Mitchell shock selection for All Black trial

Press, 26 April 1983, Page 52

Mitchell shock selection for All Black trial

By

KEVIN McMENAMIN

Kerry Mitchell was one policeman whose lot was a happy one yesterday. He had a good game in the final Canterbury rugby trial and then learnt that he had been named for the All Black trial in Wellington on Saturday week.

It is a startling elevation for the 25-year-old lock. He only found a place in the Canterbury side last year when there was no-one else to turn to, and while he served the tearriably in the tough final month of the season few would have rated him a candidate for national selection. What is even more amazing is that Mitchell is in the .trial, and Albert Anderson, his Canterbury locking partner, is not. Anderson, furthermore, was a trialist last year, which was in keeping with the promise he showed as a New Zealand Colt and New Zealand Junior. Canterbury has four other players besides Mitchell in the trial. They are Warwick Taylor and Murray Davie, who are in the same side as Mitchell, and Robbie Deans and Jock Hobbs. Deans and, to a slightly lesser extent, Davie were expected slections and it is pleasing to see young players like Taylor and Hobbs, who both played vital roles in Canterbury’s Ranfurly Shield wins last season, tilting for top honours. With Steven Pokere chosen as a centre, the All Black selectors are clearly looking for a new second five-eighths and Taylor is Pokere’s trial partner. Also in Taylor’s favour is that his opposite, Charlie Kaka, is an unexpected selection, and Taylor had his measure > when they opposed each other on Lancaster Park last season. Allan Hewson was not considered for health reasons and this leaves Deans with a grand chance

of becoming the All Black full-back this year. The other contender is David Halligan, formerly of Otago, but now living in Auckland. Halligan, too, is a good full-back and with a good trial could run Deans close. Hobbs will also be trying to win selection in a position which is vacant, that of open-side flanker, created by the retirement of Graham Mourie. Hobbs’s style is not unlike Mourie, but he has a difficult man to beat in Frank Shelford. Not named at all are the two players who had seemed the most likely candidates to take over from Mourie, Wanganui’s Bruce Middleton and Alwyn Harvey, of Auckland. There are other notable omissions as well, such as Geoff Old, Arthur Stone, Jamie Salmon, Rod Ketels, Greg Burgess, Fred Woodman and Mark Donaldson, all recent All Blacks, plus South Canterbury’s Peter Grant, a trialist last year, and the big Counties lock, Paul Tuoro. The list of reserves adds to the confusion. Dave Loveridge, presumably an automatic choice at halfback, is among them, as also is Wayne Smith, Mark Shaw, Gary Whetton and Gary Knight, all of whom should hold the places they - filled against the Wallabies last year. Smith, though, could be hotly challenged by Nicky Allen if Allen should have an impressive trial, and it will be the task of MidCanterbury’s Murray Rouls-

ton to see that Allen does not steal the show.

The trial teams for the match at Athletic Park on May 7 are:— Probables: David Halligan (Auckland, full-back), Michael Clamp (Wellington, left wing), Steven Pokere (Southland, centre), Bruce Smith (Waikato, right wing), Warwick Taylor (Canterbury, second fiveeights), Murray Roulston (MidCanterbury, first five-eighths), Andrew Donald (Wanganui, half-back), Glenn Rich (Auckland, No. 8), Alan Whetton (Auckland, left flank), Alistair Robinson (North Auckland, right lock), Kerry Mitchell (Canterbury, left lock), Frank Shelford (Hawke’s Bay, right flank), Murray Davie (Canterbury, left prop), Andy Dalton (Counties, hooker), Kevin Boroevich (King Country, right prop). Possibles: Robbie Deans (Canterbury, full-back), Bernie Fraser (Wellington, left wing), Joe Stanley (Auckland, centre), Stu Wilson (Wellington, right wing), Charlie Kaka (Wairarapa-Bush, second fiveeighths), Nickey Allen (Auckland, first five-eighths), David Kirk (Otago, halfback), Murray Mexted (Wellington, No. 8), Colin Cooper (Taranaki, left flank), Andy Haden (Auckland, left lock), Graeme Higginson (Hawke’s Bay, right lock), Jock Hobbs (Canterbury, right flank), Paul Koteka (Waikato, left prop), Hika Reid (Bay of Plenty, hooker), Chris Kapene (Wairarapa-Bush, right prop). Reserves for both teams:— Backs: Richard Fry (Auckland), Kawhena Woodman (North Auckland), Wayne Smith (Canterbury), Dave Loveridge (Taranaki). Forwards: Mark Shaw (Manawatu), Gary Whetton (Auckland), Gary Knight (Manawatu), Brett Wilson (Counties). Allan Hewson (Wellington) not considered because of health reasons.