Fijian ‘test’ a chance to prepare for Wales

Press, 30 August 1980, Page 24

Fijian ‘test’ a chance to prepare for Wales

By

KEVIN McMENAMIN

It will be who and where time again for the All Black selectors when they sit down this weekend, probably tonight, to name a side for the unofficial test against Fiji at Auckland on September 13.

The panel of Eric Watson, Peter Burke and Bryce Rope will, no doubt,

be conscious of the widespread disapproval that greeted their last effort, the ill-fated side for Australia, and they must certainly think ahead to another appointment they have in less than a month, to pick a team for Wales. Their task this time is possibly made a little easier by the fact that none

of the All Blacks who played in the Australian series are eligible for selection. So, in effect, ' they are picking a second, or nearly third, fifteens but able to bolster it with two or three top players who were not available for Australia.

Graham Mourie, Bill Osborne and Andy Dalton would fall into the latter category.

On what the Fijians have shown so far on their tour selecting a winning team should not be too much of a problem, although it might be dangerous to dismiss them lightly if the weather should be fine, and the ground firm on the “test” day.

The panel, to '■ some extent, must use this “test” as a trial for Wales. The season is advanced enough for them to know the newcomers they are interested in and, like the Argentinian series last winter, the opportunity is there to try some of them out in a big match.

But still the problems remain in deciding who to play and in some cases who to play where. Another winter has almost passed and still New Zealand waits impatiently for the arrival of a full-back of true international class. Richard Wilson did not get a test in Australia and he is probably still the best available. If he is pressed it may be by two men who are more at home in the five-eighths, Brian McKechnie and Doug Rollerson. Top wings are in just as short supply and here newcomers must be tried. Fred Woodman, Paul Reilly and Craig Wickes are three youngsters who have the basic essential of speed and the choices should lie with them.

Osborne will be either the centre, his better position, or second fiveeighths and Rollerson, McKechnie and Tu Wyllie are strong possibilities to play inside him; It may only require Wyllie to maintain his patch of purple form through today’s New Zealand Maoris-Fiji game for him

to clinch the first fiveeighths job. Jamie Salmon and Andy Jefferd are mi,d-field backs who must be considered, while a long shot could be Arthur Stone, of Waikato. Stone might not be very well known south of Hamilton, but he has some support in the right quarters.

Mark Donaldson is the obvious half-back, with the Canterbury pair, Steve Scott and Gary Barkle, leading candidates for the back-up role.

Ken Stewart is tt.ie obvious partner for Mourie on the side of the scrum, but now that Stewart has declared himself unavailable for Wales it might be wiser to look elsewhere. Paul Quinn would -be a worthy choice, while Kevin Ramsay and Alwyn Harvey, both of Auckland, are possibilities. Another Aucklander, Stu Conn, should get to wear the number eight jersey. Fie has looked close to All Black selection for a couple of seasons and

there is not much for him to beat this time. Canterbury can count on having one player in the team — Graeme Higginson — and it will be the choice of his locking partner that will create most interest. If Frank Oliver is not restored to the All Blacks for this “test” he probably never will be. And if Mr Watson is. no more kindly disposed towards Oliver than he was three months ago, and some of his recent statements suggest no change of heart, then Higginson will probably have the powerful Paul Tuoro as his partner. The front-row is likely to be drawn entirely from Counties. Dalton hooking with Rod Ketels on one side of him and John Hughes or John Spiers on the other. Southland’s Dave Murcott might challenge Hughes and Spiers for the tighthead side. It is always dangerous to look beyond a big game, but the selectors would be failing in their duty if they did not take this timely opportunity to get their Welsh thoughts straight — unless, of course, they already are. A possible team is: — McKechnie; Woodman, Osborne, Wickes; Rollerson, Wyllie; Donaldson; Conn; Mourie (captain), Higginson, Tuoro, Quinn; Ketels, Dalton, Spiers.

Reserves. — Warren McLean, Stone. Scott; Peter Grant, Hughes, Peter Sloane.