Timu in familiar company

Press, 21 October 1989, Page 96

Timu in familiar company

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

The latest addition to the All Black ranks, John Timu, of Otago, will not want for friendly faces when he links up with the New Zealand rugby team in Wales. Timu, the replacement for the injured Auckland right wing, John Kirwan, has developed from the same national age-group pool which has spawned the present All Black backs, Craig Innes, Va’aiga Tuigamala and Walter Little.

Another contemporary back, Jasin Goldsmith, made his All Black debut last year and would almost certainly have been in the touring party had it not been for a broken leg incurred earlier in the season. -

A product of Lindisfarne College and Hawke’s Bay, Timu, along with Goldsmith, Innes and

Little, was in the North Island under 16 team which beat its South Island counterpart, 28-6, in 1985. Timu, however, was the only player from that quartet to represent the New Zealand under 17 which lost to Australia that year. The next year, the North Island under 18 three-quarter line comprised Timu, Innes and Tuigamala, Timu and Innes both being named in the New Zealand under 17 team which toured Australia. Little was in that team as well and all three were selected in the New Zealand under 18 team.

Two season ago, Timu and Little were in the North Island under 18 team and they were joined by Tuigamala and Innes for the under 19 international against Wales under 19. Tuigamala (two), Innes and Timu scored tries in New Zealand’s 54-9 victory,, with

Little contributing 18 points through goal-kicking. Timu, Tuigamala and Innes were New Zealand Colts teammates last year, Timu and Innes being named in the “Rugby Almanac’s” five most promising players of the 1988 year. Timu, aged 20, is no stranger to travel, the tour of Wales and Ireland will be his eighth. His globe-trotting started with the visit to the United States and Canada with -Lindisfarne, College and his last bout of wanderlust took him to Argentina with Otago this year. In 1988 he toured France, Italy

and Spain and Argentina with the z .New Zealand Maoris. Timu, who is expected to arrive in Wales next Wednesday, is the thirty-seventh All Black from the Otago University club.