Tough hockey task

Press, 29 July 1978, Page 56

Tough hockey task

KEVIN TUTTY

Bj

Any lethargy suffered by the Cantebury hockey team as a result of its interrupted preparation for the national tournament next month will be shaken loose against Northland and Auckland this week-end.

Today Canterbury plays Northland at Whangarei, and tomorrow the national champion, Auckland, at Auckland. It is a stiff assignment for Canterbury as its opponents are two of the best four provincial sides in New Zealand. In the last two months the diabolical weather has forced the cancellation of the Canterbury-Wellington matcli — which the Canterbury selector-coach, Mr Cyril Walter, was extremely reluctant to lose — and several outdoor practices.

Canterbury thus meets Northland and Auckland! i with only four representaItive matches behind it. I Auckland has an experienced side, possibly stronger than that which beat Canterbury, 1-0, in the Challenge Shield final at Wanganui last year. Mr Ivan Armstrong, the Auckland coach, is in a quandary over] his forward line. He has six forwards in his team and] the problem is which one to! drop. Jeff Archibald, at inside-! right, and Ramesh Patel, at inside-left, are assured of positions, but he has Arthur Parkin bracketed with Bruce Mellor on the right-wing, David Appleby at centre-for-ward and John Matthews on I the left-wing. Apparently reluctant to] leave out Appleby or Mellor,; it seems Matthews will be] the unlucky one, and Parkin, i the most dynamic forward! at the national tournament! last season, will be languish-, ing on the left-wing. i Canterbury has a strike] [force equal to Auckland’s. Ini [recent weeks Barry Maister! and John Christensen have] j reached near peak form and: Mark Burtt, the inside-left, i has been the most in-! ! dustrious forward in senior hockey. : George Carnoutsos, the j likely right-wing against Auckland, is a more mature ! player this season and certainly ready for introduction to a major provincial game. Chris Maister, the left-wing has played much of his club hockey at inside-left, this year. He should be more at home on the flank. The Auckland team to play Canterbury will be chosen from:

Maurice Marquet, Kevin Towns, Mark Smithells, Dayman, Mohan Patel, Kevin Cassin, Gorringe, Laurence, Mellor, Archibald, Appleby, Ramesh Patel, Matthews and Parkin.