Romans to oppose former province for Canty today

Press, 17 August 1977, Page 38

Romans to oppose former province for Canty today

From KEVIN McMENAMIN in Hastings

The former Hawke’s Bay half-back, Mark Romans, will play against his old province when Canterbury today starts in earnest its quest for the Radio New Zealand rugby championship.

Romans, who played for Hawke’s Bay in 1975, has replaced Lyn Davis in the Canterbury team. Business commitments prevented Davis from leaving Christchurch with the side yesterday, although he will be available if required, for the second match of the tour against Counties on Saturday. Romans has played in Canterbury’s two most recent matches, both nonchampionship games, and on each occasion Doug Bruce was at first five-eighths, as he will be again today. The selectors (Messrs Stan Hill and Gerald Wilson) decided against taking a second half-back when the two choices they had in mind, Graham Ellis and Wayne Tocker, were both unavailable because of injuries.

Then they decided on a midfield player and when Donald Stewart was ruled out because of a sprained wrist they called in the young Glenmark fiveeighths, Andrew Munro, who has yet to play for - Canterbury. Mr Wilson said yesterday that it was a risk taking away only one half-back, but he had a contingency plan in mind if Romans should be injured. Today’s game is an important one for Canterbury as it endeavours to build on the good start it made earlier in the season — two wins in two national cham-

| pionship matches. If successful against Hawke’s Bay it I will join Counties at the top 'of the table.

“This is a vital game for us,” said Mr Hill yesterday. “It marks the start of our I main programme and to start with a win would be most encouraging.” He said Canterbury would be playing “normal Canterbury style" and as a firm ground is likely at Nelson Park he is keen to see the backs used extensively. Hawke’s Bay was well beaten in its first two championship matches by Auckland and Counties, but in the most recent it defeated Manawatu 25-17. One thing the two sides will have in common is that they came closest of the provincial teams to beating the Lions — Hawke’s Bay lost 11-13, and Canterbury, 13-14. However, Hawke’s Bay has suffered a few setbacks since then and its full record for the season is only three wins in eight games. Its strength will be reduced today by the absence through injuries of John O'Connor, Junior Paewai and Ken Taylor, the young wing who scored a fine try against the Lions, and listed as a doubtful starter because of a shoulder injury is the captain, Robbie Stuart. Stuart would be a big loss, as he is the team’s main source of line-out ball i and Canterbury has three men, Vance Stewart, Graeme

Higginson and Dave Thompson, proficient in this area. Hawke’s Bay will probably base its play on the high tactical kick of its first fiveeighths, Hepa Paewai, and the proven ability of its loose forwards, especially Tim Carter, to create scoring situations.

However Canterbury should need only to make proper use of the talent it has, both in and behind the scrum, to win without too much difficulty.

The teams are: Canterbury: Richard Wilson: Scott Cartwright, Andy Jefferd, Randall Scott: Murray McEwan, Doug Bruce, Romans; Alex Wyllie; John Phillips, Higginson, Stewart, Thompson; Bill Bush, Tane Norton, John Ashworth. Hawke’s Bay: Richard Cox; Peter Durham, Ricky Allen, Murray Smith; Wayne Nixon, Hepa Paewai; Jock McCarroll; Pat Ryan; Carter, Stuart, Mike McCool, Jimmy Halbert; Graham Wiig, lan Grant, Bruce Dunstan.