Beleaguered Canty has rugby problems
By
JOHN BROOKS
The fickle finger of footballing fate has tipped the scales in Marlborough’s favour for its match against Canterbury at Rugby Park this afternoon.
As if playing the giantkilling “Red Devils” was not enough, the home side yesterday lost two of its second row forwards — Bruce Farmer (lock), with influenza, and Barney Henderson (flanker), with a knee injury. The flu bug also laid low the chief coach, Mr Gerald Wilson.
However, his fellow selector Mr Neil Cornelius, felt that the outlook was not totally gloomy. “I was happy with the way the players went about their training on Monday night — there was a sense of urgency in their work,” he said.
“Marlborough does have a habit of playing well against Canterbury; the record is good. But the boys are aware of this, and there is certainly no over-confidence in the ranks.”
Mr Cornelius acknowledged the players’ relative unfamiliarity with each other was a problem, and there was a big challenge to a new combination to play cohesively. Since the West Coast match, which is the only representative game Canterbury has played this season, injury or illness has
claimed four forwards — Henderson, Farmer, Bill Bush and Murray Hall. Dave White, who is just back from the New Zealand Juniors’ tour, will play in place of Farmer today, and Henderson’s place will be taken by Jock Hobbs. John Te Amo' has been added tc the reserves, and a new lock will also be chosen. White, Hobbs, and the young Country prop. Richard Loe, are all players with a chance of making their marble good in a testing game for the A team. In the backs, Paul Molloy, at second five-eighths, and Darryl Campbell, the full-back, have the ball at their feet. As Mr Cornelius is well aware, Marlborough teams appear to have a peculiar effect on Canterbury every so often. In 1973 the “Red Devils” whisked the Ranfurly Shield away from an unsuspecting Canterbury; then, two years later, Canterbury went down by a record score of 17-41 to its rival in Blenheim.
Marlborough’s new captain, “Bosun” Huntley, Brian
Ford, the aggressive left wing, and Dave Neal, a clever flanker, are three players from those palmy days who are still doing valuable service for their province. Their presence in the side will ensure that Marlborough does not lack incentive.
The pack is an able one, with Jim Love, Kevin Sutherland and Dave Hammond among its experienced players. However, much will depend on the new combination among the inside backs, and how it settles to its task. The teams will be:—
Canterbury.— Campbell; R. F. Scott, J. R. Collinson, I. G. Mather: Molloy, K. J. Keane; G. P. Barkle; P, McLaren; D. Hayes (captm’n), White, J. C. Ross, Hobbs; Loe, M. R. Powley, P. O’Byrne. Marlborough.— K. Prince; Ford, G. King, J. Woodhouse; P. Murray, P. Hi!dyard; L. Wratt; D. Hoc< quard; Neal, Love, Hammond, L. Huntley; B. Huntley (captain), Sutherland, G« Harrison.
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