Canty might have eight

Press, 22 June 1984, Page 32

Canty might have eight

At least eight members of the Canterbury rugby team might be doing service for the All Blacks in Australia when the Ranfurly Shield programme starts in August. The 27-strong touring party is scheduled to be announced this Sunday, the day after the second French test at Eden Park, and Canterbury and Auckland players are expected to make up the bulk of the party.

Unless the Tricolours emulate Greg Cornelsen and the other 1978 Wallabies in their humiliaton of the All Blacks on the same ground, there are unlikely to be any deletions from the present New Zealand squad, which includes six Canterbury men.

The selection panel of Bryce Rope, Stan Hill and Brian Lochore, has demonstrated a preference for giving players reasonable opportunity to build combinations, and this is certain tp carry through to the tour of Australia.

Assuming that the selectors give a sweeping vote of

confidence to the members of the current test squad, six other players will be required for an extensive tour, which takes in farflung Perth, and then Adelaide and Melbourne on the way back to the traditional rugby centres on the east coast.

As a result of the big number of new men blooded on the short tour of Scotland and England late last year, there will be no shortage of moderately experienced candidates. The national trial and the inter-island game this winter threw up other interesting possibilities.

Of the players who served their All Black apprenticeship in Britain, Murray Davie (Canterbury) and Gary Braid (Bay of Plenty) have most appeal. It is hard to see the selectors recalling Bernie Fraser, even though there is a dearth of good wings. Mike Clamp, a patient third string to Fraser and Stu Wilson in Wellington for several seasons, might now get his chance. But for his

comparative youth and recent injury, a Manawatu prodigy called lan Wood might have got his chance.

There are several Canterbury players knocking faintly at the door — Albert Anderson, Victor Simpson and Dale Atkins among them. Atkins has a chance because of the unavailability of Geoff Old and the injury to Glenn Rich, but the presence of an all-roun-der such as Alan Whetton might dent his hopes.

A possible side is —

Full-backs, Allan Hewson, Robbie Deans; wings, Clamp, Bruce Smith, John Kirwan; midfield backs, Steven Pokere, Warwick Taylor, Craig Green, Simpson; first five-eighths, Wayne Smith, Fox; half-backs, Andrew Donald, David Kirk; loose forwards, Murray Mexted, Jock Hobbs, Mark Shaw, Alan Whetton, Dickson; locks, Braid, Andy Haden, Gary Whetton; props, Gary Knight, John Ashworth, Brian McGrattan, Davie; hookers, Andv Dalton (captain), Hika Reid.