Two Avon men in N.Z. eight

Press, 2 April 1979, Page 32

Two Avon men in N.Z. eight

By

TIM DUNBAR

After a six-year absence from New Zealand crews, the Avon oarsman, Duncan Holland, has been picked in the eight which will compete in the world rowing championships at Bled, Yugoslavia, this September. Holland’s early promise was recognised when he was selected for the New Zealand coxed four in the 1973 world championships at Moscow but this crew finished a very disappointing eighth.

After the performance of that four Holland was not named in a national crew. However, he forced the selectors to notice him again when he moved from Hawke’s Bay to Christchurch late in 1977 and

made the Avon coxless four which has won the last two national titles-. The other Avon man in the eight is Tony Brook, a very neat oarsman who crewed the New Zealand coxless four in the world regatta at Lake Karapiro last year. Named in the eight by the national selectors (Messrs Fred Strachan, Peter Baddeley and Peter Irvine) after extensive trials at Wanganui are: Grant McAuley (stroke. Whakatane), Brook (Avon), Mark James (Waikato), Greg Johnston (Waikato), Conrad Robinson (North Shore), Peter Jansen (Auckland), Holland (Avon), Robbie Robinson (bow, Waikato), Emergency: Tim Logan (Petone). Coxswain: Allan Cotter (Waikato). The two Waikato youngs-

ters, James and Johnston, are the only survivors from the 1978 world championship bronze medallist eight which was coached by Harry Mahon. Dropped from the crew is the 23-year-old Waikato oarsman, David Rodger, who has filled the No. 6 seat in every New Zealand eight since 1974, and has never failed to win a medal at a world championships or Olympic Games. However, he failed to win a title at the nationals in March. Mr Strachan, the convener of selectors, said in Christchurch last evening that Rodger had had a reasonable trial but was “not as dominant” as in the past. “A spell will do him good.” Ivan Sutherland (Wairau) another regular member of New Zealand crews with-

drew his nomination shortly before the trials because of family and farm commitments. “There are one or two new chaps but they’ve been on the fringes of selection for a while and had good trials,” Mr Strachan said. He says that it is “not too bad an eight at all” and is pleased that the crew men): bers “seem determined to do better than last year.” Mr Mahon was available to coach the crew again but has been bypassed in favour of Tom Reid (Whakatane), who guided the coxless four last year. “We felt we’d like to give Tom Reid a chance. We don’t want to create a dynasty,” said Mr Strachan. It was made clear by Mr Strachan, however, that either of the men could be picked to coach the New

Zealand eight at the Moscow Olympics next year. The selectors have placed an emphasis on “recapturing the smooth boat flowing movements of the past’’ and it appears that Mr Reid’s concepts fit in with theirs to a large extent. “We haven’t got the giants of the past,” said Mr Strachan, no doubt thinking of Munich Olympians such as Athol Earl, John Hunter and “Lew” Wilson. “So we have to concentrate on technique.” Unfortunate not to be se= lected was the New Zealand single sculling champion, John Alexander (Whakatane), who has shown improvement in recent years. He was unsuitable for the position of reserve and finance precluded sending him purely as a sculler.