Non-nominated players in Juniors

Press, 29 May 1978, Page 28

Non-nominated players in Juniors

Two young footballers who were not nominated by their provincial selectors are ! among the four Canterbury players chosen to tour Australia with the Junior All I Blacks next month. I The two who have been I brought in from the cold are • Gary Barkle, the 19-year-old • University A half-back, and Mark Harding, an Old Boys (prop forward who has already won national honours at water polo. Both are at present in Queensland with the Canterbury team. The other Canterbury players who gained places in the touring side are Don Hayes, the rangy Kirwee flanker, and Clive Currie, the Wellington and North Island full-back of last season, who is in his first year of Christchurch football, playing for Old Boys. Canterbury was remarkably reserved in nominating only three players for the team and, in the event, one of these, the Shirley halfback, Steve Scott, was beaten for a place by his provincial rival, Barkle. It was felt in some quarters that Barkle might be given a gentle introduction to big rugby through membership of the national colts team (under 21), but the national selectors obviously felt that his potential merited the opportunity of an overseas tour.

Currie’s reputation was shaped in Wellington and Hayes has been progressing gradually to the fore in the last few seasons. He has been in the Canterbury Country team for three

; I years and has had one match, as a replacement, in the provincial A team. Har■ding, a former Canterbury colt, earned promotion to ■lthe A squad through Barry Thompson’s leg injury. I Currie and Harding were both members of the New (Zealand Colts team in 1976. Another player in the Juniors who is well known in Christchurch is Paul Maci fie, the former Lincoln College and New Zealand Unii versifies first five-eighths, who is now in Otago. The Juniors team to tour Australia: — Full-back: C. J. Currie [(Canterbury). Wings: R. Kururangi (Counties), P Reilly (Counties), M. D. Nutting (Horowhenua). Centre: G. Cunningham (Auckland). Second five eighths: J. Cotter (Wairarapa-Bush), M. J. Deane (Waikato) or centre. First five eighths: P. A. Macfie (Otago), W. Peters (Otago) and utility. Half-backs: R. Dunn (Auckland), G. Barkle (Canterbury). No. 8: G. H. Old (Manawatu), A. J. Dawson (Counties, captain), or flanker. Flankers: A. B. Middleton (Wanganui), D. B. Hayes (Canterbury). Locks: P. de Groot (Buller), W. G. Graham (Otago), J. Williams (Waikato). Props: P. Koteka (Waikato), M. Harding (Canterbury), M. Elliott (North Auckland). Hookers: J. Hobbs (South Canterbury), H. Vance (Wellington).