Rugby League: Injuries keep acid on Freeman

By CHRIS BARCLAY

Kiwis coach Gary Freeman will have to run an untried hooker against France in their one-off international in Perpignan tomorrow if Robbie Paul fails to recover from a leg injury.

He was to stand in for the departed Richard Swain.

Paul is the only experienced option to play dummy half after Monty Betham was yesterday ruled out after suffering concussion early in last weekend's third test against Great Britain.

Betham would have slotted into the position but he failed a post-concussion medical check and will only be a spectator when New Zealand wrap up their eight-match tour at Stade Aime Giral.

"I did the test but it wasn't good enough," said Betham, who took a heavy hit the first time he carried the ball up at Wigan.

"I remember being in the changing rooms at halftime and the last 10 minutes of the game, but that's it."

Betham's unavailability leaves Freeman sweating on the recovery of Paul, who needed 10 stitches to close a deep cut on his right knee after the sprigs of British wing Leon Pryce slashed the joint to the bone late in the drawn second test a fortnight ago.

Encouragingly, the Bradford skipper returned to training yesterday and was able to stretch out.

Freeman said he would give Paul until today before a decision was made.

He wanted to make sure Paul was 100 per cent.

Freeman would not reveal his contingency plan for converting a hooker should Paul not make it.

He has only 18 players to select from and admits some of them are limping toward the end of a long season.

"There's a few guys carrying niggling injuries but we can't do much about it," he said.

Two of the fresher members of the squad, Michael Smith and Jason Cayless, are poised to make their test debuts as reward for their unwavering dedication after missing out on the drawn series with Britain.

"They will have a run," Freeman said. "They haven't played a lot of footy but I take my hat off to them because they've stuck at it with the team and been involved with the boys at training."

Smith and Cayless made their Kiwi debuts off the bench in the tour opener against Hull on October 22, but have not featured since the third tour match against England A eight days later.

Sydney Roosters prop Cayless caught a virus on the eve of the Wales test on November 3, ruining his test chances, while Castleford's Smith missed out in a log-jam of high-quality second rowers.

Meanwhile, France continued their preparation at their Toulouse base, training twice yesterday.

Coach Gilles Dumas and his players pored over videos of the Kiwis-Great Britain series and took heart from the New Zealanders' inability to kick on from a 1-0 lead.

"After the first test I thought the Kiwis would win 3-0," Dumas said. "They play at a different level than us, but they are tired and maybe that is an advantage.

"Maybe their tour was too long. I think three weeks may have been better for them. I'm sure they want to go home, so that gives us some encouragement."

Dumas has made five changes from the side humbled by a 36-6 loss to Lebanon in their last outing on November 2.

Injury has ruled out several contenders, including former Aucklander Artie Shead.

Fullback Frederic Banquet is a significant withdrawal.

He helped to limit the damage inflicted by the Kiwis when the countries last met, at Ericsson Stadium in June last year.

The Kiwis won 36-0.

About 4000 tickets have been pre-sold, French officials hoping that figure will double.

- NZPA