RUGBY FOOTBALL Canterbury Team Will Be Strong Opponents For West Coast Fifteen

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 September 1947, Page 9

RUGBY FOOTBALL Canterbury Team Will Be Strong Opponents For West Coast Fifteen

The West Coast representative fifteen, which will meet the Canterbury sub-unions’ touring team at Rugby Park, Greymouth, on Saturday will be faced with strong opposition, especially in the forwards, though a better line will be secured on the visitors’ strength from their match against' Buller today. Included in the touring team are M. Henderson (forward) and C. V. Rowlands (centre or wing), both Canterbury Union representatives, J. D. Stewart, a New Zealand Universities’ representative, and A. Richards, who is regarded as a first class fiveeighth.

A number of changes have been made in the West Coast team, as compared with the side which was beaten by Buller in the Seddon Shield match, and there will be interest in the performances of the newcomers. The new’ representatives are A. Kitchen and H. Tainui in the backs, and P. Eastgate, K. Fisher (formerly an emergency), and G. O’Dell in the forwards, while W. Amberger, who has been on the injured list, will also be in the backs. This will probably be the final re- j presentative match at Greymouth this ■ season, though the West Coast team; will play Canterbury at Christchurch on September 27. j Promising Five-Eighths: J The new’ West Coast first fit e-; eighth, A. Kitchen, is the fourth m this position in the team this season, the others being J. B. Muir, R. Olsen and N. Hopkins. On Saturday # at' Hokitika Kitchen gave a promising display. He is not the finished foot-; bailer yet and his handling does not so far impress as thoroughly relia-

ble, but he runs straight and at top speed in coming up on attack, and has a deceptive swerve which made one fine try for his side last week. In Saturday’s game he gave those outside him plenty of room and his defence, except in one instance, was ( solid. Kitchen looks a good pros-j pect and his display on Saturday will; be watched with interest. I Another New One The lock forward chosen to take the place filled in the earlier representative matches by W. Butler, who has left the dstrict, is G. O’Dell, of Hokitika. He has some size and; speed in his favour and is a former, Westland representative wing three-, quarter. On Saturday he was always prominent and handled well. He appeared to be somewhat at sea in lineout play at times, but was always looking for work and experience in the bigger football will develop his latent possibilities.