Sport

Kiwis at near full strength from off

As expected, New Zealand have left winger Jonah Lomu out of their shadow test side to play Welsh team Llanelli at Swansea on …

Thu Nov 06 1997 - 00:00

As expected, New Zealand have left winger Jonah Lomu out of their shadow test side to play Welsh team Llanelli at Swansea on Saturday in the opening match of their tour.

Lomu, who mauled England at the 1995 World Cup, has only recently returned to action after a serious kidney disease and All Black coach John Hart has been playing down his chances of playing a major part in the tour.

Jeff Wilson and Glen Osborne were named as the wingers for the game. Tana Umaga, the Wellington winger whose foot injury almost ruled him out of the tour, has not been given a run-out.

Many of the team are expected to play a part in New Zealand's test against Ireland on November 15th, with largely a second-string side expected to contest next week's midweek game against Wales A.

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Number eight Zinzan Brooke, however, has been put on the bench with Taine Randell taking the position at the back of the scrum. North Harbour trio, centre Frank Bunce, lock Ian Jones and Osborne and Auckland blindside flanker Andrew Blowers are all short of recent match practice and have been included.

A combination of injuries and erratic form at club level have plunged England into a state of near crisis as they begin the countdown to the most demanding autumn programme of tests they have ever faced.

The team for the match against Australia at Twickenham on Saturday week is expected to be named next Tuesday, but could be delayed as late as 24 hours before the kick off. It is touch and go whether the Wasps out-half Alex King's knee injury will allow him to turn out in the European Cup quarter-final against Brive on Sunday, let alone play for England if chosen.

If King withdraws, coach Clive Woodward would then face a tricky choice between the contrasting talents of Mike Catt and Paul Grayson, which could have a severe knock-on effect on other selections in the back division.

New Zealand: (v Llanelli) - C Cullen (Central Vikings); J Wilson (Otago), F Bunce (North Harbour), A Ieremia (Wellington), G Osborne (North Harbour); A Mehrtens (Canterbury), J Marshall (Canterbury); C Dowd (Auckland), S Fitzpatrick (Auckland, capt), O Brown (Auckland), I Jones (North Harbour), R Brooke (Auckland), J Kronfeld (Otago), A Blowers (Auckland), T Randell (Otago). Replacements: J Preston (Wellington), J Stanley (Auckland), Z Brooke (Auckland), M Cooksley (Waikato), A Oliver (Otago), M Allen (Central Vikings).