Strong AU Black team

Press, 13 July 1984, Page 40

Strong AU Black team

NZPA staff correspondent Perth

The All Blacks match against a West Australian state XV in Perth on Sunday has developed into more than a pre-test gambol for the tourists with the selection yesterday of a New Zealand side close to test strength. If New Zealand’s team for their first test against Australia on July 21 was announced tomorrow, then it is likely that 12 of the All Black team named for Sunday’s match would be included.

The coach, Bryce Rope, has been stung into action by his team’s worthless 99-0 victory over South Australia on Wednesday night, and has decided that unless his test players are run together in this match, their test preparation will be seriously impaired. "Originally it was my intention to play a sort of shadow test side against Victoria on Tuesday,” Mr Rope said, “but the way things are developing I have been forced to change my mind. I realise now that it is imperative our likely test players get a game on Sunday.”

Mr Rope’s mind was changed by the shortness of the recovery period between next Tuesday’s match and Saturday’s test. “If any of the test 15 were injured on Tuesday, then their chances of recovering in time for the test would be slight,” he said. Mr Rope refused to confirm that aspects of the All Blacks’ test selection plan were mirrored in the team choice. He said injuries and the need to rest certain

players had resulted in some interesting selections, while others could be attributed to the need to give further match play to players who had missed recent games.

The three eyebrow-raising selections for Sunday’s match are those of Robbie Deans at centre, where he fills in for the still injured Steven Pokere, Gary Braid, at No. 8, substituting for Murray Mexted, and Bernie Fraser on the left wing, where he plays his second successive tour match.

None should cause too much surprise, Mr Rope said.

“These are things we’ve been forced into one way and another. Steve Pokere is still not fit though there is now a possibility he will be able to play on Tuesday and so we have slipped Robbie in at centre, he said. He’s a player who is familiar with all back-line positions. We were very happy with the way he handled the left wing against New South Wales and so we don’t see he’ll have any problems.

‘We really didn’t have much choice but to play him anyway, because we felt it would be unfair to ask Craig Green to play his fourth match in a row. Pokere’s fitness remains a minor mystery on tour. Mr Rope and the tour manager, Dick Littlejohn, are agreed that the little Auckland centre has improved recently, and he may even play against Victoria on Tuesday. But Mr Littlejohn took the unusual step yesterday of telling reporters that his fitness was such that tour officials were considering calling for an additional player. It was a statement he later rectracted. Mr Littlejohn originally told reporters that Pokere’s injury was not progressing as well as had been hoped and a replacement might be sought because an unfair burden was being placed on the All Blacks’ fit centres, Warwick Taylor and Green. When the team arrived in Perth, however, the manager said that the need for a replacement had been reconsidered on the basis of advice that Pokere might yet make Tuesday’s match. Mr Rope added, however, that if the Aucklander’s injury did not improve markedly in the next two days, a replacement might again be considered. In the meantime he will remain and train with the team. On other aspects of Sunday’s team selection, Mr Rope said Braid had moved to No. 8 not only to rest Mexted, but because the selectors had hopes of him making a mark in that position. “Gary is a very natural

ball player,” Mr Rope said, “and we’ve had our eye on him for some time as the obvious player to step into Murray Mexted’s shoes as a number seven line-out jumper. On that score we can’t afford to leave him out of All Black sides.”

Mexted will be rested on Sunday after playing the first three matches on tour.

Fraser’s selection on the left wing, which has resulted in Bruce Smith’s move from the left back to his specialist position on the right, drew less comment from Mr Pope. “We’re very fortunate to have Bruce and Mike Clamp in this touring party who can both play on the left or right wings. If John Kirwan had been on tour still, we probably would have played him on the left wing in this match because we feel it is important on tour that players become familiar with both wings. "As it is, we have a very interesting situation developing in the selection of the test wings and it will be interesting to see how things go on Sunday.” The New Zealand team for Sunday’s match is. — Allan Hewson; Bruce Smith, Robbie Deans, Bernie Fraser, Warwick Taylor, Wayne Smith; Andrew Donald; Gary Braid; Jock Hobbs, Gary Whetton, Albert Anderson, Mark Shaw; John Ashworth, Andy Dalton (captain), Gary Knight. Reserves. — Forwards: Hika Reid, Kevin Boroevich, Murray Mexted. Backs: David Kirk, lan Dunn, Craig Green.