Shield holder takes first step in new rugby campaign

Press, 1 June 1984, Page 21

Shield holder takes first step in new rugby campaign

By

KEVIN McMENAMIN

Athletic Park will hold fond memories for 12 members of the Canterbury rugby team when they step out there tomorrow in the first match of Canterbury’s 1984 Lion national championship programme. It was here 20 months ago that Canterbury did itself and its new coach, Alex Wyllie, proud by relieving Wellington of the Ranfurly Shield and so beginning a tenure which has made the side the toast of New Zealand rugby. And the best may still be to come. John Mills, now in Auckland, the retired Garry Hooper and Kerry Mitchell are the three players who will be missing tomorrow from the shield-winning team, and while the contest between Gwyn Williams and Merv Aoake to be Mills’s replacement at hooker is still unresolved, Canterbury does look to be in good shape for another campaign.

Tony Thorpe, who missed the 1982 game because of an injury, is back in the side at lock, ahead of Mitchell, and the converted full-back, Andrew McMaster, is now Firmly established in Hooper’s place on the right wing. Wing, nevertheless, remains the one position in the team where there is not a proven back-up player. There are a number of handy young wings about in club rugby, both town and country, but not one has outstripped the others so far this year in laying claim to the vacancy left by Hooper’s retirement. At this stage the situation gives no great cause for concern, but if Mr Wyllie harbours any dreams as he watches club teams each

Saturday it might be that he will come across a wing with genuine pace, and the all-round ability for firstclass rugby. He could even consider another convert, as the left wing, Craig Green, is essentially a mid-field back, and one possibility is the very talented High School Old Boys first five-eighths. James Leggat. Leggat is still a colt, and at the moment he looks the logical successor to Wayne Smith as the Canterbury first five-eighths. However, Leggat is probably fast enough for the wing and he does have physical and playing likenesses with another inside back who moved successfully to the wing — Grant Batty. But, for the moment anyway, Canterbury appears well able to get by with the same players who were used last year. In its two outings so far this season, against Wasps and Queensland, the team has played close to its best form of last winter and there is no reason for believing that it will not get better and better as the season advances. Tomorrow’s game marks the start of a long and hard championship road. Last year Canterbury was up to winning all 10 of its championship matches, and while its more avid fans might be looking for a repeat run this year the goal is only barely realistic. All teams, even the very best, must have an off day sometimes and while a win over Wellington, in isolation, early in the season would be a great starter, it is the back-to-back matches, including shield defences, late in the season when the strain will be greatest. The time could well come where a priority has to be set — the shield or the championship, and, if so, the shield would then have to take priority. But that decision is some distance off. Mr Wyllie will remember from his own playing days how touchy Canterbury got when it was within sight of records. He was the captain of the 1977-78 side which had 20 straight wins, equalling the record run of the side he led in 197374. The fact remains, though, that tomorrow Canterbury will be seeking its twentieth successive win since it lost to Queensland early last winter, and it has actually gone 24 games since it tasted defeat on New Zealand soil. However, those Canterbury players, and there were nine of them, who were a party to the South’s drubbing in the inter-island game last Saturday would have come to realise that there will always be days when they are not invincible and it is the opposition which piles on the points.

It could be a timely reminder. Complacency is the natural enemy of teams which stay on a winning trail for a long period, not that Canterbury is likely to be anything but totally committed to the task of beating Wellington in front of its home crowd. As well as the incentive of gaining two very valuable points in the championship, there is the not so small matter of an All Black test team being announced on Sunday. The Wellington coach, lan L’pston, said recently that in addition to the five All Blacks in his team there were at least six others who could join them in the next year or two. With long tours, to Australia and South Africa, around the corner he may be proved correct.

If anything, Canterbury is even better off. It boasts eight All Blacks, and there are at least three others who could easily win selection for one or other of the upcoming tours. The No. 8, Dale Atkins, is the most likely, but after the North-South game he might not be as secure as was thought to be Murray Mexted’s understudy in Australia this year. Atkins, therefore, will be anxious to make up any lost ground when he marks Mexted again tomorrow.

For the most part, the All Black team for the first test against France at Lancaster Park in two weeks looks to be fairly clear-cut. The two places that may be in doubt are full-back and loose-head prop and it is a happy accident for the selectors that the two leading candidates in both positions will be opposing each other tomorrow.

The Robbie Deans-Allan Hewson contest at full-back must be very close, and the choice may come down to which man has the better game tomorrow. John Ashworth was made to play two hard games last week, the All Black trial and then the inter-island match, to prove that time had not caught up on him, and if the selectors are of a mind to replace him then Wellington’s Brian McGrattan seems the most likely choice.

So, there will be plenty at stake for both sides tomorrow and after its two narrow losses to Canterbury in the last two years, both times when the Ranfurly Shield was at stake, Wellington will be doubly keen to extract some revenge. For Canterbury there are any number of incentives, but, perhaps, the most crucial of all is living up to a reputation fcr excellence which it deservedly gained last winter. If it could maintain, its standard, and win at the same time, then another golden season would come firmlv into focus.