach, Terry Feamley, said yesterday that he would want to run the team at a training session to be held in Sydney shortly before the players depart for New Zealand.