Emphasis on kicking

Press, 18 October 1980, Page 64

Emphasis on kicking

NZPA London Goal-kicking was a feature of the Kiwi rugby league team’s pre-test practice at Wigan’s Central Park yesterday. When the team for the first test against Great Britain trained, the kicking of the full-back, Michael O’Donnell, showed an improvement, and the scrumhalf, Gordon Smith, practised short kicks at goat The team’s manager, Mr Ces Mountford, said that O’Donnell’s kicking was “much better.” The Kiwis made the onehour journey to Wigan from Harrowgate, where they are staying, after the test side was announced. Mr Mountford has named

an experienced side with 234 international matches between them.

The team is: ' Michael O’Donnell, Kevin Fisher, James Leuluai, Bruce Dickison, Dane O’Hara, Fred Ah Kuoi, Gordon Smith, Mark Broadhurst, Alan Rushton, Kevin Tamati, Graeme West, Tony Coll, Mark Graham (captain). Reserves: John Whittaker, Ray Baxendale. Mr Mountford said he had been getting some feedback from New Zealand on his team selection for recent games, but he commented: “What we have tried to do is mix the test certainties with the other players and, on the whole, I think they have done well in the last three games.”

The New Zealand team has more experience at international level than Great Britain but Mr Mountford thinks the club standard in Britain is high.

There are eight new caps in the Great Britain side,, the first to be assembled since the crushing defeat by, Australia last year. Although the Kiwis’ losses in their last three ■ games have heartened the British players, the side’s manager, Mr Colin Hutt, has warned againt complacency. He has. issued a reminder that the New Zealanders did not show the most impressive' form in the games before the 1971 tests, but finished up by winning the series, 2-1.