CANTERBURY NEXT Auckland Retains Ranfurly Shield

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31140, 17 August 1966, Page 21

CANTERBURY NEXT Auckland Retains Ranfurly Shield

(From

I. J. D. HALL)

AUCKLAND. Even the redoubtable Meads brothers could not carry the day for King Country when it lost, 6-14, to Auckland in the first Ranfurly Shield challenge of the season yesterday.

Both brothers played outstanding games and were followed willingly and enthusiastically by the other six forwards. But determination and spirit were not enough for King Country.

The Auckland pack : rose nobly to the occasion and the brilliant Auckland back-line was the vital factor in Auckland’s win. Not that Auckland could be at all sanguine about its win in a bright and bubbly match, which was highly entertaining for the 12.000 spectators. If King Country had possessed a reasonably accurate goal-kicker, Auckland might have been in all sorts of trouble. For 15 minutes after half-time, when Auckland led, 8-3. King Country launched attack after attack. It never scared, but in that time four fairly easy penalty shots were missed. TWO TRIES Auckland scored only two tries to one. Patterson scored twice, and Laurie kicked a conversion and two penalties for Auckland. S. T. Meads scored for King Country and R. Paki kicked a penalty. The most pertinent factor

of the game, considering Canterbury’s challenge on Saturday, was the play of the Auckland pack- The withdrawal of the locks, D. G. Harker and M. Jakich, suggested that the Meads brothers would completely - control the lineouts.

This was not so. Nelson and Lindesay, Nathan and Cullimore, at the end of the lineout, more than matched the rugged King Country players and the final line-out count of 40 to King Country and 38 to Auckland testified to the soundness of the Auckland drill. The Auckland forwards were under pressure for much of the game, but after they had slugged it out for 70 minutes they came back better than King Country and in the last 10 minutes were far more sprightly in the loose. A brilliant try by Auckland in the first two minutes of the game probably unnerved King Country. From a scrum only five yards from its line, Auckland spun the ball.

It reached Rang! quickly. ; He wrenched himself out of a tackle and then sped to half- j way before passing to Patterson, who out-sprinted the des-1 perate King Country cover; defenders to score under the posts. A conversion by ■ Laurie made it 5-0. and there- j after King Country was always struggling. A penalty by Paki made 5 the score 5-3, but no matter how hard King Country tried it was obvious that Auckland had faster and smarter backs and it was the Auckland back-line which produced some of the best moments of the match. Herewini was in his usual accomplished form and his perfectly placed kick for Patterson to score his second try was a gem. Tataurangi and Rang! were thrustful mid-field backs: Patterson and McKay speedy wings: and Laurie a cool and assured full-back. In the Auckland pack, Nelson played a particularly good game. He matched S T. Meads in the line-outs and was forceful in the loose. Nathan and Fell were effective loose forwards and Webb. O’Shannessey and Thomas a very solid front‘row. There was some sympathy for King Country when the final whistle went. The Meads ■ brothers had played their I hearts out, and Paiaka never’ stopped trying. The backs, i with their limitations of speed 1 and experience, did try to I pass the ball, but could never! really pierce the Auckland defensive screen. It was pertinent that King Country’s only try came from a tap kick three yards from the line and S. T. Meads crashed through a wall of defenders to score. The teams were:— King Country.— G. Rumble: B Hall. S. Anderson. R. Paki; J.: Mcllroy, I. Ingham: B A. Cressy: R. Flintoff: M. Rush. C. E. Meads. S. T. Meads. G. Peake. H. Paiaka, W. R. Wordley, R. Parr. Auckland.—D. Laurie: D W McKay. R. E. Rangi. R. J. Patterson: T. W. Tataurangi, M. A. Herewini; D, L. Meek: L. W.l Fell: P. Lindesay, N. Cullimore. K. A. Nelson. W. J. Nathan: R. i G. Webb. K. J. O’Shannessey. I B. T. Thomas. The referee was Mr C. J. Wil-, son. of Mid Canterbury.