Fransen, McCaw join Canty for N.I. tour

Press, 29 August 1986, Page 38

Fransen, McCaw join Canty for N.I. tour

By

KEVIN McMENAMIN

The Linwood lock, Mike Fransen, and the University flanker, John McCaw, have been brought into the Canterbury rugby team for its two-match North Island tour which begins today.

Fransen, who played the last of his four games for Canterbury back in 1982, comes in for Albert Anderson, who suffered a bad gash to his right knee against Otago on Tuesday. The wound required 15 stitches and Anderson will be out of action for at least a week. McCaw, who made his debut for Canterbury against Mid-Canterbury earlier this season, and has not had a game since, gets his chance through the injury suffered by Grant Mickell while playing for his Shirley club against Glenmark on Wednesday night. Mickell badly twisted a knee which he had injured earlier in the season and it is highly unlikely that he will play again this year. , Pat O’Gorman, the obvious replacement in both cases, could not be considered as he leaves next week for a season in

France. Although regretting the loss of two players from his squad at this crucial time of the season, the Canterbury coach, Alex Wyllie, was grateful last evening that the injury list was not longer. Don Hayes also suffered a gashed knee against Otago, and Dale Atkins dislocated the thumb which he shattered earlier in the season and which put him out of action for almost six weeks. Both Hayes and Atkins were fit enough to train last evening and Hayes is almost certain to play against Manawatu tomorrow. Mr Wyllie is leaving a final decision on Atkins until tomorrow morning. Mr Wyllie has named a tentative team for the Manawatu game. It is the same side which took the field against Otago, apart from Thorpe at lock instead of Anderson.

The 22 players in the touring party are.— Backs: Robbie Deans, Craig Green, Joe Leota, Victor Simpson, Shayne Philpott, Wayne Burleigh, Warwick Taylor, Stephen Bachop; Bruce Deans, Allan Lindsay. Forwards: Murray Davie, Chris Earl, Tala Kele, John Buchan, John Mills; Andy Earl, Mike Fransen, Tony Thorpe, Don Hayes, Jock Hobbs, John McCaw, Dale Atkins. Mr Wyllie said that despite Manawatu's big loss to Wairarapa-Bush last week-end Canterbury would not be taking tomorrow’s game lightly. “Manawatu always gives us problems when we play them, especially up there, and they were unlucky not to beat the Wallabies a few weeks ago.” He said he also expected a hard game against North- Auckland, the second match of the tour next Tuesday. “Okara Park is another ground where we often seem to

struggle.” Manawatu, in fact, has probably the best record of any province against Canterbury in the last six years. In 1980 Canterbury lost, 10-19, at Palmerston North and the following year, 9-18, at Christchurch. In 1982, just before it took the Ranfurly Shield off Wellington, Canterbury was clearly beaten, 26-13, at Palmerston North and the following year, in one of the epic challenges of the shield reign, it only got up to win, 28-15, in the last eight minutes. In 1984 it was Manawatu which ended Canterbury’s long winning streak at 26 games by holding it to a 15-15 draw, again at Palmerston North. Last year on Lancaster Park, in the final game of the season and two weeks after the shield had gone, Canterbury gained some revenge with a handsome 29-6 victory.