Lion determined to improve

Press, 25 June 1983, Page 60

Lion determined to improve

NZPA staff correspondent Whangarei The touring Lions team must shrug off a holiday mentality when it meets North Auckland at Okara Park today. The coach, Jim Teller, believes the test series — at present led 2-0 by the All Blacks — is not yet lost. The Lions can no longer win the series, but with hard work and sustained dedication it can be saved. The hard work must begin now, he says. No match, provincial or international, during the remaining three weeks of the tour can be expected to be easily won. “We do not underestimate North Auckland simply because we cannot afford to. From now on this tour is going to be hard. We face North Auckland today and then Canterbury, on Tuesday, before the third test, then Hawkes Bay, Waikato, and Counties, before the last one. None of those matches is going to be easy and so we have to get into the right mentality for the task right away.” Mr Telfer detected that attitude in his side during their final training session yesterday. “We had a bit of a flat session on Thursday, although it was probably affected by the incident involving lan Stephens (who was injured). I know that left me down and I think it had an effect on the rest of the players,” he said. That effect had now subsided, Mr Telfer said, and in its place a determination to make the remainder of the tour a success. Today’s match, although it is certain to be demanding, serves a special, even a crucial purpose. It is the match in which the programme of recovery must begin. It is also the Lions’ final chance on tour to experiment with large

selectorial mutations. Three players in today’s team will be'playing outside their specialist positions, while others have a clear opportunity to unseat test incumbents. The success of those players today may well dictate the composition of the team which faces New Zealand in the third test next Saturday. The players are the Scottish flyhalf, John Rutherford, at second-five eight, the Welsh centre, Robert Ackerman, on the left wing, and the flanker, Jeff Squire, at No. 8. Each selection has a specific purpose and a certain relevance to the naming of the team for the coming international. Rutherford has revealed more attacking potential in his appearances at first-five eight than any regular member of the Lions’ midfield. When it was realised that he would be unable to unseat the great Irishman Ollie Campbell in his hunt for the test flyhalf berth, the obvious answer emerged to use his attacking ability wider out. Squire’s form on tour has been of a consistently high standard and, with the Scottish No. 8, lain Paxton injured, he might find a place at the back of the scrum. Ackerman’s return to the wing position where he first won selection for Wales, might be only technical, but certainly Gwyn Evans’ inclusion at fullback is one of selectorial importance. Evans might well be heavily occupied today, defending his side’s line against the assaults of a North Auckland team burgeoning with talent. There are four former-All Blacks among their number, the fullback, Geoff Valli, the winger Fred Woodman, the flyhalf lan Dunn, and the captain, Peter Sloane, who

will be making his tenth appearance for North Auckland against an international side. Woodman, Valli, and Dunn, are members of a backline which includes the New Zealand Maori representatives, David Haynes and Kawhena Woodman. In six matches against Lions sides, North Auckland have been unable to manage a victory, but have come close to upsetting touring sides. In 1950, in a match fabled in these parts, it lost by only 8 points to 6 after matching the tourists in almost every phase of play. In its last three meetings, in 1966, 1971 and 1977 it lost by margins of three points, six points and 11 points respectively. Sloane, for one, believes his players will be fired up again today and will be capable of frightening the tourists. He belives the key to the match will be possession. The teams are:— British Isles: Gwyn Evans, Trevor Ringland, Mike Kiernan, John Rutherford, Robert Ackerman, Ollie Campbell, Nigel Melville, Jeff Squire, Jim Calder, Steve Boyle, Steve Bainbridge, Nick Jeavons, Staff Jones, Ciaran Fitzgerald (captain), Graham Price. Reserves: Backs, Dusty Hare, Clive Woodward, Roy Laidlaw. Forwards, Colin Deans, John Beattie, one to be named. North Auckland: Geoff Valli, Fred Woodman, David Haynes, Charles Going, Kawhena Woodman, lan Dunn, Chris Hull, Neil Ruddell, Bryce Flavell, John Reid, Alastair Robinson, lan Phillips, Les Watene, Peter Sloane (captain), Tappy Perkinson. Reserves: Backs, Mike Gunson, Murray Southee, Alan Goodhue. Forwards, Don Stevenson, Mike Smith, Evan Wright.