B Team Maintains Unbeaten Record

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32099, 22 September 1969, Page 10

B Team Maintains Unbeaten Record

The Canterbury B Rugby tenm had little trouble In maintaining Its unbeaten record this season when It beat a weak West Coast-Builer combined team, 50-13, in the early game at Lancaster Park on Saturday. Canterbury set about its task with a will from the outset and the first half was played at a fast pace. Of its total of 11 tries, Canterbury scored only four during this spell. It was forced to play perhaps its best football of the game as the opposition still contested possession.

Spectators were given a taste of what was to come aS the local forwards quickly took control in the line-outs and rucks to give their backs ample opportunity to run. The Combined side, which had ben forced to make many changes from the team originally chosen, was* continually on the defensive. On the few occasions when the combined team did manage to attack, Canterbury did not relish the defensive role. The Canterbury forwards played splendidly throughout. At times in the second half they were yards ahead of their opponents in getting to the rucks. By breaching the defence with barging, short-passing runs from tap penalties, they regu-l

1 larly set up rucks for play that produced many tries. The most prominent tn the loose were C. F. Cochrane and L. D. Adam, while M. R. Perkins, D. Wynne and N. G. Cornelius produced a steady supply of ball from the line-outs. At half-back. M. T. Brown dictated the run of play most effectively with clever tactical kicking and lengthy passes to his outsides. L. Mehrtens and S. W. Bowater both scored tries and were always difficult to contain, although Bowater was inclined to attempt too much on occasions. The wings, R. King and F. A. Fowler, scored six tries between them. For West Coast-Buller, the captain and hooker. L. J. Trowbridge, had a good all round game. He was given good support by the loose forward, R. J. Hibbs. In the backs, M. J. McQuillan, at half-back, and B. N. Stewart, at first five-eighths, always tried nard, and A. D. Henderson, at full back, ran with purpose. For Canterbury B, King <4), Fowler (2), Bowater, Mehrtens, Perkins, Cochrane and Brown scored tries. N. Papps kicked two penalties and four conversions and Mehrtens also kicked a field goal. For West Cowst-Buller, A. R. Moseley (2) and Hibbs scored trie®, and Henderson kicked two conversion®. Referee: A. F. Gurnsey.