Some surprises in Lions team

Press, 11 July 1983, Page 38

Some surprises in Lions team

NZPA staff correspondent Pukekohe At least six members of the Lions side named to meet Waikato at Hamilton’s Rugby Park tomorrow may be doing double duty this week by reappearing in the final test at Eden Park four days later. In a surprising match selection announced yesterday by the tour manager, Willie John Mcßride, six test players who could have been expected to be rested before the test on Saturday have been included at the clear risk of injury. The unavailability of many players through injury and the need to field

test players such as lock, Maurice Colclough, and halfback, Roy Laidlaw, who have been out of action for some time, dictated part of the selection. Wayne Smith is confident that he will be fully fit by the time the All Blacks ■assemble in Auckland on Wednesday. He said last evening that the groin injury he suffered in the third test had responded well to treatment and he had been doing quite a bit of running. “I am getting better every day and I think I should be 100 per cent by Wednesday. If I am not then I will not be going to Auckland," he said.

Teams:— Lions: Hugo Mac Neill, Trevor Ringland, David Irwin, Clive Woodward, Roger Baird, Ollie Campbell, Roy Laidlaw, Eddie Butler, Peter Winterbottom, Steve Bainbridge, Maurice Colclough, John O’Driscoll (captain), Gerry McLoughlin, Colin Deans, lain Milne. Reserves: Backs, Gwyn Evans, Robert Ackerman, Steve Smith. Forwards, Staff Jones, Ciaran Fitzgerald, Nick Jeavons. Waikato: Purcell, Bruce Smith, Arthur Stone, Chris Ellis, Richard Adam, John Boe, Graeme Holmes, Gordon Tietjens, Wayne Bullot, John Fleming, Peter Wills, Miah Melsom, Kiwi Seraricke, Pat Bennett (captain), Paul Koteka. Reserves: Bruce Barker, Neil Strange, Craig Luxton, Eru Brodie, Grant Lethborg, Willie Coates.