Canty seeks record

Press, 12 June 1984, Page 44

Canty seeks record

By KEVIN McMENAMIN Canterbury will be well below full strength for its rugby match against South Canterbury at Eraser Park this afternoon, a game which is not without significance for the Ranfurly Shield holder. If successful, Canterbury will carry its run of unbeaten games to 21 and this would be a record for the province, and, almost certainly, a national record as well. Twice in the last 10 years Canterbury has gone 20 games without a loss, and this matched the feat of Auckland around the turn of the century. Otago went 17 games without suffering defeat between 1947 and 1949 and this is thought to be the next longest run. But in all those previous sequences there have been draws involved. The present Canterbury team has won all 20 games since it was narrowly beaten by Queens-

land in Brisbane at the start of last season. The Canterbury coach, Aiex Wyllie, is not one to worry too much about records and he is obviously using today’s non-champion-ship game as an opportunity to test a few players, players he might well require for bigger games before the season is over. Four players will be making their debuts for Canterbury A. They are the wings, Brad Stringer, and Adrian Boyd, the lock, Pat O’Gorman, and the hooker, Brett Dixon. And one of the flankers, Rob Moffat, has yet to play a full game, his first appearance being as a replacement against Wasps in April. Mr Wyllie has released the six Canterbury players involved in Saturday’s French test, and Albert Anderson is also being given a spell. Three others from the top side, Andrew

McMaster, Bruce Deans and Dale Atkins, will travel to Timaru as reserves. South Canterbury has won two of its three games so far this season. It beat Horowhenua, 32-10, lost to Otago Sub-unions, 15-12, and, at its most reecent outing, did well to beat Mid-Canter-bury, 13-11. The game will be refereed by Mr Winston Jones, the Welshman who will control the two New ZealandFrance tests in the next fortnight. The teams are:— Canterbury.—Rod Latham; Brad Stringer, Victor Simpson, Adrian Boyd; Wayne Burleigh, Kieran Keane; Allan Lindsay; Andy Earl; Rob Moffat, Pat O’Gorman, Tony Thorpe, Don Hayes (captain); Phil Robson, Brett Dixon, Murray Davie. South Canterbury.—Peter Tutton; Paul Gloag, Craig Dorgan, Terry Clarke; Steve Tarrant, Paul Morris; Simon Bloomberg; Mick Smale; Ken Wills, Noel Lewis, Tom Groundwater, Noel Glass; Barry Cleverley, Garry Patterson, Alistair Henderson.