Canterbury quick to place Edkins again

Press, 7 June 1983, Page 30

Canterbury quick to place Edkins again

By

JOHN COFFEY

Barry Edkins, the former Kiwi loose forward, has been rushed back into the Canterbury rugby league team for the match with West Coast at the Show Grounds on June 18.

After spending the first half of the season in Wellington, Edkins returned to Christchurch only last Friday and has yet to resume club football in Canterbury.

The selection of Edkins was one of a number of changes made to counter the possibility of a repeat of the recent 28-8 loss to West Coast at Greymouth. That was Canterbury’s most decisive defeat by its traditional rival since 1948.

Russell Tuuta is to make a delayed first appearance in the Canterbury second row. He has already represented South Island three times this year and is to make his debut for New Zealand Maoris against

Auckland next Sunday, but injury prevented him from playing at Greymouth. The forwards omitted are Lawrence Hale and the late substitute, Gary McLauchlan, while Doug Thompson has been demoted to the reserves. Two youthful wings, Marty Crequer and Pomare

Connell, have been accorded senior honours for the first time. They were members of the Canterbury squad which last season won the national 19-years tournament. In revising the back-line, the selectors (Messrs Jim Anderson, Gary Clarke and Keith Roberts) have switched Robin Alfeld to full-back and Mike Williams into the centres. Both, in effect, have been restored to their regular club roles. John MacGougan has lost his stand-off half position, and Tony Wildermoth will join Thompson on the reserves’ bench. The team is.— Robin Alfeld; Marty Crequer, Mike Williams, Richard Hampton, Pomare Connell; David Field (Captain), Mark Forsey; Ross Taylor, Wayne Wallace, Rex Dalzell; Russell Tuuta, Scott Barrow, Barry Edkins. Reserves: Tony Wildermoth, Doug Thompson.