Codlin likely full-back for Counties game

Press, 28 August 1979, Page 32

Codlin likely full-back for Counties game

By

KEVIN McMENAMIN

Canterbury is likely to field a player with strong ties to Counties when it meets that province on Saturday week in what promises to be the key game of the national rugby championship. They are the only two unbeaten division one teams, Counties having played six of its 10 games and Canterbury three. The Canterbury back selector, Gerald Wilson, said yesterday that he had already ascertained Brett Codlih’s availability for the Counties match and his - intention was to play him at full-back, in place of Richard Wilson.

Wilson is one of seven players Canterbury will lose for this match, as he, Vance Stewart, Barry Thompson, and John Ashworth will play

for the New Zealand XV against Argentina at Dunedin, and three others, John Black, Kieran Keane, and Steve Scott will be in the reserves.

Codlin’s home province is Counties, and he is expected to return there next year when he has completed his course at Lincoln College. He has represented Canterbury Colts and Canterbury B, but has yet to play for the A side:

However, with Doug Heffernan injured, he is unchallenged as the second best full-back to Wilson in Canterbury. He has been the oustanding full-back in club rugby this year, although a knee injury caused him to miss the D.C.L. Shield rounds.

After Simon Brown got fogbound in Wellington last Friday, Codlin was added to the Canterbury B side that

travelled to Westport and he played part of the match against Buller on Saturday when the chosen full-back, Brian McLean was injured. Codlin will participate in the Canterbury B team’s southern tour later this week, a tour which takes in games against Otago B and Southland B. They should help him regain match fitness and Mr Wilson’s only concern is that he might suffer an injury. If Codlin does get to Pukekohe and wear the No. 15 Canterbury jersey it will probably be a case of brother opposing brother. His older brother, Mark, who also played for Lincoln College a few years ago, is the Counties half-back.

Codlip is one of two fresh players Mr Wilson and his associate, Stan Hill, are likely to bring into the squad for the northern tour,

which also includes a match against Bay of Plenty on September 12.

Messrs Hill and Wilson were expecting to lose no more than three or four players to the New Zealand XV, but the loss of seven took them aback a little, more especially as Counties will lose only one player and he (Rod Ketels) ■is not even a permanent selection.

“It is unfortunate that things have worked out this way, but there is nothing we can do about it,” Mr Wilson said. “Luckily most of the gaps can be filled by players from within the squad so our playing style should not be affected.”

The other new man is likely to be Murray Davie. He will probably take John Ashworth’s place at loosehead prop, with Murray Hall and Bill Bush the substitutes for Black and Thompson.

Robert Johns will obviously get Stewart’s place at lock, and Gary Barkle is expected to be fit again by next week, thereby making Scott’s departure less of a blow.

' Murray McEwan, because of his experience, is likely to fill in for Keane at second five-eighths, although Mr Wilson may well consider shifting Shane Gibbons in a place and employing either Dave Ngatai and John Collinson at centre. “Seven players is a big loss to any team, but I still believe we can produce a side that will test Counties,” Mr Wilson said. “First of all we have to beat Southland this Saturday and hopefully get through this game without any injuries. “To lose any more players through injuries would make our position very difficult,” he said.

lan Mather, who missed last Saturday’s game because of strained stomach muscles, is also in doubt for the Southland game, and if he cannot play then Mr Wilson said Scott Cartwright would be retained. The national championship division one and South Island division two tables are:— DIVISION ONE

P W L F A Pts Counties 6 6 0 109 56 12 Nth Auck. 6 4 2 57 48 8 Canterbury 3 3 0 53 17 6 Wellington 4 3 1 70 48 6 Manawatu 5 2 3 70 66 4 Bay of Plenty 5 2 3 66 69 4 Auckland 4 2 2 45 42 4 Taranaki 4 1 3 44 51 2 Otago 4 1 3 23 55 2 Southland 4 1 3 29 43 2 Sth Canty 5 0 5 36 107 0 DIVISION TWO p w L F Pts Buller 5 3 2 57 25 6 Marlborough 2 2 0 33 9 4 Mid-Canty 2 2 0 24 13 4 Nelson-Bays 5 2 3 52 65 4 North Otago 3 1 2 20 45 2 West Coast 1 a 3 18 47 8