Olsen Filipaina at stand-off for the Kiwis

Press, 2 July 1984, Page 40

Olsen Filipaina at stand-off for the Kiwis

By

JOHN COFFEY

It would not surprise if Great Britain’s rugby league tourists believe that New Zealand has smuggled a seventh forward onto Carlaw Park when the teams line up before the first test on July 14.

The massive Olsen Filippaina has been placed at stand-off half in the Kiwi side which was announced

land prop, Ricky Cowan, would become the reserve forward. Cowan made an indelible

after the final trial at Auckland on Saturday. Some of the more experienced of the British players will recall the strength displayed by Filipaina as a centre during the corresponding series in 1979. But to most of the visitors he will be an unknown, and quite awesome opponent. Filipania did not tour Britain and France with the Kiwis in 1980, and an injury kept him out of the home and away matches with Australia last winter. The British party will not even have seen Filipaina on television while in Australia, because the former Auckland representative has spent most of the season in the Balmain reserves. But Filipaina will have two vital roles in fulfill. The Kiwi coach, Graham Lowe, is confident that even from the stand-off position, Filipaina will have the power and pace to break the first line of defence, and he will also be entrusted with the goal-kicking responsibilities. Mr Lowe is convinced that Filipaina’s relegation to second grade in Sydney is nothing more than the result of a personality clash with the Balmain and Australian test coach, Frank Stanton. By placing Filipaina in the halves, the New Zealand selectors have kept intact the outside back combination of Gary Kemble, Dane

impression in the trial, capping it with a surging run of 45m to score. Kemble and O’Hara who were ruled out of New Zealand’s victory over Australia at Brisbane 12 months ago because of injuries, have regained their places at the expense of Nick Wright and Joe Ropati — who, ironically were the rival goal-kickers in the trial and performed credit-, ably in a sphere in which New Zealand is not strong. Similarly, Filipania, Kevin Tamati, Graham and McGahan are the logical replacements for Gordon Smith, Mark Broadhurst, Graeme West and Gary Prohm, who have not returned from England. The team (with number of test appearances in parenthesis) is. — G. E. Kemble (Hull, 4); D. B. O’Hara (Hull, 20), A. J. Leuluai (Hull, 15), F. A. Ah Kuoi (Hull 20), D. Bell (Leeds and Auckland), 3); 0. 0. Filipaina (Balmain, 15); S. Varley (Leigh and Auckland, 8); K. R. Tamati (Widnes, 14), H. K. Tamati (Wigan and Taranaki, 16), D. P. I. Sorensen (Sydney Eastern Suburbs, 10); K. J. Sorsen (Sydney) Eastern Suburbs, 8), M. K. Graham (North Sydney, captain 18); H. J. McGahan (Auckland, 3). Reserves: C. Friend. (Auckland, 2); 0. Wright (Auckland, 2). On standby: R. Cowan (Auckland, 0)..

O’Hara, James Leuluai and Fred Ah Kuoi, which has done so much to make Hull one of the most attractive and successful clubs in Britain.

It is a totally predictable Kiwi combination, with the only world test record tryscorer, Hugh McGahan, not having spent at least one term in professional football in Australia or Britain.

Provision, however, has been made for the possibility that the second-row forward, and captain, Mark Graham, might not regain fitness in time. If Graham cannot resume playing for North Sydney next week-end he will almost certainly miss the first test.

Should Graham withdraw, Owen Wright — who has developed a particularly effective partnership with McGahan for Otahubu and Auckland — would take his place, and the young Auck-