Wallace boosts test prospects

Press, 2 May 1984, Page 32

Wallace boosts test prospects

By

JOHN COFFEY

In the Australian sporting vernacular someone who is said to have had “a big game” can be considered to have played, in New Zealand terminology, “a blinder." It was the Australian phrase which the formerly Brisbane-based New Zealand rugby league coach and co-selector, Graham Lowe, used to describe Wayne Wallace’s performance for South Island against Northern Districts last week.

Wallace was quite outstanding in his hooking and all-round forward duties as South began its Travelseekers inter-districts programme with a resounding 42-10 victory under the Show Grounds floodlights. By emerging much the better from his personal duel with the New Zealand Maoris and Leeds hooker, Trevor Clark, Wallace has become the leading challenger for Howie Tamales test )

position. Mr Lowe might have been making his comment solely on Wallace’s display against Northern, but it was not the first time that he has noted the Hornby man’s prolific work-rate and various skills.

It was not surprising to those familiar with Wallace that he should distinguish himself at Clark’s expense. Much of the pre-match publicity had referred to the considerable success enjoyed by Clark during the Maori tour and then with Leeds as that club compiled a sequence of 16 matches without defeat until beaten in a Challenge Cup semifinal.

Waving an opponent’s reputation in front of Wallace’s eyes is liable to produce a response akin to showing a red rag to a bull. It would be opportune for the South coach, Ray Haffenden, to mention to Wallace that Chappie Pine, the

Central Districts hooker who is to pack down against him at Greymouth next Sunday, is held in high repute. Pine, a member of the Kiwi training squad last season, is also looked upon, at least in Taranaki and Wellington, as a future test contender. That news should be enough to keep the fires burning in Wallace’s belly. His likely Auckland rival is the appropriately-named Lindsay Hooker, who shared the scrums, 11-11, with a former Junior Kiwi, Barry Harvey (and had the better of the tight heads, 6-4), when Auckland beat Central in Wellington on Anzac Day. Harvey has since been switched to loose forward and Pine changed from prop to his specialist role. But Wallace with his 9-3 scrutOaging monopoly

against Clark and his constant enthusiasm on coverdefence and in running on to passes from team-mates, has only to maintain his

present standard to earn a place in the New Zealand XIII to meet Queensland in Brisbane on June 5. More significantly Wallace has excellent qualifications for the 1985 Kiwi tour to Britain and France. Two hookers will be taken on that trip — Tamati, who is registered with Wigan in England, will be available only for the tests — and Wallace’s utility value increases bis prospects. When Wallace first earned a place in first-class rugby league it was as a 19-year-old loose forward. Quite unfairly, there were those who labelled him another Mel Cooke — after all, Cooke rose to prominence from the back of the Hornby scrum. Two years ago Wallace’s ability to hook was recognised, but there was a risk that he would develop into an ideal reserve forward. In his first three representative seasons a high propor-

tion of his appearances was as a substitute. These days Wallace fits into Hornby’s scrum in the second-row, with his South team-mate, Barry Edkins, at loose forward and the efficient Gary McLauchlan hooking. But there is no longer any debate as to Wallace’s role at higher levels. Wallace, at 25 years of age, now has a background of experience to commend him to the national selectors. He has played 20 times for Canterbury, 14 for South. It was not Mr Lowe’s intention to analyse individual players after South’s defeat of Northern; That he should mention Wallace’s “big game” was something of a verbal reflex action. Mr Lowe added another couple of names, then talked of team-work. But Wallace’s efforts were obviously uppermost in his thoughts.