Maoris ‘will find Spaniards play positive rugby’

Press, 20 November 1982, Page 64

Maoris ‘will find Spaniards play positive rugby’

NZPA staff correspondent Madrid The New Zealand Maoris appear set for another highly entertaining game when they play the Spanish national side at Madrid’s Campo Universitaria Stadium early tomorrow (1.30 a.m. N.Z. time).

The Spanish rugby team is expected to be a rather stronger combination than the largely Barcelona-based President’s XV swamped 6213 by the tourists on Wednesday, but its approach to the game is likely to be equally positive. The Spaniards have been prepared over the last week by the former Llanelli coach, Mr John Maclean, who said yesterday that his aim has been mainly to tighten up the forward play. “My brief is not to keep the score against Spain down by teaching them how to spoil. The best part of the Spaniards' play is their fluent handling and they will be encouraged to run and pass,” he said. The severity of the test which will confront the Maoris is difficult to judge and will depend as much on the Spaniards’ temperamental make-up on the day as anything else. Generally, Spanish sides of recent years have been inferior to those of Italy, where the All • Blacks struggled to beat spirited opposition in 1979. The following year, on what was clearly a good day, Spain held Italy to 10-13 in Madrid. On a bad day, the Spaniards are obviously very bad. Last year in Group B of the F.I.R.A. competition for fledgling European rugbyplaying nations, they were, for example, beaten 32-6 in Poland. The major problem for the Spaniards will clearly be to gain line-out possession from the physically superior Maori forwards. The Spanish President’s XV got very little ball from this source, although the work Mr Maclean had put into their scrummaging stood them in good stead in that department. The Maori backs, aided by the return of Steve. Pokere at second five-eighth, can expect a. steady stream of

possession and freed of the defensive tactics employed by Welsh backlines, should again get room to demonstrate their considerable skills. It may, however, be expecting rather much for the Spanish backs to hang off tackles as their less experienced Barcelona cousins did on Wednesday. The Maoris have made five changes from the side which lost to a Wales XV last Saturday. The most notable of these is the dropping of the former All Black lock, Hud Rickit, who failed to win expected lineout possession in Wales. The surprising physical domination which even Welsh club locks enjoyed over the six-foot-seven-inches (1.99 m Rickit was a source of never-ending concern to the Maoris in Wales. Rickit’s name is not included in the Maori reserves but he may yet play against Spain because the Counties lock, Paul Tuoro, damaged an ankle in Wednesday’s game. He was unable to train yesterday. Marlborough’s Jim Love was shifted from his No. 8 spot against the Wales XV to take the place of Rickit and his place in the back of the scrum is taken by Carl Baker. The Wairarapa 23-year-old has had the most fluctuating of. fortunes on tour. He started as first-choice No. 8 in the pipe-opener against Cardiff, but was outplayed by the experienced England international, John Scott, and pretty much discarded. Baker, however, bounced back with a storming game in the free-flowing atmosphere of Barcelona and is likely to again shine on Saturday. Bruce Hemara, another whose mobility comes to the fore in such circumstances, will play at hooker in place of the more experienced Felix O’Carroll. In the backs, Eddie Dunn

predictably comes in at first five-eighth in place of Tu Wyllie, who had a disappointing game against the Wales XV. While Wyllie suffered with the greasy ball on Cardiff Arms Park, Dunn showed marvellous and inventive ball-handling skills in ideal conditions at Barcelona. The North Auckland leftwing, Kawhena Woodman, gains the reward for his displays of strong, aggressive running on tour by replacing Mike Clamp. Woodman, who had not played previously for the Maoris, challenged the Wellingtonian strongly throughout Wales, matching him for pace and often appearing rather more certain in defence. The Maoris have selected their strongest team, but ruled out because of influenza and an ear infection respectively were the props, Scott Crichton and Kevin Boroevich. Bill Bush, the. captain on Wednesday and a noted peacemaker during one of the very few moments of tension, therefore, gets the opportunity to make a final appearance for the Maoris in the international arena. The game will be controlled by an experienced French referee, Mr Georges Domereq. The New Zealand Maori side to play the Spanish national team is: Warren McLean (Counties); Robert Kururangi (Counties), Arthur Stone (Waikato), Woodman (North Auckland); Steve Pokere (Southland), Dunn (North Auckland);. Richard Dunn (Auckland); Baker (Wairarapa); Paul Quinn (Wellington, captain), Tuoro (Counties), Love (Marlborough), Frank Shelford (Bay of Plenty); Paul Koteka (Waikato), Hemara (Manawatu), Bush (Canterbury). Reserves: Paul Blake (Hawkes Bay), Tu Wyllie (Wellington), Clamp (Wellington); Miah Melsom (Waikato); Wayne Shelford (Auckland), O’Carroll (Taranaki).