South set to make a notable rugby league return

Press, 16 June 1979, Page 56

South set to make a notable rugby league return

By

JOHN COFFEY

Rugby league administrators in Canterbury and on the West Coast have long argued that, given the chance, the South Island would prove that it has the talent and the depth to regain the high standing of past years.

If the pleas for the restoration of annual inter-isiand fixtures have not found favour with the code’s national council, southern officials can be content that the introduction of the new inter-district championship is a big step in the right direction.

A full South Island team will again be a reality when it opposes Northern Districts at the Show Grounds this afternoon, and there are strong indications that it has the potential to make a clean-sweep of its matches against Northern, Central and Auckland. The nucleus of the South Island side might be provided by Canterbury, but the West Coast second-row (Ray Baxendale and Tony Coll) and half-back (Gordon Smith and Chris Menzies) combinations should blend in perfectly. Baxendale and Coll, two forwards who have the resilience and striking power expected of representatives from the west, and the consistent and hard-working Smith and Menzies showed in the island trial earlier this month that they are all in peak form. By contrast, the Canter- 1 bury pack failed to fuse against the Rest of South Is- 1 land. It was guilty of play-1 ing “trial type” football by i retaining possession for too i

long; any repetition today would not only harm South’s cause but also draw frowns from the New Zealand selectors. South’s coach, Gary Clarke, has had three training runs to plan his team’s tactics, and Northern has had a similar preparation at Huntly. The presence of 10 Waikato players in the Northern line-up should ensure that it is not lacking in understanding.

The Northern front-row, comprising Paddy Matthews and Pat Poasa from Northland and the Waikato hooker, Paul Ravlich, has the physique to trouble South in the tighter exchanges, but will be conceding mobility to Mark Broadhurst, Alan Rushton and Paul Truscott. There will also be a most interesting confrontation between the three-quarters. Peter Campbell, from Midlands, made a fine impression as a centre during the New Zealand Marist tournament at Easter, and his Waikato partner, Charles Morgan, has earned a proud reputation as a scorer of spectacular tries. Marking them in midfield, though, are two even more prolific points providers, Mocky Brereton and Lewis Hudson. The long-striding Hudson has the ability to scythe a path through the

firmest of defences, and Brereton is still without peer as an attacking force when running hard and straight. Similarly, Kevin Fisher is regarded as the finest finisher and one of the speediest wings in first-class rugby league. That ranking t 0 deter Robin Alfeld from seeking to further his claims for a position m the test squad for ,“ e against Britain later this season. South has seldom had more convincing demands tor high representation in a national team, and its list of favoured candidates will grow larger if Auckland continues its run of average performances against Central today C^S Wellington

A 14-year wait has ended *°£. South Island and its individual representatives. It is unlikely that the players will waste their opportunity. The teams are.— South: M. W. J O’Donnell; R. L. Alfeld, M. P. Brereton, L. E. Hudson. C. ~ Leney; C. B. Menzies, G. a « E. Broadhurst, A. P. Rushton, P, W. Truscott; A. P. Coll (captain), R. F. Baxendale; B. R. Edkins. ,^® s ® rv , es: w - A. Wilson, R. W. Dalzell.

Northern: W. Stevens; K. L. Fisher, P. Campbell, C. Morgan, S. Thompson; B. Kells, D. Barlow; P. Matthews, P. Ravlich, P. Poasa; W. Rangi (captain), T. Bayley; S. Dunstan. Reserves: M. Tahu, J. Tahiri.