All Blacks worried as injuries mount

Press, 9 July 1980, Page 40

All Blacks worried as injuries mount

NZPA Canberra The All Black dressing shed was a very unhappy place to be after New Zealand beat A.C.T. by 48-15 at the Manuka Oval yesterday.

The reason for the melancholy was the unfortunate prospect that the tour party’s outstanding player, Hika Reid, might not be able to play in Saturday’s third and deciding test against the Wallabies at the Sydney Cricket Ground because of injury. Reid left the field in the 30th minute of the second spell nursing an injury to the calf area of his right leg. The All Black manager, Mr Ray Harpe- said that there was considerable swelling to the calf and an X-ray would not be able to be taken until after it diminished. He said the X-ray examination would probably take place after the team arrived at Sydney early this afternoon. In the 28th minute of the first spell Reid received a gash on the left hand side of his face and J he wound wr stitched while Reid’s teammates looked on in the dressing shed after the game. Harper said he would not consider calling for a replacement hooker until he knew the result of the X-ray and Reid had received a thorough medical examination. The Bay of Plenty man was involved in one of three 11th hour changes'to the All Black team before kickoff. He took the field on the • side of the scrum in place of the Southlander, Leicester Rutledge, who has a hamstring problem. The Canterbury halfback, Steve Scott replaced Dave Loveridge, ; who also has a hamstring . problem and second five i eighth, Gary Cunningham was unable to play because of a badly bruised thigh. , In spite of he injury to I Reid both sides produced a i

highly entertaining display of rugby and ACT emerged from the game with the honour of scoring the most points against the All Blacks in a single match on tour. It was also the first time since New Zealand beat London Divi-'on at Twickenham last year that an All Black side had had two tries scored against it in a midweek encounter. The All Blacks scored eight tries. The ACT hero was the first and second test Wallaby, Michael O’Connor, who plaved at centre. When Reid left the field he was replaced by the lock forward, Andy Haden and with all the side’s big men on the field for the one fixture it was not altogether surprising that the AH Blacks won the lineouts by a handsome margi.: Both teams produced some highly entertaining running rugby and first five-eighth Nicky Allen produced another very good performance which was highlighted by an llth minute try and two neatly kicked left foot drop goals. The wings, Bernie Fraser and Tim Twigden had their moments with th.a former running in for two tries. But it was once again some sloppy passing and inept handling in midfield which kept the New Zealand winning margin down to 33 points against a mediocre but spirited forward pack. Waikato’s Geoff Hines had his best game of the tour and scored the first try of the game in the fifth minute when he produced a blistering turn of speed to run away from a break-down situation following a scrum. Reid, while he was on the field, was once again in exceptional form and the first half lock forwards, John Fleming and John Spiers re-

turned the honest efforts I always received from them : in an All Black jersey. ; ACT’s tries came in the : first and ninth minutes of the second spell and were scored : by first five-eighth, Stephen James and O’Connor respeci tively. The first stemmed from a ; maul. Second five eighth, John Grant made a break I and James was on hand to take the pass which led to the try. O’Connor’s try came • about because of a bad i Twigden pass to Fraser in a promising All Black back- ! line movement. Even though the All I Blacks did play some good rugby during the game they • did not enjoy their victory because of the Reid leg injury. The All Blacks are in a desperate situation because ; of injuries with the third test just four days away. “Fortunately it is only Tuesday and I will be doing everything possible to make sure we get a fully fit squad of 21 players for test match duty on Saturday. “I am particularly worried about the loose forward injury situation and we might have to move into replacement player action when we get to Sydney tomorrow afternoon,’’ Harper said. Scorers.— • New Zealand 48, (Bernie Fraser 2, Tim Twigden, Murray Taylor, Nicky Allen, Graeme Higginson, Geoff Hines and Brad Johnstone tries, Allen 2 drop goals, Richard Wilson 5 conversions), ACT 15 (Stephen James, Michael O’Connor tries, O’Connor a penalty and two conversions). The New Zealand Colts Under-21 team defeated ACT Under-21 by 34-7 in the curtain raiser to this afternoon’s match between »the All Blacks and ACT. The scorers were: Allan Whetton 3, Martin Torrance 2, Craig Wickes, Ross Gibson tries, Kieran Crowley 3 conversions, 34: ACT Under-21, Mark McGovern a try, Greg Tighe a penalty, 7.