Change of scene

Press, 6 May 1980, Page 46

Change of scene

By

JOHN BROOKS

A funny thing happened in Palmerston North on Sunday — a former All Black captain drove into town, played a game of rugby, and was promptly chosen for the Manawatu team.

The rugged Frank Oliver needed this morale booster, for only 24 hours earlier he had learned he was not wanted by the national selectors for the All Black tour of Australia.

Although recently he vowed that he would be putting considerable effort into playing for the Tokomairiro club and Otago this winter, Oliver has decided to play out the sea-

son in Palmerston North, joining forced with two current All Blacks, Mark Donaldson and Gary Knight, in the High School Old Boys side. The Manawatu coach, Mr Graham Hamer, was delighted over the arrival of Oliver, for he had temporarily lost, through injury, the 20-year-old Braeden Whitelock, a former Canterbury and NeW Zealand colt Whitelock will be Oliver’s locking partner for Old Boys. The former Otago and Southland stalwart did not have a particularly good trial at Hamilton on Saturday, and afterwards drove through the night to Palmerston North.

Mr Hamer quickly pressed him into service for the trial match, in which he showed his versatility by scoring a try. He has been chosen for Manawatu’s first three games, at least Now aged 32, Oliver played 38 times for New Zealand, including 16 tests, in the last four years. And although soured by his exclusion from the team for Australia, he will be available for the testing tour of Wales later in the year. There is no indication, however, that the selectors will be any better disposed towards him by then. -49