Counties confident of lifting shield from Canterbury

Press, 25 September 1982, Page 64

Counties confident of lifting shield from Canterbury

By

KEVIN McMENAMIN

Last Saturday Canterbury proved up to winning the Ranfurly Shield. Today it switches to the role of defender and it may find earlier than it would have liked that one job is just as tough as the other.

The challenger. Counties, might not be quite the side it was a few years ago. when its methods'of attack were heralded as a breakthrough in the running, passing game. However, it remains a very good side, one which certainly boasts'more experience. and also probably more speed and size than Canterbury. The coach. Pat Walsh, is confident Counties can win. “This is one.of the best-ever prepared sides I have had anything to do with." said Mr Walsh yesterday. “The buildup of five days together in the South Island could not have been better." Mr Walsh makes no secret of the player whom he is counting on to bring that something extra out in his side — the centre. Bruce Robertson. “In the forwards we have size and speed. The backs are all tidy footballers and it just needs one of them to set. by example, a lead that will drag the best out of the others. “Bruce is the man I think will do this. He has been a brilliant centre for 10 years

and he is ready to play the game of his life." said Mr Walsh. “Controlled pressure" is what Mr Walsh is hoping for from his team. “Early points are always handy, but it is no good putting everything into the first 60 minutes and having nothing left for the last 10. Pacing yourself is a very important part of shield rugby." Mr Walsh said he expected Canterbury would play a hard, physical game. “That's the Canterbury way and with a big crowd behind them they are going to give it all they have got." Some weeks ago Mr Walsh predicted that Counties would beat Wellington (sort of soften them up) and then Canterbury would take the shield from Wellington, making today’s national championship match a shield challenge for Counties. Everything has gone according to plan so far. and Mr Walsh said yesterday that he had a “feeling" his dream scenario would be completed today. "I think we will win; it could be by a little or it could be by a lot. It will just

depend on how things go." said Mr Walsh. He has no worries about an opposing coach who has been compared with the Almighty in the last week. "Coaches can only do so much and Grizz. like me. will be sitting in the stand. You can't do much from there." As a parting shot. Mr Walsh described his team as "a nice bunch of country boys... who are here to win the shield." If he should happen to be correct, then it will end a frustrating run for Counties. In the 28 years since a union was formed in south Auckland . there have been nine unsuccessful shield bids. Some have been very near misses, like the 20-20 draw with Waikato last year and the 7-6 and 11-9 losses to Auckland in 1975 and 1979 respectively. Like Wellington before last Saturday. Canterbury has not beaten Counties for four years and there was a very heavy defeat. 35-9. at Pukekohe last year. But Canterbury is a new team this year and it showed at Athletic Park last Saturday that it has many of the

qualities of a great shield team. It will probably have to play just as well today. All season the backs and forwards have been taking turns at keeping the side's reputation high and. perhaps, the time has arrived when both groups will strike a peak simultaneously. If so then Canterbury might not only win. but win handsomely. This is. of course, just one possibility in a game which could run any sort of course, but if it is the correct prediction then the nine-year wait for a shield game on Lancaster Park will not have been in vain. The teams:-Canterbury.-Robbie Deans. Garry Hooper. Victor Simpson. Craig Green. Warwick Taylor. Wayne Smith. Bruce Deans. Dale Atkins. Don Hayes (captain); Kerry Mitchell. Albert Anderson. Jock Hobbs. Murray Davie. John Mills. John Ashworth. Counties—Warren McLean. Glen Wilcox. Bruce Robertson. Robert Kururangi. Graeme Taylor. Joe Harvey. Mark Moore. Alan Dawson. Murray McLean. Paul Tuoro. Gary Wright. Peter Clotworthy. Rod Ketels. Andy Dalton. Henrv Maxwell.