Injuries add to Welsh side’s woes

Press, 24 May 1988, Page 44

Injuries add to Welsh side’s woes

By

BOB SCHUMACHER,

in Dunedin

Most sporting teams abroad strike crossroads at some point along a tour’s journey; what turn the team takes at that crisis time usually determines whether the ride is smooth or rocky for the rest of the route.

Wales hits that intersection this afternoon when it opposes Otago at Carisbrook in the third match of its rugby tour. The road has offered nothing but potholes and pitfalls so far for Wales, and if it cannot pass the Otago barrier today it can dismiss thoughts of joy-riding along a fast-moving freeway.

It has been all uphill travel for Wales and no descent appears imminent, Otago and the AH Blacks both looming as seemingly insurmountable twin peaks. Stock phrases such as “shock loss” or “upset defeat” generally are penned when an international touring team falls to a provincial team. Those expressions might be reserved for Otago should it succumb today. Match losses to Waikato and Wellington were depressing enough, but the outlook blackened further when the captain, Bleddyn Bowen, was lost to the tour through a broken right wrist. Wales had no brighter news yesterday. Its tall, robust No. 8, Paul Moriarty, awoke with nose streaming and was kept in blankets while his team-mates trained, as was another member of today’s fifteen, the Pontypool lock, Kevin Moseley, who had an ankle heavily strapped. At least six other players in the touring party are inconvenienced by niggling injuries. Moriarty is a doubtful starter today.

Given that communique, it was hardly suprising that Wales did not show too much zest in its final training run at Bathgate Park yesterday

morning. Spirits seemed as low as the temperature, which was several degrees below zero, and if conditions invited an invigorating approach it was not forthcoming. The Welsh coach, Tony Gray, talked about taking comfort from the fact that Wales had scored 41 points in its two losses. As with the weather, however, it could surely only afford him cold comfort. The favouritism conferred on Otago has not exactly helped it, according to the team’s forthright coach, Laurie Mains.

“It obviously puts pressure on us, plus we will be playing a team which is close to the test team whereas Wales had a mixture against the previous provincial opposition. The Welsh media told me that this would be the test team apart from three players.” While Mr Maias rates the upcoming national championship as most important for Otago, he said that an international was “something different.”

“An international has its own priority, something else from other games, and there was a keen edge to the players’ training on Monday.” Mr Mains is keen for Otago to employ an expansive game. "Our style is an open game involving 15 players and it should turn out to be an open game because I feel that Wales are going to play it that way.” The Otago captain, Mike Brewer, an All Black reserve for the first test in Christchurch on Saturday, feels it is imperative that Otago succeeds today to support claims that Otago should

have had more than one All Black (himself) in Japan last year as well as advancing its arguments for inclusion in the South Pacific championship. Brewer said if Otago lost it would have to remain silent until the national championship was under way or else it would be accused of whining.

“They will all talk about Otago whingers if we lose it. We will have to put our heads into the sand for about two months.”

Although Brewer and Mr Mains are concerned that Otago might struggle to get enough possession, Wales has hardly given the impression that it can dominate any facet of forward play, and Otago should have a definite upperhand in the loose where it has Brewer, Brent Pope and Roger Patterson. The teams are:—

Otago: Greg Cooper; John Timu, Alistair Cran, Noel Pilcher; Rhys Ellison, John Haggart; Ant Strachan; Brent Pope; Roger Patterson, Richard Knight, Gordon Macpherson, Mike Brewer (captain); Steve Hotton, David Latta, Steve Cumberland. Wales: Anthony Clement; Mike Hall, John Devereux, Glen Webbe; Mark Ring, Jonathan Davies (captain); Robert Jones; Paul Moriarty; David Bryant, Phil May, Kevin Moseley, Richie Collins; Staff Jones, lan Watkins, Jeremy Pugh. © The Llanelli centre, Nigel Davies, will replace the injured Welsh rugby captain, Bleddyn Bowen, for the remaining five matches of its. New Zealand tour. Davies, a 23-year-old, has experience at first five-eighths and centre.