Rugby: Another Australian on the way to Southland

By Chris Rattue

A third NPC rugby side has imported an Australian prop for this year's competition.

Southland have signed former New South Wales Super 12 prop Simon Kerr, hard on the heels of Counties-Manukau recruiting Ben Darwin from ACT, and Waikato bringing in another Brumbies frontrower Rod Moore.

Southland had already signed up ACT centre Craig Wells, and coach Bob Telfer said a lack of quality props around the country encouraged him to recruit a second Australian player.

Southland have released New Zealand A captain Norm Hewitt to Wellington. They wanted to bolster their front row, so went after Kerr who has had a recent stint with Coventry in England. The 28-year-old can play on both sides of the scrum.

"It is no secret that New Zealand does not have great strength in the prop department at the moment," said Telfer.

"Wells and Kerr both come from the North Sydney club who were in the New South Wales finals series last year, and I watched four tapes on both players before deciding that we wanted them."

Meanwhile, Counties-Manukau coach Mac McCallion has named his first squad of the season, which is expected to closely resemble the side which plays in the NPC.

The newcomers or previous fringe players include Darwin, fullback Frank Walker, threequarters Peter Epati, Brent Becroft and Steve Irwin, loose forwards Brad Sau, Jason Lett, Mark Todd and Maka Tatafa, and locks George Stowers who has just left Wesley College and Andrew Campbell, a former Southlander who has been playing in Japan and Ireland.

The major defections from last year are centres Tony Marsh and George Leaupepe, and locks Gavin Giles and Richard Fromont, who are playing overseas.

At this point in the season, Glen Marsh, Salesi Moimoi, Jonah Lomu, Jonah Qio and Api Naevo who are on various representative duties, John Akurangi who is injured, and loose forward Hare Makiri whose career is under threat from a neck injury which will require a major operation if he is to play again, are unavailable.

The Steelers first pre-season match is against Northland at Pukekohe Stadium on June 23 and they play King Country a week later. They will also play North Harbour under lights at Albany on July 7, but Harbour coach Wayne Shelford has yet to confirm his squad. Shelford will name 29 players for matches against Bay of Plenty in Whakatane and Poverty Bay/East Coast in Gisborne this month.

Shelford and assistant Allan Pollock have a host of newcomers under their eye, including former Wellington wing Karl Te Nana, prop Pip Griffin and hooker Russell King from Waikato, Canterbury B flanker Robbie Ford, Tongan lock Filiti Fakanogo and number eight Manako Tonga, plus wing Aisea Tuilevu.

New Northland coach Bryce Woodward has named former Auckland loose forward Matthew Webber and Central Vikings halfback Tim Kareko in the side to play Auckland in Whangarei on Tuesday.

Counties squad: Andrew Campbell, Yonadab Urkidi, Loki Crichton, Paul Tom, Martin Stanley, Brad Sau, Koula Tukino, Mark Todd, Ben Darwin, Peter Epati, Brent Becroft, Frank Walker, Jason Lett, Hayden Travis, Lee Lidgard, Jeremy Tomuli, Maka Tatafa, David Wood, Blair Feeney, Danny Lee, George Stowers, Andrew Roose, Jim Coe, Grant Henson, Steve Irwin.

Northland: Hayden Taylor, Jason Hita, Mark Subritzkey, Sam Davis, Robbie Johnson, Tony Monaghan, Sam Pinder; Justin Collins, Alan Tubbs, Glenn Taylor, Geoff Crawford, Matthew Webber, Nick White, Joe Ross, Tim Knight. Reserves: Jason Hammond, Wayne Rogers, Tim Henwood, Vula Maimuri, Tim Kareko, Jared Going, Clint Going, Jason Shoemark.