Christchurch Fails To Impress

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32323, 15 June 1970, Page 14

Christchurch Fails To Impress

CHRISTCHURCH 18: B Pyatt, D Arnold, R. Knight, tries; Arnold, a penalty and three conversions.

ALBION 0. The Christchurch club held its annual field day on Saturday but few of its supporters would have been impressed with the performance of its senior team in beating the lowly-rated Albion side, 18-0. at North Hagley Park. Although scoring three tries to none. Christchurch was never able to attain the superiority that might have been expected of the jointleader of the competition, and hence must face its next three games—against Linwood. University A and Lincoln College—without great confidence. The game was not a fine spectacle, for it began with a rash of dropped passes by the inside backs of both teams and never rose to great heights thereafter.

The Christchurch forwards gradually attained a degree of superiority in line-outs and scrums but the advantage of a large amount of good ball received by the backs was almost totally nullified by the close marking and tenacious tackling of their opposites. Il was from the loose, muddling play after breakdowns that the result of the gam,e was decided, for Albion seemed capable of coping with any situation from set play. Whereas Christchurch was able to turn its few chances into points, Albion was not, although it was very unlucky on a num ber of occasions.

For its part, Albion was beset with troubles because of injuries and three of its players had to leave the field. It lost its hooker, M. Foster with a chest injury, early in the piece, and was forced to choose line-outs instead of scrums wherever possible after infringements, in order to attain what possession it could. B. Francis, the Town hooker this season, won many tightheads from this point in the first half, but Albion was able to achieve near parity in the

scrums later in the game. Albion was content to forage what possession it could with good rucking and some fine bustling, hand-to-hand forward rushes. The lock. M. Eagle, and back-row, S. Geddes, were most prominent in two delightful 70-yard movements up the middle of the field which all but produced tries in the first half.

In the line-outs, M. Miller, Pyatt and H. Cottrell gave Christchurch a flying start with many clean deliveries to the halfback, R. Penny. Albion’s tap-back method was untidy in comparison. although Eagle strived valiantly to match his opponents.

While the majority of the Christchurch backs did not have a happy day, often seeming to baffle themselves with the complicated moves employed, the captain, D. Arnold, had a fine game at full-back.

Arnold’s positional play was faultless and his line and penalty kicking sound, if not of great length, while his exhortations for a greater effort by the team helped it through several dangerous periods. He did not lose the element! of surprise by entering the bad-line too often, and his try. frbm one such entry, was a beautiful piece of timing. Of the other Christchurch backs, P. Cole was a hefty, hardrunning right-wing who always stretched the Albion defence to the limit. The first five-eighths M. McEwan, normally a midfield back, attempted to beat his opposite far too often, with little success, and kicked somewhat ineffectually, to the dctri- 1 ment of those outside him.

For Albion, the replacement left-wing, P. Currie, normally a loose forward, had a good introduction to the new position. He kept Cole in check most effectively, while running and centre-kicking with fine judgment. His brother, R. Currie, had a quiet game at second fiveeighths and was closely watched by his opposite, B. Cochrane, on the occasions he chose to run.

Referee: Mr H. H. Gray