Gibbons gets a chance for Canterbury today

Press, 27 August 1977, Page 52

Gibbons gets a chance for Canterbury today

Bv

KEVIN McMENAMIN

I'he Linwood centre, Shane Gibbons, will play his first big game for Canterbury at Lancaster Park today when the province endeavours to preserve its unbeaten record in the Radio New Zealand rugby championship.

Gibbons, aged 23, gets his chance against Bay of Plenty at the expense of Andy Jefferd, whose play of late has lacked its usual sharpness. Gibbons’ only two previous games for Canterbury A were the recent non-cham-pionship ones agaist West Coast and Mid-Canterbury both of which were played away. There will be a greater need than ever today for Canterbury to dominate possession. Bay of Plenty has lost all hope of wearing the championship crown for another year but, in spite of, its decline, it still possesses a back-line that would be the equal, if not superior, to, any in the country. But as the side has dis-1 covered more than once in' recent matches, good backs are of little use when they; are starved of possession. The line showed something of its capabilities when it ran so aggressively at the Lions earlier this month. Bay of Plenty faces a tough assignment today. It meets Canterbury at the tailend of what is probably the most demanding of domestic tours: Southland, Otago, and

.Canterbury in eight days, il It was well beaten, 6-26, • by Southland and lost 30-33, i to Otago on Wednesday after trailing, 24-6, at half- > time. It says much for the l side’s spirit that it could • come back and force such a : close result, being beaten at 'lthe finish by three quick I penalties. In its earlier championship • games, Ba.y of Plenty beat ■ Marlborough, 29-20, and lost, 22-0, to Manawatu. The fact • that is has conceded at least 20 points in every game raises doubts about the quality of its defence. The chief Canterbury coach (Mr Stan Hill) for one, does not subscribe to the view that Canterbury is fortunate to catch Bay of i Plenty at the end of a demanding and losing tour. “The fact that they have had two losses will make them keener than ever to ; win today. We are expecting a hard game,” sa d Mr Hill yesterday. Bay of Plenty has had to rebuild its pack this year after a loss through injuries, ■ transfers, and retirements of : all but two of last season's I regular forwards — Alan

McNaughton and Mike Con-, , nor. The biggest problem; , has been the lack of size in!' / the line-outs. This should give Canter- ; bury a decided advantage, I especially in view of Mr t Hill’s policy of stacking the t line with jumpers by playing t the former lock, Dave (Thompson, on the side of > | the scrum. t! However, there is always J the danger of the policy t 1 backfiring when there is II only one fast flanker — ■'today John Phillips — to - disrupt a dangerous backlline. Bay of Plenty has such ■ a back-line and it could be a ■jsevere test for the Canter- ) bury defence if the ball > should regularly reach the l f mid-field pair, Mark Taylor! - and Eddie Stokes. The right! wing, Graeme Moore, is also' : a difficult man to stop. > The need to clear the rele- ) gation zone will be added » reason for Bay of Plenty to 1 look for a win today. “We are getting pretty des-! > perate,” said the coach (Mr r Eric Anderson) yesterday.; , “Our Otago performance was f an improvement on the one; s 1 against Southland and I hope t the trend will be continued.”

. Canterbury has been playing well enough to inspire confidence that it is capable of winning the championship. Another victory today would be a big help and it would also instil confidence for the challenge of next week’s away games against Southland and Otago. Bay of Plenty may have to take the field without its high-scoring full-back, Greg Rowlands, and the biggest of its forwards, the lock, Bill Jones. Both are nursing injuries received against Otago and decisions on their fitness will be made this morning.

The teams are: Canterbury: Richard Wilson; Scot Cartwright, Shane Gibbons, Terry Mitchell: Mur. ray McEwan, Doug Bruce; Lyn Davis; Alex Wyllie; John Phillips, Graeme Higgin. son, Vance Stewart, Dave Thompson; Barry Thompson, John Black, John Ashworth. Bay of Plenty: Greg Rowlands; Tony Compton, Eddie Stokes, Graeme Moore; Mark Taylor, John Brake; Teddy Davis; Mike Connor; Alan McNaughton, Bill Jones, Roger Dallison, Dave Matushka, Bo Keepa, Brett Pye, Jim Helmbright.