Southland may find Lions at low ebb

Press, 11 June 1977, Page 56

Southland may find Lions at low ebb

From

KEVIN McMENAMIN,

in Invercargill

Even with one-third of their tour almost over, it is still impossible to say how good the 1977 Lions are. They have mixed their performances so much through the first seven games that their only consistency has been their inconsistency.

Today they meet Southend in the eighth game of the tour and with the first fest only a week away a good performance is vital, 90th to dim the memories of fhe poor display against Dtago last Wednesday and for team morale in the, lead-up to the test.

Although injuries were a' factor, the team named fori today is a little confusing. It ■ was expected that most of I the test player, would bei flayed today, thereby giving), them a full week before they! were required again. However, less than half) today’s team appears likely h to make the test XV, which ' means that the other half' will probably have to turn: nut against New Zealand! Universities at Lancaster! Park on Tuesday. The expected test players I. in today’s side are lan) McGeechan, Phil Bennett,; Bryn Williams, Willie Dug-| gan (if Derek Quinnell is notfit), Trevor Evans, Gordon) Brown and Graham Price.) However, a number of posi-l tions are still very open and; selectors may have deliber-i ately kept their test) thoughts to themselves. 1 The Lions should extend, their record to eight straight victories today, but after the) battering they took at Dunedin they are not well pre-' pared mentally for another' hard. bruising forward ■ battle. And the safest bet of) the week-end is that South-' land will follow Otago’s) example and try to ruck and, drive the visitors into submission. It is doubtful.!' though, whether Southland; can do it as weil. It has al' team very light in experience and the absence, through injury of Ken Stew-; art is a big loss. It was as) an_ 18-year-old against the, 1971 Lions that Stewart 1 burst on to the first class i scene. The side has a new coach! (Mr Gus Burns) and 10 new' players. In its only game to, date it had a runaway, 53-9 victory over a weak North | Otago side a fortnight ago. I The forward strength will’ revolve around 3 All Black) lock, Frank Oliver, and the! All Black trialist, Lester I Rutledge. The pack is sure) to be a willing one in the!

[best Southland tradition and if its training is any ) guide it will keep the Lions’ forwards fully occupied. Both teams trained at the, same time on Thursday and while the Lions forwards were going through their I customary mauling and scrummaging drills the Southland pack, a mile or so away, was far more interested in perfecting its driving.

“That’s what we should be ‘doing,” barked one British I writer, close to despair at 'the thought of the Lions ! running so soon into another pack comparable to Otago’s, i The Southland backs are a ; mixed lot, including three ■ players who have made I names for themselves in I other sports. The first fivei eighths, Brian McKechnie, is a New Zealand cricket repI resentative, the second fiveI eighths, 18-year-old Stephen IPokere, has played for South 'lsland under age soccer teams, and one of the wings lis Ron Davis, who played I for Canterbury a few sea-; jsons back and who is the)’ 'national long jump cham-l * pion. Davis, however, is in 'some doubt because of an) injury. ) j The Maori centre, Wayne ’Boynton, is built more like a flock and he is the heaviest Iman in the side ( a kilogram | above Oliver), Jeff Gardiner, , I the full-back, is well regarded and he was an All , Black trialist in 1974 when . living in North Otago. ) The Rugby Park ground in jlnvercargill is firm after a; (succession of frosts this!; i week and it has an excellent , I cover of grass. The Lions, I therefore, should be able to ) run their backs, providing ,'that they can first win good , possession. They will certainly want to clear the ball 'from set play far better than they did against Otago.) I Southland is not the force it, was when it beat the 1950) 'and 1966 Lions, but it has a) proud record against international sides (16 wins and |l5 losses) and it has the 'good fortune today of catch- ' ing the tourists at a low jebb. I The coach, Mr Burns, expects the game to be hard I fought and he has instructed ihis players in a simple and) 'very 7 sensible recipe for|

I making victory so much harder for the Lions. His advice; don’t give away kickable penalties. ; Teams for the game, which istarts at 2.30 p.m. and will be referred by Mr J. P. G. Pring, of Auckland, are.— British Isles: B. H. Hay E. H. Rees, I. R. McGeechan, C. M. H. Gibson, G. L. Evans, P. Bennett I (captain), D. B. Williams. W. P. Duggan, T. P. Evans, A. J. Martin, G. L. Brown, J. Squire, G. Price, R. W. Windsor, P. A. Orr. Reserves: Baeks. A. R. Irvine, refereed by Mr J. P. G. Pring, of wards, F. E. Cotton. P. J. Wheeler. M. Keane. Southland: J. Gardiner. C. R. Dais or S. O’Donnell. W. Boynton, E. Maciellan. S. T. Pokere, B. J. McKechnie, D. R. Shanks. A. A. McGregor, I. M. Rutledge, F. J. Oliver. M. J. Leach. N. R. Anderson, P. R. Butt. B. R. Lamb, D. R. Saunders. Reserves: Backs. G. Anderson, G. Stevens. Forwards, F. R. Dermody, R. A. Ramsay.