Auckland team named

Press, 3 September 1981, Page 28

Auckland team named

PA Auckland Influenza picked up on Auckland’s southern tour last week has hampered Mr Bryan Craies, who yesterday named his team to play the Springboks at Eden Park on Saturday. The team manager, Mr Ces Wilson, said yesterday that the flu hit the team in the half-back department and started to spread. The latest casualty is the teenage wing, Jack Huch, who was named in the reserves for Saturday. Huch has been replaced on the wing by John Collinson

who played in that position against Otago on Sunday but is better known as a centre. The only notable change to the regular Auckland side this season is the inclusion of Bryan Megson at second five-eighths. After missing the southern tour, the half-back, Richard Dunn, will be welcomed back to the fold to improve the goal-kicking. Mr CTaies nas retained his regular pack. It has a big front row with the props, Brad Johnstone and Greg Burgess.

The locks, Andy Haden and Gary Whetton, are expected to give the Springboks a hard tussle in the line-outs, while the loose trio of Barry Ashworth, Kevin Ramsay and Glen Rich are as good a combination as the tourists will meet. The team is: Full-back, Colin Farrell; threequarters, Collinson, Mike Mills, Gary Cunningham; five-eighths, Megson, Steve McCulloch; half-back, Dunn; No. 8, Rich; middle row, Ashworth, Haden, Whetton, Ramsay; front row, Burgess, lain Abercrombie, Brad Johnstone (captain).