Lions’ first test team still hard to pick

Press, 10 June 1977, Page 24

Lions’ first test team still hard to pick

From

KEVIN McMENAMIN

Invercargill The British Isles rugby selectors have thrown out few clues to the likely composition of the first test XV in the team they have named for tomorrow’s game against Southland.

The test team selection. I which will be done next) Wednesday, is not being helped by the number of injuries at present and this ap-i plies in particular to the; loose forwards. In fact, only three loose ■ forwards were considered for tomorrow's game, Trevor! Evans, Jeff Squire and Willie, Duggan. The other three, Terry j Cobner, Derek Quinnell and ! Tony Neary, all have leg in- H juries, although it is hoped 1 that these three, plus the!, half-back, Doug Morgan, will 11 be fit enough to be consid- : ered for next Tuesday’s game ' against New Zealand Univer-1 sities in Christchurch. How- 1 ever, it is doubtful if Quin-il nell, for one, will be over'i his knee injury. Morgan is the man then Lions would doubtless most i

I like to see back in action, j He trained well enough yesterday to give rise for optimism that he will be able to ■ i play on Tuesday and thereby ! allow Bryn Williams, who will be making his third (successive appearance tomor-j row, a rest before the first! [ test. ( The team to play Southland is:— I Bruce Hay; Elgan Rees, lan j McGeechan. Mike GibsonGareth Evans, Phil Bennett;! , Bryn Williams, Willie Dug-; igan; Trevor Evans, Alan Maritin, Gordon Brown, Jeff( Squire; Graham Price, Bobby! Windsor, Phil Orr. i The Lions have learnt that! their replacement lock, Billy i Beaumont, will join the team ■ 'in Christchurch on Sunday.! Nigel Horton, the man Beau-1 (mont is replacing, has been, invited by the New Zealand!

.(Rugby Union to remain on, • j the tour at the union’s ex- ■ pense. but he is undecided i ■ whether to stay or return ■ ( home. i( Horton’s broken bone in I' his hand is expected to keep (him out of rugby for about i five weeks and there remains ; a possibility that he might I play again late in the tour. There is a precedent for an 'international team having 31 ( players and there is believed ito be nothing in the tour agreement that precludes it. i The Lions trained twice (yesterday, the first time on (the tour that the coach ((John Dawes) has doubled the dose. The first run was a fairly light one at Dunedin !in the morning and the seclond, which was more (serious, was straight after (the team arrived at In- ! vercargill about 2 p.m.

The hammering the Lions forwards took at the hands of Otago on Wednesday has obviously had a strong psychological effect on the side. Both the management and the players themselves stand in awe' at Otago’s rucking ability.

As the manager (Mr George Burrell) said yesterday: "We had heard a lot about South Island forward play — its no myth.”

Mr Dawes made a more academic assessment of Otago’s greatest strength when he described it as “Ph. D rucking.” The only comfort the side has received are assurances that no Ail Black pack, more especially one containing six North Islanders (as is the case for the First Test), will drive and ruck as well as Otago did. One of the major problems facing the team is an absence of firm leadership in the forwards. At least four men have been tried and so far no-one has emerged with the qualities needed to inject life into the forward play, (particularly w'hen the going gets tough.

Even Dawes admitted yesterday that “what happened against Otago we allowed to happen.” The forwards, he said, would have to be more positive in both their thinking and their play when confronted again with similar situations. Quinnell still looks the best bet to give the forwards the sort of leadership they need, but his injury has not helped him repulse the stiff challenge he faces from Duggan for the No. 8 position in the test scrum.