Canterbury Mid-Field Backs Gain Control

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30857, 16 September 1965, Page 19

Canterbury Mid-Field Backs Gain Control

Overwhelming superiority in the mid-field backs gave Canterbury victory by 26-18 over Mid-Canterbury at Ashburton yesterday.

The Mid-Canterbury forwards shared possession from set play and were faster to the loose ball, but its backs could not match the speed of their opposites. Its tries were all scored by forwards.

A. G. Steel (3), B. A. Watt and D. A. Arnold scored tries for Canterbury, G. Waterreus converting four and kicking a field goal. M. J. Hanham (2) and N. A. Goodwin scored for Mid-Canter-bury, A. H. A. Smith converting all three and kicking a penalty goal.

Canterbury led 18-5 at halftime after playing with an easterly breeze in the first spell. The game was played on a very hard ground in warm conditions.

In spite of the almost perfect conditions for open Rugby, there were 85 line-outs. Canterbury won them, 33-32, with 20 indecisive, and won the scrums, 22-19, with one tight-head each. Penalties favoured Mid-Canterbury, 10-4. The number of stoppages could well have been larger but the referee, Mr C. Wilson, allowed the game to flow and the crowd saw some thrilling movements. Teams:

Canterbury.— G. Waterreus; A. G. Steel, D. A. Arnold. W. J. Thompson: R. C. Moreton, B. A. Watt: L. J. Davis; F. Eggleton: R. Wainohu, M. R. Dunne, ,1. F. Burns. N. G. Cornelius (captain); E. Veal, J. N. Creighton. A. E. Hopkinson. Mid-Canterbury.—A. H. A. Smith; P. J. Sheate, A. C. Goodwin, B. V. Sampson; W. J. Whelan, A. Farrell; R. J. King; M. J. Hanham; T. P. Bird, L. S. Smith, L. D. Neutze, A. F. Cornelius (captain), P. F. Prendergast. N. A. Goodwin, K. G. Doig. Steel's hat-trick of tries all

came from long movements, his first beginning when he picked up a loose ball on his own line and ran the length of the field. However, two of his tries were aided by the weak defence of Sheate and A. Smith. Moreton and Arnold both broke past their opposites, Whelan and A. Goodwin, on numerous occasions. Whelan and Goodwin are both 19 years old and were plainly unable to cope with the two All Blacks.

Canterbury initiated some fine moves in mid-field, and was unlucky not to score more often, but good cover defence and untidy ball from the forwards hindered the backs on many occasions.

Watt played well, running incisively and kicking accurately, but Farrell lost nothing in comparison and was sound under often sustained pressure. Davis Played Well At half-back. Davis was often under pressure from the breaking Mid-Canterbury forwards but played extremely well. He harried King around the scrums but King received better protection in the lineouts.

Waterreus had a good game at full-back and showed good length with his line-kicks. His dropped goal was from 55 yards.

A. Smith missed a few tackles but fielded the ball well and kicked four goals from six attempts. Canterbury won the game in the backs, but nearly lost it in the forwards. A halftime lead of 13 points had dwindled to three with 15 minutes remaining as the Mid-

Canterbury forwards swarmed over the field, winning a good supply of ball and chasing

Farrell’s kicks enthusiastically.

Heeled More Swiftly L. Smith, Neutze and Doig won the ball from the line-outs more cleanly than Dunne, Burns and Hopkinson, mainly because the other forwards supported them better. N. Goodwin achieved parity with Creighton in the scrums, but Creighton heeled the ball more swiftly. But it was in the loose that Mid-Canterbury shone. All three tries were scored from loose play near the Canterbury line and the rucks, which were pennitted to go on and on, were usually won by MidCanterbury. Although suffering a scalp wound in the first half, Doig proceeded to play great Rugby. He was almost always first to the loose ball, achieved a surprising ascendancy over Hopkinson at No. 2 in the line-out, and rucked vigorously. He was well supported by the whole pack. The Canterbury loose forwards did not shine as brightly as their opposites, although Wainohu played well, and the pack was not as prominent in broken play. Mid-Canterbury drew with Canterbury Colts, 17-17.