Mid-Canty rake surprised

Press, 12 July 1980, Page 56

Mid-Canty rake surprised

By

JOHN COFFEY

Grant Perry was golfing in Greymouth — where the Mid-Canterbury rugby team that he captains will meet West Coast today — when he learned that he had been chosen to replace the injured All Black hooker, Hika Reid. His initial reaction was one of disbelief, even though he had received a letter informing him that he was on the short-tlist of potential replacements. Perry said that MidCanterbury officials had telephoned their union secretary in Ashburton for confirmation and he will not now be playing in the Greymouth game. “I just hope that I can justify my selection and

reach the high standard expected,” Perry said. He leaves this country on Monday and will join the All Blacks for the Fijian section of the itinerary. Perry was given prefetence over such seasoned performers as Andy Dalton, Peter Sloane and Ken Bloxham, but the All Black coach (Eric Watson) said in Sydney that the Mid-Canterbury captain had been placed on standby because neither Dalton nor Sloane was originally available for the tour. The path to the middle of the All Black front-row has been a somewhat circuitous one for Perry. Although essentially a club hooker, he was first seen as a flanker and No. 8 for

his province and did not move to his specialist role until the retirement of Greg Prendergast. Commenting on presentday hooking styles, Perry said that he “likes to get out of the tight and handle the ball, without becoming too loose. I like to enjoy my rugby.” Perry, aged 27, has never appeared in an All Black trial. He was named in one of the four trial sides last winter, only to have to withdraw because of pneumonia. With a background of about 60 matches in firstclass football, Perry has become Mid-Canterbury’s second All Black. His predecessor was Denis Cameron, a wing, who went to South Africa 20 years ago.