Canterbury has good chance of beating Lions

Press, 28 June 1983, Page 40

Canterbury has good chance of beating Lions

By

JOHN BROOKS

A Canterbury side committed to nine defences of the Ranfurly Shield in the next three months would gain unlimited confidence for that forbidding rugby assignment by twisting the Lions’ tail vigorously at Lancaster Park oval this afternoon.

Only one New Zealand provincial side, Auckland, has beaten a Lions combination since 1966, but Canterbury has the players and the hard-nosed approach which could lead to that number being doubled. The Lions, of course, would welcome a reassuring victory on the eve of their do or die test engagement against the All Blacks at Carisbrook on Saturday. But the team’s previous provincial showings, Greymouth and Masterton excepted, have not been as convincing as expected. Canterbury, for that matter, hardly appeals as a team on form after average efforts in its recent games against Marlborough and West Coast. But there is nothing so stimulating to a rugby team as the challenge of trying to beat an international opponent. Canterbury is as well equipped as any side in the country to thrive on that stimulation. It will be a highly motivated side, too, if only for the fact that the coach, Mr Alex Wyllie, was thrice on the losing side in Canter-bury-Lions matches. The home camp was clearly surprised that the Lions will not have either of their two outstanding goals kickers, Ollie Campbell or Dusty Hare, on duty today. The standing down of the tour captain, Ciaran Fitzgerald, also caused raised eyebrows; his absences have usually coincided with muddling Lions’ performances.

The very fact that Canterbury has five of the present New Zealand squad in its ranks makes this afternoon’s match the most difficult task for the tourists outside the tests. With the All Black, John Ashworth, and a national trialist, Murray Davie, as the props, Canterbury will mount a strong challenge to the Lions in one of their chief areas of proficiency, scrummaging. However, the Lions have three very tall men in their line-up, Maurice Colclough, Steve Bainbridge and lain Paxton, and Canterbury might be a little inconvenienced through lack of similar height in the lineout. The contest for the loose ball, therefore, will be intense, with the rival test open side flankers, Jock Hobbs and Peter Winterbottom, resuming their duel. The Lions have not had the ball run at them with any consistency or success by provincial sides. That could change today, with Wayne Smith, Warwick Taylor and Victor Simpson all pining for chances to show that New Zealand back play is not devoid of imagination. And the presence of Craig Green on the left wing is an indication that some bold diagonal bursts can be expected. Then there will be Robbie Deans at full-back, and this young but proven matchwinner will not want for backing from the many Canterbury supporters in a crowd expected to be be-

tween 25,000 and 30,000. The Lions will field several able combinations: Colin Deans, with lain Milne as his tight head prop; Colclough and Bainbridge in the scrum’s “engine room;” Roy Laidlaw and John Rutherford as the ball distributors; and Clive Woodward and John Carleton to attack down the right flank. Woodward has not been in action since the Greymouth match three weeks ago, and he is overdue for a compelling performance. There could be some spectacular cutting and thrusting by Simpson and Woodward at each other if the ball is moved wide, and often enough. One limiting factor might be the pitch, which has been a little greasy after frosts and light rain. However, the footing should be reasonable if the weather, as expected, stays fine. The teams are.— BRITISH ISLES: Hugo Mac Neill; Carleton, Woodward, Roger Baird; David Irwin, Rutherford, Laidlaw; Paxton; Winterbottom, Colclough, Bainbridge, John O’Driscoll (captain); Milne, Deans, Staff Jones. CANTERBURY: Robbie Deans; Garry Hooper, Simpson, Green; Taylor, Smith; Bruce Deans; Dale Atkins or Andy Earl; Don Hayes (captain), Albert Anderson or Kerry Mitchell, Tony Thorpe, Hobbs; Ashworth, John Mills, Davie. The referee will be Mr Cliff Dainty, of Wellington.