RUGBY LEAGUE Canterbury Unimpressive In Final Trial

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31031, 11 April 1966, Page 12

RUGBY LEAGUE Canterbury Unimpressive In Final Trial

[By Our Rugby League Reporter] Canterbury will participate in its first representative Rugby League match of the season next Sunday knowing that its team, particularly the forward pack, has little chance of holding West Coast and certainly no chance of winning.

This impression was gained during the final trial, in which Canterbury beat Marist, 35-12, at the Show Grounds on Saturday.

The Marist forwards, without M. H. Mohi for half the game, outplayed their opposites and only blemishes by the Marist back-line allowed Canterbury to return a respectable result. After the match the Canterbury selectors (Messrs R. K. Andrews, D. L. Blanchard and W. E. Butts) announced the following team to play West Coast at Greymouth next Sunday:— P. V. Smith (Marist); C. C. Preece (Sydenham), B. W. Langton (Hornby), P. M. White (Addington), G. J. Abercrombie (Linwood); R. Raistrick (Sydenham), G. H. Clarke (Papanui); L. White (Addington); J. B. Kennedy (Marist), R. Cotter (Addington); J. A. Flanagan (Linwood), W. P. Noonan (Linwood), W. E. Butterfield (Sydenham). The reserves are R. A. Neiman (Hornby) and G. J. Rosanowski (Linwood). The forward pack is not the only weak point in the Canterbury team. The goal-kicking will undoubtedly be entrusted to P. M. V. White, who kicked only two goals from eight attempts on Saturday. One of his failures was from straight in front.

Only J. L. White did not play in the final trial. Kennedy must be rather mystified by his progress this season. In the first round of club matches he was Marist’s reserve back; on Saturday he played in the second row in the trial and made the Canterbury team; one hour later he failed to gain selection for today’s Barr Cup match between Marist and Papanui. Kennedy, Raistrick and Cotter will make their firstclass debut against West Coast and the reserve forward, Rosanowski has also gained provincial selection for the first time.

Canterbury scored nine tries against Marist, all of of them by backs —P. M. V. White (three), Abercombie (two), Clarke, Langton, Preece and Raistrick. Rosanowski (from six attempts) and White each kicked two goals. Marist’s two tries were scored by C. C. Worters and W. Flavell. W. D. Beri and P. H. Nepia kicked goals. Defence Unsound Marist’s cover defence was not always sound and Raistrick, in particular, showed thrust. The young sitand-off half could well be the solution to Canterbury’s 1965 problem: inability to penetrate. Raistriek’s major test will come next Sunday, when he marks G. M. Kennedy. Smith was sound at fullback and made one very good

break: Abercrombie ran strongly for his two tries;, White backed up extremely well; and the two scrumhalves, Clarke and Neiman, made no mistakes. Little was seen of Langton, and R. O. Moffat wasted several opportunities.

The best of the wings was C. C. Worters, who ran strongly and defended well for Marist. B. Doibbs was again wasted and Nepia was too slow in clearing the ball to his wings. J. T. Wood was solid at scrum-talf, and W. D. Beri added penetration after half-time.

The major problems developed among the forwards. The scrums were shared at 17-17 and only in the last 10 minutes was any strong forward running and backing-up evident. Rosanowski was the best tr latest forward, and his omission was a surprise. His two goals were from wide angles, but he missed simpler ones.

The experiment of playing Kennedy in the forwards was fairly successful, for he was up to the standard of his team-mates. Butterfield and Flanagan did not impress. Their running was too tentative.

In the first half Mohi was magnificent. Continually moving forward, he harried the Canterbury players when not in possession and ran strongly with the ball. Although it was his first game, he simply

continued from where he had left off in the 1965 interisland match. Canterbury will need him before the end of the season. Another to show good form was W. Flavell. His try was a masterpiece. From a kickoff, D. Barton followed up to get possession and give Flavell the ball. The burly forward then bulldozed his way to the line, bouncing Smith off, shrugging away two defenders and romping over. R. J. A. McKenzie played aggressively and L. Mulcare led his pack well. The referee (Mr P. Yaxley) awarded Canterbury 11 penalties and Marist 18. Most of Canterbury’s infringements were for off-side in the play-the-ball. Auckland Juniors Too Good Three tries in the first half by K. Powell opened the way for the Auckland under-15 Rugby League team's 14-5 defeat of Canterbury at the Show Grounds on Saturday. Auckland was stronger in team-work and its defence was more solid than Canterbury’s. For Auckland Powell (three) and L. Ferregel scored tries. D. Butler kicked one goal. A try by W. Cooper and and a goal by B. Good comprised Canterbury’s points.