Counties coach also plays a waiting game

Press, 28 September 1984, Page 40

Counties coach also plays a waiting game

By

KEVIN McMENAMIN

The Counties coach, Peter Goldsmith, has taken a leaf from Alex Wyllie’s book of rugbywinning tricks in the team that he has named for tomorrow’s Ranfurly Shield challenge at Lancaster Park.

Mr Wyllie likes to keep everyone, and this includes the players concerned as well as the opposition and the public guessing until the last minute as to the exact composition of his teams. For tomorrow’s game it is once again the locks who have been placed on tenterhooks. Mr Wyllie has bracketed the three in the squad, Albert Anderson, Tony Thorpe and Andy Earl, and he is unlikely to name the pair to play until tomorrow morning. Mr Goldsmith has chosen centre as the position where he will play his waiting game. He has bracketed the former All Black, Lachlan Cameron, and Brian Breen and the choice could have a big bearing on the tactics adopted by the challenger. Cameron was a second five-eighths, and playing for Manawatu, in most of his 17 appearances for the All Blacks between 1979 and 1981 and now, as then, his reputation was built around his defensive qualities. Breen is regarded more as an attacking player, so an insight into what sort of game Counties hopes to play might' be taken from the decision. It could also depend to some extent on tomorrow’s weather.

Counties will be close to full strength. Andy Dalton is back as captain, a position which was held by Alan Dawson while Dalton was leading the All Blacks in Australia, and besides Dalton there are two other All Blacks, Rod Ketels and Robert Kururangi, with

Cameron a possible fourth. As with Canterbury, which has Robbie and Bruce Deans, Counties has a set of brothers — the flankers, Teina and Te Rau Clarke. Seven players have survived from the team which drew 15-15 with Canterbury in the shield game of 1982, the first challenge in a tenure which tomorrow will reach 18 games. They are Warren McLean, who has switched from fullback to first five-eighths, Krururangi, Mark Moore, Dawson, Paul Tuoro, still probably the biggest firstclass lock in the country, Dalton and Ketels. McLean’s old place at full-back will be filled by Lindsay Raki, who scored two outstanding tries when Counties beat Manawatu, 15-6, last Saturday. Counties comes to Lan-

caster Park with sound credentials. It lies third behind Auckland and Canterbury on the first division national table, its two losses in seven games being to North Auckland (15-14 early in the season) and a 38-13 hiding by Auckland. This was shortly after Auckland had beaten Canterbury, 32-3.

The only other losses Counties has suffered in 13 games this year were to New Zealand Universities (21-13) and France (33-24). Counties, notwithstanding its good record this season, might not be the high-flying team it was a few years ago under coaches such as Barry Bracewell, Hiwi Tauroa and Pat Walsh. But Canterbury has every reason to treat with respect the side which Mr Goldsmith, who was an accomplished wing himself for Counties in his playing days, sends out tomorrow. His assistant, Mac McCallion, also had a distinguished playing career, which included the captaincy of New Zealand Maoris. The Counties team is.— Lindsay Raki; Hemi Williams, Lachlan Cameron or Brian Breen, Robert Kururangi; Sean Lineen, Warren McLean; Mark Moore; Alan Dawson; Teina Clarke, Paul Tuoro, John Kennedy, Te Rau Clarke; Rod Ketels, Andy Dalton (captain), Ken Parry. Reserves.— Lance Goldsmith, Chris Key, Francis Henning; Sam Thompson, Brett Wilson, Stephen Kami.