RIGBY EARLIER DEFEAT AVENGED

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29899, 13 August 1962, Page 12

RIGBY EARLIER DEFEAT AVENGED

Canterbury’s 10-3 Win Over Wellington

(From Our Own Reporter)

WELLINGTON, August 12. The Canterbury Rugby team won the second match of its northern tour by beating Wellington, 10-3, at Athletic Park on Saturday, and there was little doubt justice was served by the result. Conditions were at their worst. Pools of water spotted the ground and a strong southerly 7 wind whipped between the two big stands, making judicious kicking a difficult and, at times, impossible task. The ball became so slippery that handling was an achievement in itself and consequently the game developed into a stem tussle between two very good packs.

The Canterbury eight was considerably lighter and in the conditions one would have supposed that the heavy and mobile Welling.on forwards would have won out But this was not so. Against the wind in the first spell Canterbury fought back splendidly, both backs and forwards contributing to some stirring foot rushes which often turned defence into attack. In this half the Canterbury eight showed the form -which ewept to such an impressive victory against Manawatu on the Wednesday. The loose men were on to the ball in a flash and marauding ominously at their side were the big locks, A. J. Stewart and R. Abel and the equally active if smaller front row. It was truly a fine team effort and Canterbury's lead art the interval by 5 points to 3 (a converted try to a penalty goal) was mainly through persistence in front The teams were:— Canterbury.— W. F. McCormick; W. Burtwistle, Q. T. Tapsell, P. G. Morrissey; R. C. Moreton, A F. Orme; B. A. Coulter; T. H. Moynihan; D. J. Graham. A. J. Stewart, R Abel. M. J. Murtagh; K. J. O'Shannessey, D. Young, C. R. Hockley. Wellington.—M. Williment; R. W. Caulton, L N. U.tley, T. R. Heeps; C. J. Stewart, T. N. Wolfe; B. A. Cull; J. H. Williams; W. D. Gillespie; I. N. Mac Ewan, D. B. Ross, J. Grbich; K. F. Gray, C. Currie, J. L. Kinvig. Close To Scoring For some 15 to 18 minutes in the second half Wellington took a leaf out of Canterbury's book and attacked through its forwards. Their efforts —and the excellent kicking of the half-back. Cull, and the full-back. Willimenrt —kept the visitors penned in their own half. Once Wellington looked close to scoring after blind-side movements, but a clearing snap kick, which would normally have gone about 10 feet, travelled 30 yards down the sideline and with it went Wellington's hopes. With the exception of a fairly easy penalty kick art goal some minutes later for obstruction by Canterbury. Wellington was rarely in the game again. Canterbury laid siege to its opponent's goalline for the last 15 minutes end the efforts were rewarded with a fine try under the posts by Moreton which McCormick converted. It Williment had kicked his penalty goal for Wellington the game might have taken a different turn, but it was perhaps just that his kick went outside the posts. The penalty against Canterbury was for Morrissey covering McCormick who had the ball, but the incident was so patently accidental that the spectators voiced their disapproval at the decision. Indeed McCormick, in his efforts to clear the ball, thrust Morrissey aside, but the penalty was still applied.

Williment could have won •he game with his kicking, but fortunately for Canterbury his direction was off all day. He had tive shots at goal, four from reasonable distances, but the gods of Rugby frowned on his efforts and the ball was taken to the left and right of the uorights Kinvig, the prop, who attempted a goal from a mark and a penalty, was no better and so the game was won as it should have been, by tries Altogether Canterbury was penalised 13 times to Welling, ton’s six. Tactical Error Wellington undoubtedly made a tactical error in playing Wolfe at first five-eighths in the atrocious conditions and an attempt to rectify this by moving Stewart in one position in the second half failed to produce much improvement because Stewart, like everyone else, could not kick effectively against the ■wind Wellington, toe. attempted to pass when there was little to be gained: the defence was fiat and like a rock and the many dropped passes played into the hands of Graham. Moynihan and company. The Canterbury backs moved the ball along the line only in the Wellington twenty-five and the backs k>ked formidable twice in the las - quarter But a dropped pass and a forward pass spoiled both movements when the defence was in chaos. Moreton. at second fiveeighths. only tried to go on his own once and his effort ended in Canterbury’s second

Canterbu’y was well served behind the scrum by Coulter, whose solidity and sTength in defence were aoparent for the 80 minutes. He kicked well and strongly and threw good passes to Orme at first five-eighths. Orme has never been in better form

and was one of the best handlers on the field: his kicking, too, was shrewd and his defence fautless. He had no respect for reputations, lowering both Wolfe and Stewart with equal determination. The three-quarters, naturally, had little of the play, but the defenders who were not familiar with Birtwistle’s side-step, found the left wing quite a handful. Indeed, Birtwistle had the better of his marker. Heeps, twice stepping inside him. once for a try and again to start a movement which ended in Murtagh being hauled down a few yards from the posts. Better Into Wind Strangely, both full-backs played better into the wind. McCormick was the more impressive in the first half and Williment returned the compliment in the second half with a very sound display. McCormick's virtuosity was a deciding factor in the game. He came into first fiveeighths to draw the defence for Moreton's try. Each of the Canterbury pack played splendidly from Hockley and O'Shannessey in the front row to Moynihan at No. 8. Moynihan has played some excellent games for his province but he was at his best on Saturday. His cover-defence was superb, as the Wellington backs soon discovered and he charged about with such a momentum that two or three defenders were needed to arrest his progress. He. Graham and Murtagh made an impressive trio, much more mobile than their opposites. Young relished the experimental rules in the scrum, securing four valuable tight heads against the redoubtable Currie. Two of these were in the first 10 minutes when Wellington was on the Canterbury goalline; Coulter and McCormick lost no time in clearing upfield through their hooker's efforts. Stewart was towards the end of the line-outs, with Abel marking Mac Ewan. This tactic proved sound as Abel did much to keep MacEwan in check. allowing Stewart to do some excellent catching further back. The line-outs were sternly contested throughout and the referee wasted no time in blowing up the rucks. At the end Wellington had the advantage by 23 to 17. Mac Ewan. Gray, and Kinvig were impressive in the

Wellington pack and Grbich did some excellent tackling. It took Wellington 25 minutes to score. Williment had missed kicks at goal, bull when Graham was penalised] for not letting the ball go: Williment had an easy task from straight in front and on the twenty-five yard mark. But Canterbury returned to the attack, and when Cull, the Wellington half-back was slow in clearing a scrum Graham toed the ball through to the Wellington goal line. Stewart tried to c.ear for Wellington, but his kick was a poor one. going to Birtwistle standing near the sideline. Birtwistle coolly stepped inside Heeps and dived over for a splendid try. McCormick's kick into the wind was as meritorious an effort. Canterbury's second try came a few minutes before time. The side had been attacking for some time when Coulter made as if to pass to the blind side from a scrum. Orme moved to the blind side, but McCormick came charging through at first five-eighths and drawing the defence he sent Moreton, untouched, in for a try. Mcmick converted. Mr J. Logan was the referee.