Parched ground will favour Wallabies today

Press, 10 August 1982, Page 42

Parched ground will favour Wallabies today

PA

Timaru

South Canterbury farmers may not be the only people praying for rain in Timaru today

After weeks without rainfall. the countryside near Timaru is parched and hard and not least affected is Fraser Park where the Wallabies meet South Canterbury this afternoon in the fifth match of their New Zealand tour. The ground bears more f-esemblance to the dust bowl of Ballymore Oval in Brisbane than to. the soft-sur-faced grounds which the Australians had expected to encounter on tour. As such, the footing can be expected to favour the tourists whose running, passing game has proved too difficult for four, New Zealand sides to counter. leaving them unbeaten in as many matches. The South Cantabrians would need a veritable deluge before the kick off time of 2.45 p.m. this afternoon to see the footing for the match changed even mildly. With weather forecasts,' predicting fine and warm weather continuing, prayer may be the union's last resort. The joint coach of the home side, Doug Nichol, who scored more than 500 points in 100 first class games for South Canterbury and Southland, knows that the Australians are at their most potent on a solid pitch and is realistic about his second division side's chances against them. “We know we have.to play pretty well to do any good

against them," said Mr Nichol yesterday, “but we certainly won’t ’ be going out there with the attitude that we’re going to lose. “Obviously these Australians can run the ball and the other teams they've met on tour have been stretched to hold them, but as far as defence goes, all you’ve got to do is put them on the ground. We think we’ve got as good a chance of doing that as anyone." The Wallaby team, meanwhile, had its final training run for the match on Fras- • er Park yesterday morning. The Australian coach Mr Rob Dwyer, said after the session that his side had been unusually weary yesterday. He attributed their tiredness to the after effects of their match on Saturday against Southland in which they struck the first heavy ground of the tour. The significant aspect of today’s match, he said, was that several places in the Wallaby side for the first test against New Zealand, this Saturday were still open and that “six or seven’’ of today’s players had the opportunity to push their way .into the team. “So the match is going to be important for those guys from a selection point of view,” said Mr Dwyer. “We’ll be looking at the wings especially, but players in several positions still have a chance of making the test side.

“Of course as we say, we don't expect any- of' our matches on tour to be easy and I think South Canterbury will be fired up for this one." Meanwhile the lock, Shane Nightingale, has been forced, to withdraw from today's match because of a knee injury. - The injury, which has prevented Nightingale from playing since the first match of the tour against Taranaki two weeks ago, flared yesterday morning as the big lock took part in his first training session for several days. Phil Clements will take his place in the forward pack. The teams are. — AUSTRALIA: Glen Ella; Mick Martin, Ross Han]ey, Peter Grigg. Michael Hawker (captain), Tim Lane: Dominic Vaughan: Ross Rej’nolds; Chris Roche. Phil Clements. Steve Williams, Steve Tuynman: Andy Mclntyre, Lance Walker, John Coolican. Reserves. — Forwards: John Meadows, John Griffiths, Peter Lucas. Backs: Phillip Cox, Mark Ella. David Campese. SOUTH CANTERBURY: Ray Teahan: Barry Gallagher, Paul Carter. Robin Heron, Lloyd Proctor, Barry Fairbrother; John Hunt; Peter Grant; Mick Smale. Duncan Bell. Ross Grant. Noel Glass (captain). Kevin Williams or Gerard Coughlan. Terry Murphy. Tony Hand. Reserves • — Backs: Midge Soper. lan Kerse, Paul Morris, Clive Kellow. Forwards: Ken. McEachen. Mick Hobbs. Ken Wills.