Top rugby teams restored for vital cup clash

Press, 6 May 1978, Page 56

Top rugby teams restored for vital cup clash

Bv

KEVIN McMENAMIN

While injuries and other problems continue to plague University A, the other two leading teams in the C.S.B. Cup rugby competition, Linwood and Christchurch, will be close to full strength when they meet at Lancaster Park this afternoon.

Linwood and Christchurch' have had some epic battles in recent years and while) neither side is perhaps as: strong as it was a year or two ago, both appear likely I to again make bold bids for championship honours this : Linwood will be looking! for some improvement in its back play with the return of the two representative play-j ers. Shane Gibbons and Terry Mitchell; also back after an injury will be its full back, Bruce Hanham. Christchurch, which has) had an even more frustra-j ting run of injuries, should be able to field what is close to its strongest side, the: only top player in doubt being the loose forward and captain, Jerry Rowberry. The Christchurch coach. Mr Russell Skerrett. is optimistic that his team will be. able to match Linwood in the forwards, something which it has not always been able to do in the past. A heavy ground, for once, might suit Christchurch more than it would Linwood. I Linwood will possibly i start a slight favourite. It has made a habit of beating

'Christchurch in the first I round — in 1975 it did so :by a remarkable 43-15 —I jw’ith Christchurch extracting! ful revenge at later, more) i vital meetings. But if Linwood and) j Christchurch have their in- i juries worries behind them, j ‘University A is struggling! even to find a team to play Lincoln College at home. The game will be a part of) I: the college’s centenary cele-j brations and University,, with woes enough, could find the country side espe-1 cially eager to mark the) i occasion with a win. Doug Heffernan is still not) ■ fit and David St George,! who made a promising debut i against Otago University at i Timaru on Wednesday, will I fill in at full-back. Mark Romans. Wayne: Lewis, Grant Anderson and j Neil Mackie are other backs) on the injured list and. Kevin Jennings is out of town this week-end. There: are also some forwards in' doubt, the most serious) being the line-out expert, I Gary Brown. The worries do not end there for Mr Morrie Collins, i who is now University A’s I

I sole coach following the res-1 ignation on Thursday of Mr I Laurie O’Reilly. Mr Collins I | has decided not to play Gary ) I Barkle until the wrangle) about his status has been! ‘settled and the club’s new) iJapanese half-back, Hiroshi) Yamashita, has not fulfilled! (the residential qualification. | Because of the current unicertainty about promoting) players to the A team, Mr) I Collins was unable to say ) yesterday who would occupy the half-back and left-wing) positions. “We might have) I to call on Brian Molloy (an) All Black half-back from the.) 'club who retired 20 years: ago),” he joked. Mr Collins, himself, was an above average wing ini ) his playing days, but as he ' was last registered in Otago: j he fears more legal argu-! ;ment if he should turn out. ) The problem is further! compounded by a shortage.' ’of players in the lower) i grades caused by the Uni-) Iversity holidays. “There is no alternative but to play players out ofi position and we must) definitely be the underdogs,”) said Mr Collins. He added that the events)

of the last week had) stiffened the resolve of the) A players and providing there were no further injuries he was hopeful that 'the side would maintain its )unbeaten record. “But, it I won’t be easy,” he concluded.