Test chances at stake as Otago plays Wallabies

Press, 5 August 1978, Page 52

Test chances at stake as Otago plays Wallabies

From

TIM DONOGHUE

in Dunedin for NZPA

The All Black full-back, Bevan Wilson, will have a final chance to consolidate, his test position when Otago; plays Australia at Carls-! brook today. The luckless Wilson has! been troubled by .a leg in- 1 jury for some weeks but earlier this week wasi cleared to play in the match, by his Dunedin physi-i otherapist. A good performance from him today in front of the All Biack selectors (Messrs Jack Gleeson. Eric Watson, and Peter Burke) should mean that his name will be the first read out when the; All Black side is announced in Napier next Wednesday. Otago’s lock captain.! Frank Oliver, and the num-: ber eight, Gary Seear, will; also be under scrutiny. Oliver is having his second first-class game after his recovery from a broken! thumb. The selectors will be; seeking confirmation of his! fitness in the match. A good; all-round game will also be I required from Seear in the! face of a solid challenge l

.from Southland's Ashley! i, McGregor. >| But these three players >;are not the only ones on 1 •trial in this game. For the Wallabies the game repre- ; j sents a further opportunity - to prove that they have the -ability to foot it with one of ; I the best provincial sides in i New Zealand. I ! The captain, Tony Shaw.; and his men learnt a lot! i from the 10-7 loss to South-; : land on Wednesday. The Australians perform the basics of ball-winning I forward play from set play well and should be at least -the equal of Otago in the line-out and scrummaging departments. 1 The locks, Garrick Fay (and Peter McLean, use their ! height to good advantage in ; the line-outs as does the flanker-turned - number-eight ; for today’s match, Greg ifCornelsen, at the back. The struggle for possession between this trio and I;Oliver and Wayne Graham -in the Otago engine room -and Seear at the back will ;’be an interesting form indic-

ator for the big matches ahead. The Wallabies have selected a fast loose trio in Cornelsen, Shaw, and Gary Pearse. The tour selectors will be wanting speed to the (loose ball from these men to l set up secondary-phase driving situations. Otago’s All Black flanker, Mervyn Jaffray, Seear, and John Flaus might not be as fast as their Southland counterparts in the loose but the Australians could find their more orthodox harddriving style to be just as menacing. Both sides will have some classy backs on display. The Wallaby line-up includes the serie s-winning fly-half against Wales, Paul McLean, who will call the tactical shots for the men outside him. His fly-half understudy, Ken Wright, has been named at centre in a surprise selection obviously aimed at giving some penetration to the Wallaby mid-field. The three-quarter line includes the promising

youngster, Brendan Moon, on the left wing, with the bullocking Paddy Batch on the other. The dependable Laurie Monaghan will be at full-back. The Otago backs are just as impressive. They include three former All Blacks in Duncar. Robertson at flyhalf, playing his 101st game for his province, the second five-eighth, Lyn Jaffray, and the centre, Neil Purvis. Wilson will be in the last line of defence. The teams are:—

Australia: Laurie Monaghan, Brendan Moon, Ken Wright, Paddy Batch, Bill McKid, Paul McLean, Peter Carson, Greg Cornelsen, Gary Pearse, Garrick Fay, Peter McLean, Tony Shaw (c -.ptain), John Meadows, Peter Horton, Stan Pilecki. Otago: Bevan Wilson, Simon Thompson, Neil Purvis, Robert Gibson, Lyn Jaffray, Duncan Robertson, Tim Butcher, Gary Seear, Mervyn Jaffray, Frank Oli-j ver, Wayne Graham, John; Flaus, Lindsay Clark, Ken Bloxham, Ray O’Connell.