League team still to prove itself

Press, 18 April 1980, Page 24

League team still to prove itself

By

JOHN COFFEY

Canterbury’s rugby league representatives will again be on trial, both individually and as a unit, when they oppose West Coact in the first of the home-and-away inter-provincial matches at the Show Grounds tomorrow. Gary Clarke, the Canterbury coach, still feels that improvement can be made in a number of aspects of the side’s play, in spite of the recent 33-6 defeat of Wellington. That was Canterbury’s biggect win in Wellington since the Second World War. But Mr Clarke said yester•day that “a lot of faultc” had been evident as Wellington held Canterbury scoreless for the opening 30 minutes. “We did not get ..much ball from the scrums— I blame the referee more than the hooker and props—and when we were in possession players did not back up the ball-carrier as well as they should have.” After viewing a video tape of the television film of that game, Mr Clarke decided to use a scrummaging machine at training last evening. He was conscious , that the decisive victory was achieved over an untried Wellington combination, and •said that Canterbury,, itself with several inexperienced players, still had to prove itself. i The Canterburj' scrum] was more successful at Wellington after Paul Truscott had been switched to hooker and Alan Rushton reverted to prop. They have again been chosen in the front-row and Rushton tentatively named a*3 hooker, although Mr Clarke is keeping his options open as to who will mark the swift West Coast ! striker, John Griffin. Robin Alfeld, a late withdrawal from the Wellington match because of a hamstring injury, faces a fitness test before being confirmed a*3 one of the wings. The former Canterbury wing, Paul McCone, has been asked to stand by in case Alfeld is not fully 7 fit.

The doubt about Alfeld persuaded Mr Clarke to leave Michael O’Donnell at fullback, where he won the “man of the match” award at Wellington, and move the aggressive little man from Papua New Guinea, Peter Klink, into the centres. Klink was an eager attacker on the left wing, scoring a fine try in his debut. He has experience in the inside back positions with Eastern Suburbs-Hertz* and should be an ideal foil to the

J seasoned David Field a£ ■ j stand-off half and Lewis •Hudson, his centre partner. ,j West Coast will be a for-* i midable opponent. It has ] three recent internationals,, Tony Coll, Ray Baxendale and Gordon Smith, and Bernard Green, Griffin and Chris Menzies earned South Island honours last season. One of the most pleasing aspects of Canterbury’s display in Wellington was Field’s incisiveness. The rivalry between him and • Menzies—with the knowledge J that the former Kiwi, Bob • Jarvis, will be resuming with Addington on Sunday after ]! recovering from injury—for lithe South Island stand-off half role should be especially interesting. ] Aware that West Coast’s ■forward formation is in keepling with the traditional '•strength of packs from that, province, Canterbury should be keen to move the ball in the manner which bewildered Wellington in the second spell. Mr Clarke agreed. “If we can plaj' a whole match as we did in those 40 minutes, our chances of winning must be very good.” There is also the incentive to reverse the result of the 20-15 loss at Greymouth last winter, when West Coast eliminated Canterbury from the Rothmans tournament. The teams are.— Canterbury M. W. J. O’Donnell; R. V. Seaward, L. E. Hudson, P. G. Klink, R, L. Alfeld; D. C. Field, M. R. French; M. E. Broadhurst, A. P. Rushton (captain), P. W. Truscott; J. P. Cole. K. A. Franklin; B. R. Edkins. Re* serves: M. D. Vincent, R. W< Dalzell. West Coast: M. Bennett; S. Low, B. J. Green, D. Sos-, ter, J. Bennett; C. B. Menzies, G. J. Smith; W. Dwyer, J. C. Griffin, P. Harris; A. P. Coll (captain), R, F. Baxendale; K. R. Harrington. Reserves: K. Calder, A. Atkinson. The referee will be Mr A. D. Wilson.