Bruce gambles on Coffey

Press, 30 September 1988, Page 44

Bruce gambles on Coffey

By 808 SCHUMACHER Doug Bruce’s rugby team selections in his two years of office as head coach have been generally predictable, but last evening he made his biggest gamble when selecting Greg Coffey at first five-eighths in the Canterbury XV to challenge Auckland for the Ranfurly Shield at Eden Park tomorrow. Coffey, aged 24, has played only one match for Canterbury A, and that was against a New Zealand Maoris invitation XV at Temuka at the start of the 1985 season. That match, in the small country town setting, will be a far cry from the spacious amphitheatre j of Eden Park and its expected 40,000 spectators mostly baying for Auckland tomorrow. Blit Coffey is a cool-headed footballer, / well-balanced, with delicate kicking skills,/ and in him Mr Bruce has revealed his ace card. , /. There will be sympathy for the player whom Coffey displaced,

Stephen Bachop. Bachop has been the incumbent first fiveeighths since taking over from Wayne Smith in 1986 and, at 22 years, he has already appeared 48 times for Canterbury. He is the only player to have appeared in gill 19 games this season. However, Bachop has been guilty of fundamental mistakes this season and a number of line kicks which have failed to find touch have been converted into points by the opposition. Although he has run with more confid- , ence in recent matches, the nod has gone to the Canterbury B and Marist first five-eighths, Coffey. ’ j The goal-kicking . duties will also be entrusted to Coffey, ahead of his club-mate, the fullback, Richard Coni’ nell, who succeeded with all five kicks against Counties last Saturday when deputising for Shayne Philpott. Mr Bruce declined to comment on the choice of Coffey but did confirm that he would be

the Nd. 1 kicker. “He does it for his club in preference to Connell and how many points did he get this season?” Coffey set a new Christchurch senior club record with a staggering 371 points, averaging more than 18 points a game for the Trustßank Trophy champion Marist team.

At the end of the club season, Coffey turned his attention to playing for Canterbury B, commenting that while he would accept any opportunity to play at a higher level he was content to continue with a game he enjoyed and if further honours ensued then they would be in the way of a bonus. “I’m still switched on,” said Coffey after Canterbury’s final home training run at Rugby Park last evening. “I don’t get asked to attend practices until Monday night but I’m not worried about my fitness.”

Coffey said that he expected to feel a little nervous on the day — “but once I’m out there

and get that first touch of the ball I’ll be all right.” Certainly the high, pin-point kicking of Coffey at training would suggest that the Auckland fullback, Lindsay Harris, might be in for a testing time. Apart from Coffey’s surprise inclusion, Mr Bruce has made no other changes to the team which lost in the last minute to Counties last Saturday. Stephen Dods has resisted Dallas Seymour’s challenge for the open flank and Brent Harvey’s leg strain has mended sufficiently for him to retain the loosehead prop position ahead of Tavita Sio. The team is:—

Richard Connell; Mark Vincent, Andrew McCormack, Andrew Simcock; Warwick Taylor, Greg Coffey; Bruce Deans; Andy Earl; Stephen Dods, Albert Anderson (captain), Grant Mickell, Robin Penney; Tala Kele, John Buchan, Brent Harvey. Reserves.— Backs: Graeme Bachop, Stephen Bachop, Joe Leota. Forwards: Tavlta Sio, John Mills, Dallas Seymour.