RUGBY WAS EVEN, HARD

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31120, 25 July 1966, Page 16

RUGBY WAS EVEN, HARD

Teams playing under the name of a Canterbury XV have rarely suffered a setback in recent seasons, and the 1966 side extended this record by beating a lively West Coast-Buller team at Lancaster Park on Saturday.

The visiting side was the same as that which played the British Isles at Westport last Wednesday.

The teams were remarkably even in performance, but Canterbury gained control of the ball more often than the combined side. In the first half Canterbury won a feast of possession, and scored all its points. The visiting side

had slightly the better of the second half, but did not win back enough ground in the forward play to gain victory. Both sides put on an enterprising front, but several factors scraped the polish from their performances. One was the tacky surface of the oval, a second was the number of handling lapses among the Canterbury players and a third was the slowness with which the combined team’s back-line moved into action. Inside Backs Harried Possession was often an embarrassment for Canterbury, for the visiting forwards tirelessly harried the opposing inside backs. O. H. Nahr, the veteran Buller flanker, was prominent in this phase of play. W. T. Tapsell, the Canterbury first five-eighths, did not play with certainty under this pressure and although J. R. Adams and W. J. Thompson showed thrust in mid-field, Canterbury made greater territorial gains through the efforts of its mobile forwards, led by H. Meech, R. Inwood, G. Cron and M. Sheehan, or the solo runs of the halfback, M. Brown. During the second half the combined team's backs worked up sufficient pace to stretch Canterbury’s defences to the limit. B. Stack, the Buller and South Island right wing, took advantage of the good work inside him and a weakness on the Canterbury left flank to make several telling runs, one of which yielded his side’s only try. Hlmble-Footed Game G. J. Waterreus played his usual nimble-footed game at full-back for Canterbury, while T. N. McAra, the West Coast fiveeighths, showed he is still a skilful player. R. M. Eastmond played a very efficient game at No. 8 for Canterbury and J. B. Shaw, the Buller prop, was second to none in the tight. For Canterbury, J. Kirkby scored a try and Waterreus kicked a penalty goal and a conversion. R. T. Dawe scored a try for the combined side and K. J. Dixon made the conversion. The teams were:—

Canterbury XV: G. J. Waterreus: D. J. Davison, W. J. Thompson, N. J. O’Brien: J. R. Adams (captain) W. T. Tapsell; M. Brown; R. M. Eastmond: J. Kirkby. D. Wynne, M. Perkins, R. Inwood; G. Cron, M. Sheehan, H. Meech.

West Coast-Buller: R. T. Daws; B. Stack, W. N. Forsyth, M. A. Gray; T. N. McAra, K. J. Beams; M. Geddes; T. Craddock (captain); O. H. Nahr. T. E. Rogers, B. E. Caldwell, M. S. Macßae: K. J. Dixon, B. Roche, J. B. Shaw. J. W. Olson replaced Roche smin after the start and R. Carlyon replaced Macßae smin from the end. Referee: Mr H. P. Kearney. Lower Grades Under 16.—Canterbury 6, West Coast 3. Under 15 —Old Boys 15, St. Andrew’s 13.