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Press, 14 April 1978, Page 24

By

RAY CAIRNS

The on-again off-again winter sports career of Bryan Mustchin took its latest — and probably final — step on Wednesday evening when the former Canterbury B rugby union prop played 20min for Sydenham in the premier rugby league competition. The change of code has been in Mustchin’s scheme of things for several weeks but uncertainty over the extent of some slipped discs in his back have hindered a final decision. But Mustchin said yesterday he was “sick of just sitting around” and decided to; take the plunge. It was notj a matter of choice of rugby, code, however: “There wasi

no way I could have con-; playing in the front; row of a rugby scrum, with the concentration on scrum- 1

maging and pressure on my I back. “Playing in the front row! of a league scrum is something different again. The object is simply to determine possession again, and they do it as quickly as possible; there is no pressure on my back at all.” Mustchin’s departure does not really create any problems for Belfast. In fact, the senior team has often been embarrassed with three representative props — Bill Bush and Gary Richards are| the others — available for two places. , Another factor, though. ; was that Mustchin “knew I ;;had come to the end of the line in rugby.” ' “Three seasons with the B'

| team, one game for the A I side a couple of years ago: I ' wasn’t going to go any further,” he said. But he likes the fresh challenges presented. “In league, I get the chance to run with the ball; and 1 probably tackled more in 20min on Wednesday night than I did all last rugby season.”

The 27-year-old Mustchin has previous experience in his new sport: he had one season in the 15-years grade with Addington.

A former national water polo representative and vicecaptain, Mustchin still has important ties with the sport. He is national coach for women’s water polo.