Sub-unions team depleted

Press, 25 May 1977, Page 42

Sub-unions team depleted

Ashburton reporter The fact that Canterbury Sub-unions goes into its rugby match at Ashburton today against Mid-Canter-bury without its Canterbury representatives should provide a boost to the local team. The only time Canterbury Sub-unions has lost to MidCanterbury since 1968, when the two started playing annually, was in 1975, when it lost 16-19 at Ashburton. The game will be remembered for the 15 points which John Ross, the home lock, contributed. He scored a try, three penalty goals and a conversion to be the highest forward point-scorer in the union’s 50-year history. Since then he has advanced his total for the union to 95 and today marks his fiftieth appearance in the MidCanterbury jersey. The home pack is the same as that which played Queensland. The only ques-tion-mark then was over the ability of the loose forwards to put pressure on the opposing inside backs. Bruce Perry, in his first game on the back of the line-out for the team, was too slow leaving the mark to exploit his tackling ability.

The tight forwards proved a match for Queensland and should also do so against Sub-unions, in spite of the experience of men like Geoff Henderson, Hugh Taylor and Barry Thompson. All the loose forwards look an even lot, as do the backs. Mid-Canterbury’s backs made expensive mistakes against Queensland which saw territorial positions squandered then turned to advantage through the Queenslanders’ uncanny ability to counter-attack. However, both local selectors were conscious of the weakness and have worked on it.

The only change they have made is to bring Alan Edge in at full-back, a position he filled twice last year. He has also played halfback, five eighths and centre, but whether this sort of versatility is good is debatable. It seems more to reflect a lack of depth in some positions. Full-back has been a position which has seen probably more changes than any other in Mid-Canterbury teams since 1970, and sooner or later one of the applicants for the job is going to cement his claim. Perhaps Edge is that player. The ball is in his court.