All odds in N.Z.’s favour—Australian coach

Press, 8 October 1988, Page 88

All odds in N.Z.’s favour —Australian coach

The Australian theme that the Kiwis will run on to Eden Park with all of the World Cup odds in their favour is still being voiced by the Kangaroo coach, Don Furner. On the eve of his last international appointment, Mr Furner would have the Kiwis more firmly favoured than

Bonecrusher in a hack race. “If this was a normal mid-season game I would be very confident of winning. But 70 per cent of the players have been out of football for weeks,” said Mr Furner. “It is very hard after the Sydney grand final and the end-of-season

trips to get everyone back up to full pitch. Australia also gave away home ground advantage even though we were top qualifiers,” he said. Mr Furner was also eager to promote the Kiwis as “one of the best sides we have faced — they have no weaknesses.”

“Everything is in their favour. They are at home in front of 50,000 fans.” But Mr Furner conceded that Australia’s build-up hath been “really good” this week. “I am very thankful for the game in Wellington. It showed us how much work we had to do.

and we had a strong session this morning. We have improved 200 per cent.” But he stopped short of saying Australians would regard the Kiwis as world champions if they win at Eden Park. “I guess the winners can call themselves that. They will have the

title. “But this match is also a build-up to next year’s three-test series in New Zealand. If we win on Sunday the Kiwis have the chance to knock us over next season, or vice versa,” he said. One tends to strike at a tender spot when recalling Australia’s 1987

loss to the Kiwis and its third test defeat by Great Britain last July. “I don’t want to put those sides down, but we were not motivated. Full credit to them, but the Kiwi loss followed a tough State of Origin series and we had already wrapped up the Ashes against Britain,”

said Mr Furner. The Kiwi coach, Tony Gordon, had a ready answer. “The Australians like to regard themselves as world champions. They also like to have excuses ready in case they can’t live up to it — look at their cricketers in Pakistan,” he said.