Firm ground should favour Canterbury

Press, 2 June 1984, Page 72

Firm ground should favour Canterbury

From

KEVIN McMENAMIN,

in Wellington

The prospects are for a fine day and a firm ground when Canterbury begins its defence of the Lion National Championship first division rugby title against Wellington at Athletic Park this afteroon.

However, a perfect winter day in Wellington is, perhaps, expecting too much and the stiff northerly wind that is predicted may cause a few problems, if only for the side playing into it. A northerly is, at least, to be preferred to the colder southerlies associated with Athletic Park. A firm ground should help Canterbury, for it is in the backs where Canterbury’s best chance of success undoubtedly lies. Not only does Canterbury have a line of proven ability, and established combinations, but it is in this area that Wellington has players relatively new to top rugby. Since last winter, Wellington has lost three backs, all of them All Blacks. The first five-eighths, Tu Wyllie, has moved north, the midfield player, Jamie Salmon, has returned to England, and the most dangerous of them all, Stu Wilson, has retired. Generally Wellington’s back play has been substandard this season and this week the selector, lan Upston, brought in a new and untried man at second five-eighths, Mike Woollett,

in his search for improvement. Inside Woollett is Mark Bracewell, who has had only a handful of games for Wellington, and the centre, Allan Pollock, is a converted wing. Canterbury will at least remember Pollock, if only for the lovely try he scored on Lancaster Park last winter. Wellington gave Canterbury its toughest game, in terms of an 80-minute battle, of any side last year and the reason was that Canterbury was always struggling for possession. With Murray Pierce, Gerard Wilkinson and Murray Mexted once again the line-out jumpers, Canterbury could face similar problems. But if there is possession to spare then Canterbury’s backs are more than capable of dictating the trend of the game. Both sides have engaged in some high scoring this season. Wellington has had four outings, for a loss and three wins, and it has averaged almost 30 points a game. Canterbury has played two games for two wins and has scored 64 points.

It is unusual for a game so early in the season to take on such importance. The fact that it is the first championship match of the season gives it a certain significance and this is heightened by the announcement on Sunday of an All Black test side. But, ignoring for the moment Auckland, which is being heralded in the north as something special this year — and such claims are nothing new — today’s game could easily determine the championship. Not only will the winner be two points up on a close rival, but there will be the knowledge that if Canterbury and Wellington should finish with equal points the outcome of their game will determine which fills’ the higher placing. The Canterbury team had a light training run after it arrived in Wellington yesterday and the coach, Alex Wyllie, seemed well enough satisfied. He is leaving until this morning a decision on whether Gwyn Williams or Merv Aoake will be the hooker, but the likely choice is Williams. Canterbury must start favourite and if it can carry

on from where it left off last year, and the win against Queensland last month suggests it can, then it could enlarge appreciably on the four-point victories of the last two seasons. However, like a good racehorse resuming in top company, the first run is always full of uncertainties. The teams are:— Canterbury:—Robbie Deans; Craig Green, Victor Simpson, Andrew McMaster; Warwick Taylor, Wayne Smith; Bruce Deans; Dale Atkins; Don Hayes (captain), Albert Anderson, Tony Thorpe, Jock Hobbs; Murray Davie, Merv Aoake or Gwyn Williams, John Ashworth. Reserves.—Allan Lindsay, Wayne Burleigh, Rod Latham; Rob Moffat, Kerry Mitchell. Wellington.—Allan Hewson; Bernie Fraser, Allan Pollock, Mike Clamp; Mike Woollett, Doug Bracewell, Neil Sorensen; Murray Mexted (captain); Grahame Duffy, Murray Pierce, Gerard Wilkinson, Alan Mexted; Brian McGrattan, Dave Mahanga, Scott Crichton. Reserves.—Peter Barlow, Murray Blandford, Evan Hopkin; Steve Bryan, Paul Baker, Dirk Williams.