Mighty midgets of league

Press, 25 July 1984, Page 32

Mighty midgets of league

The two smallest men in the second rugby league test are on a collision course as the New Zealand scrumhalf, Shane Varley, covers a break by his Great Britain rival, Andy Gregory. Both players featured prominently in New Zealand’s 28-12 victory at the Show Grounds last Sunday. The wet conditions which have prevailed for the tests at Auckland and Christchurch have prevented Varley from making the .(most

of his renowned acceleration, though the British defence has needed to be alert to keep him restrained. But Varley — fully aware of the challenge being issued to him by the Kiwi reserve, Clayton Friend — has been of great value in his retrieving of the loose ball and with his covering behind the front line of tacklers. Gregory, having at last regained his test ranking from Neil Holding, was

more frequently the centre of attention last Sunday, and not always because of his quickness to capitalise on the rare gaps left by his opponents. A fiery little fellow, Gregory never took a backward step in a number of confrontations with even the biggest of the Kiwi forwards. But he went too far when he ran several metres to knee Kurt Sorensen, when Sorensen was already in the tackles,;of two other British

players. The Australian referee, Barry Barnes, sent Gregory to the sin-bin, indicating that Gregory was to serve a lOmin period. Perhaps Gregory felt that he cheated justice, for the incident occurred only 3min from fulltime. Ironically, Gregory had already been chosen as the recipient of the award for the best British player in the test.

JOHN COFEEY