Injuries already decimating some senior rugby teams

Press, 29 April 1978, Page 52

Injuries already decimating some senior rugby teams

By

KEVIN McMENAMIN

With the C.S.B. cup chain’ pionship only three rounds old, injuries are cutting deeper than usual into the ranks of some senior rugby sides.

Both teams for today’s feature game at Rugby Park, High School Old Boys and Linwood, have injury problems and Linwood, in particular, could be considerably weakened.

Its three Canterbury representatives, Terry 'Mitchell, Shane Gibbons and John Phillips, are all in doubt. Gibbons and Mitchell are still getting over injuries received more than a week ago and Phillips damaged an Achilles tendon while playing for Canterbury last Tuesday.

Decisions on all three will be made this morning, but

definitely out for another week is Linwood’s full-back, Bruce Hanham, who has a knee injury. Old Boys must again take the field" today without its best attacking back, Bruce McPhail, who is still getting over a damaged thumb. The team has also been hard hit n the forwards, where three players. Barry Newfield, John Laugesen and Peter Kirk, are unavailable because of injuries. Mark Rhodes, the 20-year-old son of the president of the New Zealand Rugby Union (Mr C. H. J. Rhodes), [will make his senior debut lin Kirk’s No. 8 position and the versatile Mike Toner will, fill in for Newfield at hooker. Linwood and Old Boys will both be striving to

maintain unbeaten records and the respective coaches, Peter Mcgrath (Linwood) and lan Purdon, were hazy in their predictions yesteday, largely because of injury worries. However, Linwood is entitled to favouritism, especially if it can field one or more of its doubtful players.

Another unbeaten team. Shirley, could be under some pressure to hold its place in the leading division. It meets Belfast, which has been unlucky to lose two games this season by a single point. Belfast, however, could be without its All Black prop. Bill Bush, who strained a leg muscle while playing for Canterbury on Tuesday.

University A, which remains the " side the others have to beat this year, has a

dangerously high injury count. Missing from its team to face Sydenham today will be Doug Heffernan, Ray Scott, Wayne Lewis, Grant Anderson and Mark Romans.

Garry Barkle has been promoted from the B team to replace Romans at halfback, a strange situation in that they are both members of the Canterbury A squad. Romans is resting a twisted knee.

Despite its losses, University A should still be too I strong for Sydenham, although the University coach, Laurie O’Reilly, anticipates some worthwhile opposition. “Sydenham is playing good rugby; certainly moving the ball better than any Sydenham side has done for years,” he said yesterday.