Kirk out for Italian 'test’

Press, 23 February 1985, Page 80

Kirk out for Italian 'test’

NZPA staff correspondent London

The Auckland player, Tim Burcher, takes over at halfback from the All Black, David Kirk, for the second “test” of the New Zealand Universities rugby tour, against Italy on Monday morning (N.Z. time). But the coach, Alan Mcßae, said the unbeaten tourists “haven’t forced ourselves into picking the best XV”.

The team had a policy of selecting “as many players as possible” for tour games, Mcßae, a Massey University farm management lecturer, said. | “Both David and I are relaxed about it. “Tim Burcher is as good a halfback as there is in New Zealand and he’s got the wide, long pass that we want to use against Italy.” The tour captain, Kirk, played the first “test” of the European tour, against Combined Irish Universities, and is likely to have the spot for the tour finale and third major game, against French Universities.

New Zealand goes to Rovigo to meet the national Italian side with a record of seven wins — including Thursday’s 8-3 defeat of an Italian B selection at Ca-

tania — and one draw. The reshuffle from the Irish universities game includes placing the Auckland commerce graduate, John Collinson, on the wing. Collinson, an accomplished Canterbury and Auckland representative, has been used mainly as a centre on tour. The side is down to two specialist wings, Auckland’s Tua Saseve, and Canterbury’s Craig McDowell. • The Massey flanker, Emosi Koloto, was the man-of-the-match when the New Zealand Universities rugby side beat the Italian B selection.

New Zealand, unbeaten on its European tour, gained two unconverted tries after the game was scoreless in the first half.

Koloto set up one of the tries, handing on to a fellow loose forward, Mike Brewer (Otago), who crossed the line.

McDowell scored the other try, following up a kick through by Kirk. The game was played in sunshine on a hard ground and the penalty count was 19-1 in the Italians’ favour. The home side’s points came from a dropped goal by the first five-eighths, Barba.