THE SCOTSMAN REPORTS

DAVID FERGUSON
IN AUCKLAND

NEW Zealand's forwards coach, Steve Hansen, has ruled out midweek matches against Scotland's professional teams in the forthcoming November tour.

The Scottish Rugby Union has been keen to explore the possibility of resurrecting midweek matches against touring sides, but despite Hansen stating last week that he felt it was important the Lions properly toured the countries they visited and played games against smaller New Zealand provinces, he does not agree with that happening when the All Blacks go to the UK.

The former Wales coach insisted that touring itself was a potential cause of player burn-out and that he would prefer it if players to remain at home in what is their summer to enjoy a full three months of rest and recovery before the Super 12 season begins.

Yet, he is confident the All Blacks can take their current form into their 'Grand Slam' tour where they will play Wales, Ireland, England and Scotland at the end of the year. There are currently no midweek matches scheduled on the All Blacks' four-Test tour, which kicks off in Cardiff on 5 November. Asked if he would like to see them play against teams like Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Borders, he replied: "We have enough with four Test matches.

"By adding in midweek games we would have to look at more players, but then all we're doing really is taking a group of players who should probably be getting themselves in the gym and resting. The games will be tough, but we don't want to take the number of players the Lions have brought here to cope with more games.

"It was a huge battle in Wales last year and everyone criticised the All Blacks for only winning by a point. On reflection now, Wales deserved a lot of credit for that performance. It's obvious out here that the Welsh boys in this Lions team have been the leaders, both on and off the field. They've always got a smile on their faces; they're the life of the party. The Lions have needed that, otherwise there would have been a lot of sad faces."

Meanwhile, former Scotland captain John Leslie has agreed to coach a team of young Otago players at next year's Melrose Sevens tournament.

Leslie currently coaches the under-21 team at Otago University along with former All Blacks flanker Josh Kronfeld.

Bill Thompson, the club captain of Otago University RFC, is a former Kelso player. He has revealed that his club has received an invitation to take part in the Melrose Sevens and that he and Leslie would return to an area they both know well. Leslie's first son, Jack, was born at the Borders General Hospital).

"I played at the Greenyards for Kelso once and it will be nice returning with some of our talented Otago boys," said Thompson, who played at prop for Kelso in the mid 1960s. "John has said he would be delighted to take the team but Josh is unavailable at that time because he's back studying here again for a physiotherapy degree."

In attracting Otago to their sevens, the Melrose club are tapping into a rich vein of history. The province, which celebrates its 125th anniversary next year, supplied the very first All Blacks captain, Tom Ellison, who was also the man who put the famous silver fern on the black jersey.

This article was posted on 5-Jul-2005, 08:05 by Hugh Barrow.