Mid-Canty grateful for challenge

Press, 30 August 1989, Page 72

Mid-Canty grateful for challenge

BOB SCHUMACHER

Grant Perry jocularly speculated yesterday whether his Mid-Canter-bury rugby team had to defend the Ranfurly Shield against Poverty Bay on Saturday after it had relieved Auckland of the venerable log o’ wood at the Ashburton Show Grounds this afternoon.

"We’ve got no more tours this season, all games are at home now. I don’t know whether we’ve got to put it up first time against Poverty Bay on Saturday.” But Mr Perry, coaching Mid-Canterbury along with lan McLenaghan for the first year, was serious when he expressed his gratitude for being given a chance at the shield.

“We’ve got to thank Auckland for putting it up, especially on a South Island tour between matches against Otago and Canterbury. If any second division team is going to have a chance it’s on days like tomorrow.

"However, they’re a class side and full credit to them for letting us have an opportunity. Even these days we couldn’t afford to go to Eden Park.”

Mr Perry, a rip, roar and bust player over many years for Mid-Can-terbury and good enough hooker to be called into the All Black team in 1980, led his union against Canterbury for the shield in 1983.

Apart from his own

knowledge of shield fever, he has canvassed other rugby identities and the consensus is that the approach must be positive. “We’re going out there with a positive attitude and hope to take the game to them like Otago did last Saturday. I’ve had a yarn to a few people who have played in shield games and who have held it and they’ve said there is only one way to go — the challenger has got to challenge for the damn thing. So we’re going out there to get a good start hopefully and get into them.”

Mr Perry said that he had noticed a general improvement. “But unless all our guys play the games of their lives tomorrow we’re not going to be in the hunt and I think they all know that.

“Heaps of people have been ringing up wanting to know the score, but we’ve got a chance tomorrow and nobody knows what the score will be until the match is over”

Although Mid-Canter-bury has an important national second division championship match against Poverty Bay on Saturday — a game which could decide Mid-Canter-bury’s fate in the division — Mr Perry said that he believed in concentrating on one match at a time. “And at the moment that is the shield game.” Four Mid-Canterbury players, the brothers Frew, Geoff and Warren, both veterans of more than 100 matches for the

green-and-golds, and the inside backs, Murray Young and Murray McLeod, will play in their third shield match. They opposed Canterbury in 1983 and 1985. While the minds and bodies might be willing, Mid-Canterbury, realistically, has no chance of denying Auckland a twenty-ninth successful shield defence. Auckland has rested several regular players in Terry Wright, Brett Iti and Joe Stanley, but the province has excellent cover for all positions. It is likely to have too much height and weight, too much pace and penetration for Mid-Canterbury, which has beaten only North Otago in seven representative fixtures this season. The teams are:—

Auckland: Matthew Ridge; John Kirwan, Craig Innes, Va’aiga Tuigamala; Bernie McCahill, Grant Fox; Ant Strachan; Zinzan Brooke; Mark Carter, Robin Brooke, Gary Whetton (captain), Alan Whetton; Peter Fatialofa, Sean Fitzpatrick, Steve McDowell.

Reserves.— Backs: Brett Iti, John Carter, Terry Wright. Forwards: 010 Brown, Marty Brooke, Bruce Morton. Mid-Canterbury: Geoff Frew; Andrew Lowe, Rikki Rolleston, Graham McPhail; Murray Young, Murray McLeod; Brian McCormack; Glen Moore; Warren Frew, Graham McGurk, Mark O’Grady, John Smitheram; John Harrison, Lee McDonald (captain), Dave McCrea.

Reserves.— Backs: Grant Lloyd, Dion Puckett, Richard Ashworth. Forwards: John Cook, Linton Muir, Don Rennie.