Country player in Canty sqoad

Press, 20 July 1988, Page 60

Country player in Canty sqoad

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

A versatile member of the Canterbury Country backline, John McAllister, has become the utility back in the Canterbury rugby squad to prepare for the representative fixture against Southland at Invercargill on July 31. With Shayne Philpott summoned to Australia last week by the All Black selectors, the Canterbury coach, Doug Bruce, lost his jack-of-all-trades and has gone out of town to bring in the Kaiapoi ra-

presentative, McAllister. Tall and wiry and with good acceleration, McAllister can comfortably cover at fullback, on the wing, or at centre. Mr Bruce has had more than his share of problems selecting teams for the preliminary matches to the National Mutual first division championship, with injuries and non-availability compounding the difficulties associated with six players away with the All Blacks.

The return, though, of the New Zealand Colts — Andrew McCormick and Jon Preston — back from their short tour of Australia, has brought some relief and both have been reinstated in the squad.

McCormick has impressed greatly in his two Canterbury appearances this season, but Prestoon has yet to get a run at halfback, being the back up for Allan Lindsay. The adaptability of Grant Mickell and Robin Penney gives Mr Bruce good cover in the loose

forwards and at lock, but the squad remains thin on props. The Canterbury squad is:— Backs: Richard Connell, John McAllister, Mark Vincent, Joe Leota, Kieran Flynn, Michael Lake, Andrew McCormick, Stephen Bachop, Jon Preston, Allan Lindsay. Forwards: Grant Mickell, Robin Penney, Stephen Dods, Mark Hudson, Chris England, Vernon Muir, John Buchan, John Mills, Brent Harvey, Kerry Pauling. Training at Rugby Park this evening at 5.45 p.m.