Stronger backline for Coast match

Press, 23 August 1984, Page 38

Stronger backline for Coast match

By

KEVIN McMENAMIN

Three of Canterbury’s seven AH Blacks to Australia have been included in the side to defend the Ranfurly Shield against West Coast on Saturday.

As expected, the three are Robbie Deans, Craig Green and Wayne Smith. Green will play in his old position of second five-eighths, in the absence of an injured Warwick Taylor. However, Taylor has surprisingly been named as a reserve. The medical advice he received after fracturing a cheekbone in Australia two weeks ago was that he should not play for four to five weeks. And this was the view he took as recently as last Monday. The Canterbury manager, Craig Sullivan, said last evening that there now seemed a possibility that Taylor could play earlier, and his inclusion in the side was subject to him obtaining a medical clearance. He is to see a doctor in the next two days.

Jock Hobbs is another All Black in the reserves for Saturday, as are his partners to Australia, John Ashworth and Albert Anderson, but Hobbs, too, will require a medical clearance before his place is definite. Hobbs left the field in the third test at Sydney last Saturday after receiving a blow to the head. He is feeling no ill-effects, but as there may have been some concussion he could require a longer spell. Barry White, the lively Suburbs flanker who has risen to prominence this season, fills Hobbs place on the side of the scrum. White is almost fully recovered from the groin injury which forced him to miss Canterbury’s North Island tour last week. The Canterbury coach,

Alex Wyllie, had no shortage of players to choose from when he named his side at training last night. All the players who have been used in recent weeks, plus the All Blacks, were asked to attend, giving a total of 32. At this stage Mr Wyllie is hopeful that the 21 players he has named for Saturday will be the 21 who will travel to the North Island next week for Canterbury’s final two away Lion national championship games, against North Auckland and Auckland. One problem he could face, though, is a backup hooker. Brett Dixon appears to have established himself as the No. 1 player in the position, and there is no other hooker in the squad.

The team for Saturday is much as expected, and there was clearly some urgency in putting together the best available backline. However, not so certain is the need to have Taylor and Hobbs in the reserves, and possibly back in action before they should be, or need to be. The team is:— Robbie Deans; Adrian Boyd, Victor Simpson, Andrew McMaster, Craig Green, Wayne Smith; Bruce Deans; Dale Atkins; Barry White, Andy Earl, Tony Thorpe, Don Hayes (captain); Murray Davie, Brett Dixon, Phil Robson. Reserves.— Wayne Burleigh, Warwick Taylor, Steve Baker, Jock Hobbs, Albert Anderson, John Ashworth.