Selectors confident of rugby fixture’s future

Press, 5 September 1983, Page 17

Selectors confident of rugby fixture’s future

PA Blenheim Selectors from both islands were confident of the future of the NorthSouth rugby fixture after Saturday’s game between the two sides at Blenheim.

The North Island selector, Mr Colin Meads, said the fixture was an important part of New Zealand rugby and it must be kept going. He said that if any of the players who had taken the field at Saturday’s match were asked of the worth of the game, their response would be overwhelmingly in favour of its retention. His sentiments were echoed by the South Island selector, Mr Alan Tate.

“Geographically the game is a must,” he said. “We have two islands and two different groups of players. It is important that they

play each other in a game like that.”

Mr Tate said the game was always an important one for the South — it probably meant more in the South Island than in the North Island, but he said he was heartened by North captain Alwyn Harvey’s positive comment about its worth at the after-match function.

Mr Meads said he was pleased with the win, adding it had gone pretty much as he expected.

“I knew that South would start with fire and vigour,” he said. “I told my players they had to foot it with : them in the early stages, and then, we hoped, take control in the second half. “As it turned out that is exactly what happened.” Mr Meads also felt the match would have contained

much of worth for the All Blacks’ selectors for the coming trip to England and Scotland.

“They would have got a lot out of it,” he said. “There are 26 players going on tour, and with the stars

of both islands not involved in Saturday’s game, it gave some of the others the chance to stake a claim.” Of his North team, he was particularly impressed with the playing of the three young Auckland backs, Grant Fox, Joe Stanley, and John Kirwan. It seemed only a matter of time before Kirwan would become an All Black, he said.

He felt the whole pack played well, particularly in the second half, although he had special praise for the work of the loose men, Alan Dawson and Glenn Rich. Mr Tate was naturally disappointed with the 9-22 loss.

“I thought we would win when the score was 3-0 at half-time,” he said.

“But the North just dominated possession in the second half, especially in

the line-outs.

“We got only one put in to the scrum in this half as well. This meant that we were doing all the chasing, which is always hard.” Mr Tate felt Andy Haden was the difference between the two teams in the second half and that it would have been an even struggle without him.

“Haden was magnificent,” he said. “He just reached up like a colossus, seemingly able to get the ball from line-out whenever he wanted.

“I wish he had pulled out like all the other All Blacks,” he said wistfully. Apart from Haden, Mr Tate felt that all the forwards had a good game and that the South half-back, Dave Kirk, must have enhanced his All Black prospects.