Kiwis will need better team effort

Press, 9 July 1983, Page 60

Kiwis will need better team effort

From

JOHN COFFEY

in Brisbane

Three players will have more than the usual measure of responsibility if New Zealand is to produce the thoroughly convincing team effort that its coach, Graham Lowe, believes is necessary to level the home-and-away rugby league test series with Australia at Lang Park, Brisbane, this evening. Nick Wright, who returns to international football at full-back after a five-year absence, and the second-row forwards Graeme West and Kurt Sorensen, have particularly vital roles to fulfil. The Australians are well aware that Wright has been brought into the team to carry out Mr Lowe’s kicking tactics. The Kiwis conceded a territorial advantage when Australia won the first test, 16-4, at Auckland a month ago after Wright’s predecessor, Gary Kemble,

was injured soon after the start.

There is no doubt that Wright, at his best, has match-winning qualities. But he has been prone ,to inconsistencies, especially on defence, and, at 1.68 m, it is debatable whether he has the height to nullify the high punts likely to be used by the Australian stand-off half, Wally Lewis.

West and Sorensen will be combining for the first time in the New Zealand pack, and both should have plenty of incentive to prove their worth in a very professional Kiwi line-up.

The withdrawal of Mark Graham caused the captaincy to to revert back to West, who was somewhat miffed at being chosen among the reserves at Auckland. West will be expected not only to provide leadership, but also to force gaps for the explosive-run-

ning Sorensen. Not enough was seen of Sorensen’s thrust at Auckland, although he was back to his most authoratative form for the CronullaSutherland club in Sydney last week-end. West and Sorensen have no simple task, however, in attempting to break through the stern defence of their markers, Paul Vautin and Wally Fullerton-Smith. Mr Lowe is also expecting sterner tackling from the Kiwis and placed much emphasis on their efensive formations when the New Zealanders trained at North Brisbane yesterday. “We have enough skill and power to have a good chance in this test. But the players will have to demand the respect of the Australians and the tackles will have to count for more than they did at Auckland,” Mr Lowe said. In effect, the Kiwis will

need to blend the tough defence mounted at Brisbane in the corresponding test last year with the slick back-line manoeuvres which had Australia struggling at times in Auckland. The Kiwis have spent some of their preparation studying video tapes of the deciding State of Origin match, won by Queensland, 43-22, over New South Wales at Lang Park late last month. Replays of that match are still being shown on television in Brisbane—if not in Sydney— and the presence of nine Queenslanders in the Australian side has heightened interest in the test.

While Queensland was most impressive, Mr Lowe would undoubtedly have noticed minor deficiencies in the displays of the three new test players. Colin Scott, the full-back,

is an incisive attacker, but had his shakey moments under the high kicks; Gene Miles, a strapping centre, showed a tendancy to turn infield away from his wings; and the prop, Brad Tessman at 91kg, is lighter than Australia’s centres, Miles and Mai Meninga, and might have difficulty against Mark Broadhurst and Dane Sorensen. Although reluctant to comment specifically on individuals, Mr Lowe agreed that the return of Ray Price—"an inspiration to any side,”—would bolster the Kangaroo pack. With nine Queenslanders—the state’s second highest representation in a test side—to play this evening, the Kiwis are regarded in Brisbane as rank outsiders to square the series.

However, there is a heartening undercurrent of confidence in the New Zealand

camp. It was also pleasing that Gary Prohm was able to take a full part in training, seemingly free of the virus which affected him earlier in the week, and the Kiwis are not daunted at the prospect of encountering the speedier Kangaroos on a firm surface. The teams are:— AUSTRALIA: Scott, Kerry Boustead, Meninga, Miles, Eric Grothe, Wally Lewis, Steve Mortimer, Dave Brown, Max Krilich (captain), Tessman, Vautin, Fullerton-Smith, Price. Reserves: Steve Ella, Ray Brown. NEW ZEALAND: Wright, Dean Bell, James Leuluai, Fred Ah Kuoi, Joe Ropati, Gordon Smith, Shane Varley, Dane Sorensen; Howie Tamati, Broadhurst, Kurt Sorensen, West (captain), Gary Prohm. Reserves: Ron O’Reagan, lan Bell.

The referee will be Mr Robin' Whitfield, of Britain.