Fitting in no problem for Les

Wanganui's indoor bowlers have swarmed over most opposition this year ? and this Friday they fly to Auckland for the national teams final, the Welch Trophy. DAVID OGILVIE spoke to one of their lesser known members last week.
It's a tribute to the "one team" philosophy of Wanganui's highly successful indoor bowls team that Les Heywood feels entirely comfortable as a member of the team.
Why?
It's probably only something to joke about, but Heywood is the only one of the eight starting players going to next Saturday's national Lion Foundation Welch Trophy final in Auckland who is not a member of the Eastown Club.
Heywood plays for Carlton. Does he feel left out, a spare part? Does he feel he carries the weight of the rest of Wanganui on his shoulders?
"Maybe," he says to the last part of the question.
"But they're not hard to get on with. Indoor bowls is normally a pretty close-knit outfit. It's just like family ? everyone knows everyone."
And everyone gets on.
His team-mates from the Eastown Club are Craig and Gavin Scrivener, Kevin Coombe, Brendon Kenny, Brent Biggar, Cary Pinker and Lindsay Bourne.
Together they have gone right through the eliminations for the Welch Trophy, beaten top-rated Manawatu, knocked over last year's champion team Upper Hutt Valley and will now go against Waikato and Otago in the final next Saturday in Auckland.
Only Craig Scrivener has played a national Welch final, way back in 1999 when he was with Northland. But it doesn't phase regular lead Heywood, and neither should it after 18 years of experience.
"I'm sure I can. My wife (Karen) said if I can't play bowls now, I never will. "And winning has been a bonus ? you can't always win, but that's what you try for."
So how has the team worked that much better?
"Previously I think we've gone in as individuals. This year we've clicked as a group, and we're playing as a team ? and that's what's doing it.
"When we get into trouble we feel we can fight our way out of it, whereas in past years we seem to be down and out. We haven't had the spirit to get back into it.
"This year, no matter how much trouble we're in, we always seem to come back."
The diminutive Heywood tried a few sports before indoor bowls ? "I got into running (harriers), soccer, indoor basketball, I was right into my sport.
"In soccer I played Central League for Athletic on the wing ? I did pretty well there. I was quite fast on the wing.
"They called me Tiger."
So Tiger and his mates are going to Auckland looking to upset the favourites ? because Wanganui has never made this final before.
There's just one moment of doubt for Heywood, who has obviously seen the trailer for a certain movie doing the rounds which is bound to put people off flying:
"The only thing I'm scared of is flying ? I've never flown, so I'll be looking for snakes on the plane?.No, I haven't been to that movie yet.
"I've played a lot of sports, but have always travelled in buses or cars. So this will be a new experience."