South’s captain quietly confident

Press, 18 June 1986, Page 68

South’s captain quietly confident

By STEVE McMORRAN, NZPA staff correspondent The South Island captain, Mike Brewer, believes his players can marry twin responsibilities today to individually impress the national selectors and to beat the North in the annual interisland rugby match at Centennial Park.

Brewer is confident that through percentage rugby his team can reverse a run of South Island losses, broken by its isolated and unexpected win at Wanganui in 1982. He feels also that the pursuit of a team success should not jeopardise the chance of individual players shining in front of All Black selectors who pick a team this week-end to play France. Brewer is touted as a member of that team and his selection claims are given credence by his inclusion in this match at No. 8 and in Saturday’s All Black trial on the blind side flank. The 21-year-old Otago >oose forward is aware of the match’s significance

for his own career but is more concerned to succeed as South Island captain The former New Zealand Colts captain acknowledged the importance of the match as a trial yesterday but said that aspect and its traditional competitiveness need not be divorced. “The South Island team feels this is our best training today but we couldn’t work too hard on the pack opposing us. “The lineouts should be OK. Pat O’Gorman and Richard Knight are working well and there will be no excuse for us not winning our share of ball at the back of the lineout. That’s my responsibility.”

North Island: Greg Cooper; Bernie Smith, Frank Bunce, Terry Wright, John Schuster, Frano Botica; David Kirk (captain); John McDermott; Mark Brooke-Cowden, Mata’afa Keenan, Brent Anderson, Paul Renton; Kevin Boroevich, Bruce Hemara, Warren Bunn. Reserves: Backs, Marty Berry, Alan Crowley. Forwards, Brett Harvey, Peter Fatialofa, lain Abercrombie. South Island: Brent McKenzie; Dennis Woods, Paul Turner, Joe Leota, Wayne Burleigh, Lindsay Smith; Bruce Deans; Mike Brewer (captain); Dave Callon, Richard Knight, Pat O’Gorman, Andy Earl; Chris Earl, John Buchan, Kerry Paulin. Reserves: Backs, Steve Hansen, Murray McLeod, Dean Kenny. Forwards, Denis Kelly, Murray Davie, Bain McCall.