One vacancy in Town rugby pack

Press, 26 May 1979, Page 56

One vacancy in Town rugby pack

Any senior rugby loose forward who spies the Canterbury coach, Stan Hill, watching him play today might be encouraged to try a little harder. Mr Hill will be wearing his Town selector’s hat today and there appears just one" position open in the Town pack to play Country at Lancaster Park on Monday week — the third loose forward. It is generally taken for granted that the present strength of Canterbury forward play lies in the country. Even if this is true a Town pack (but for one position) can still be made up of players who are In the

representative squad, or, as additions, have played for Canterbury this year. The seven Canterbury players all fall neatly into positions: a front-row of Murray Davies, John Black and Bill Bush, locks, John Harwood and Robert Johns (Vance Stewart would have kept one of these players out had he not announced his retirement this week), and Dave Thompson and John Phillips as two of the loose forwards. The Canterbury squad participation would be complete if Alwyn Harvey was fit to play, but it is unlikely that he will be over the ankle injury that has forced him out

of next week’s All Black trials.

The substitute for Harvey is hard to pick, although the New Brighton captain, John Te Amo, may have the inside running. He has already played for Town, in 1977. However, he could be challenged by a member of his own team, Peter McLaren, whose impressive form this season has not gone unnoticed by Mr Hill. Another possibility is the Merivale-Papanui No. 8, Steve Bamden, who is also having a good season. The “third man” could be either a flanker or a No. 8 as Phillips is at home in either position.

It is an interesting commentary on the state of Canterbury forward play that the best available Country pack will also contain seven representative players, and once again, the seven give a complete scrum apart from a side-row forward. The seven are John Ashworth, Hugh Taylor, Barry Thompson (front-row), Graeme Higginson and Alan Martin (locks) and Don Hayes and Alex Wyllie (loose forwards). Barney Henderson, if over the injury he suffered against Nelson Bays last week, will probably be the third loose forward, with Ross Loffhagen the likgly

replacement If Henderson cannot play. The Town team will be announced early next week, but the Country selector, Alister Hopkinson, will wait until after the Sub-unions play Canterbury Maoris on Wednesday before finalising his side. A number of town senior teams will be weakened today by injuries and university examinations. The championship leader, Christchurch, should maintain its unbeaten record against Lincoln College, but the round will be an important one for two of Christchurch’s closest pursuers, Belfast and Marist. meet in the main game

at Lancaster Park. High School Old Boys, which shares second place with Marist and Belfast, meets Merivale-Papanui in the early game at Rugby Park and with Old Boys the team hardest hit by injuries and exams Merivale-Papanui could cause another upset. Linwood, one of three teams bunched just behind the leaders, should hold its place with a win over Burnside, but the other two, Shirley and University A, meet.

The loser of this match will slip dangerously away from a place inthe top four from a place in the top four petition later in the season.