Canterbury Trounces Coast In Wet

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31043, 26 April 1966, Page 20

Canterbury Trounces Coast In Wet

(From Our Own Reporter) GREYMOUTH. West Coast Rugby supporters were prepared to revise their long-held theories on wet weather football after watching the Canterbury team beat the home side by 41 points to nil in shockingly wet conditions at Rugby Park, Greymouth, yesterday.

The Canterbury players triumphed over a sodden field and almost continuous rain—as well as the tenacious coast players—to score seven tries. It was a rousing start to the 1966 representative season in New Zealand.

Canterbury’s victory was due to superb teamwork, every player performed his allotted task like a welldrilled guardsman. But there was one man who rose above his fellows, and the conditions—W. F. McCormick, the full-back. McCormick, stocky and pugnacious, gave a magnificent display. Everything he did was outstanding, and there was not even one trifling error to mar his effort The fact that he scored 20 points in the game was almost incidental to the brilliance of his general display. McCormick scored from a try, three penalty goals and four conversions. A. G. Steel (3), N. G. Cornelius, L H. Penrose and W. M. Birtwistle also scored tries and D. A. Arnold potted a goal. Early Lead The rain which threatened to spoil the match as a spectacle began during the night and continued unabated throughout the day. The hills around Greymouth were shrouded with misty drizzle and the well-grassed main playing field at Rugby Park held a considerable amount of surface water.

The Canterbury players had come straight from firm

grounds and blazing sunshine, but they took the sodden conditions in their stride. They burst through the bewildered ranks of the opposition to rattle up 18 points in the first quarter-hour. The West Coasters might have been expected to enjoy some advantage, in the- early stages at least, but it was not until the last 17 minutes of the first half that they managed to gain some measure of control over the rampaging visitors. Canterbury, scoreless during this period, led 21-0 at half-time and scored a further 20 points at fairly regular intervals in the second half. The Canterbury victory was based on the sound precept that more effective progress in the wet can be achieved with the ball at foot, rather than in the hand. Orthodox back movements were abandoned in favour of accurate cross-kicking to the wings or centre-kicking to the forwards. And Veal, the burly prop, showed that the forgotten art of dribbling is most effective on such a surface. Never Faltered Davis, the half-back, and Watt, the first five-eighths, were two players on whom much depended—and neither faltered. Davis controlled and dispatched the slippery ball with sureness and Watt handled superbly and ran and kicked with great judgment.

The other backs. McCormick excepted, had little to do. It will be a long time before Steel scores three tries so easily again. He was tested only once on defence, and produced a crunching head-on tackle. Cottrell covered well and backed up diligently, while Arnold and Birtwistle showed penetration on the rare occasions they saw the ball.

It was a case of everyone being overshadowed by the play of McCormick. He caught every ball that descended in his vicinity, he consistently found the line with powerful, spearing kicks, he kicked goals with the heavy ball from several difficult angles, and when

he surged forward to stop a Coast foot rush there was never any doubt about the outcome. When he ran with the ball the Coasters sent out distress signals. He scored one try and made another for Steel, with the assistance of Arnold. But his most remarkable effort came in the thirtieth minute of the first half. He ran 25 yards along the left-hand touchline, blasting four defenders out of his path as if he was Superman using a magic ray. The pity of it was only one of the New Zealand selectors (Mr v. L. George) was there to see McCormick. The others (Messrs F. R. Allen and D. L. Christian) were kept out of Greymouth by the weather. Chose the Tune Cornelius and his forwards had the West Coast packmen dancing to their tune in almost every part of the game. Whenever Coast won the ball its plucky half-back, Johnson, was placed under instant pressure by the Canterbury loose forwards. If he succeeded in clearing the ball to Beams, his first fiveeighths, Cottrell was up quickly to outflank him. Beams had no alternative but to kick and, invariably, the ball landed in McCormick’s arms. Canterbury won half as much ball again as the home side, with Millar the dominant figure In the lineouts.

Hopkinson. Veal and Burns played solidly, and Creighton, who hooked cleanly In a game of no tight heads, fed Davis well from the front of the line-out.

Wyllie and Cornelius wasted no time in reaching the breakdowns—and there were several —while Penrose proved himself to be among the fittest on the field. He covered much ground, and always applied himself well.

The West Coast side’s best moments were when the forwards took the ball through at foot. But there were not many of these bursts, and more manpower was needed tn most of them. Dixon was a vigorous forward at times, and R. Baty had some success in the lineouts. Johnson was the only back to improve his standing, but Gray and Conradson. the wines, showed their ability in their infrequent meetings with the ball.