Two unexpected results in Rugby league club games

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33254, 18 June 1973, Page 16

Two unexpected results in Rugby league club games

Two of the favoured teams, Christchurch-Eastern Suburbs and Sydenham, were beaten, and Papanui and Linwood—two of the strongest contenders for championship honours—met forceful opposition when the seventh round of the Canterbury Rugby league premiership was held at the Show Grounds on Saturday.

It appeared that Eastern was safe from defeat when it led Addington, 13-4, at the interval, but the Magpies gained all 13 points that were scored after the resumption. In contrast, Sydenham trailed Kaiapoi for most of their fixture before losing by 18-9. Linwood dominated the final quarter against Hornby, ! using the wind judiciously to scamper away to a final margin of 25-6. An outstanding individual try by the Lin- i wood full-back, D. G. Wells, set his team on its victory course even though there was a suspicion that he stepped into touch near the end of his 65-yard run. However, it was Woolston’s brave attempt to upset Papainui that was the highlight of an afternoon’s football that suffered because of the absence of representative players. Woolston scored two tries to Papanui’s one (this being conceded when Woolston was a player short because of an injury) and did not relinquish the lead until eight minutes from full-time. The unexpected win by Addington has increased

interest in the likely semifinalists. Marist-Western Suburbs, which had the bye 'on Saturday, Papanui and Linwood are together at the head of the table, with two points to Sydenham and another two to Addington. P. D. Jones, the Linwood loose forward and captain, won the McWilliam’s Wines "Player of the Week” award, while his team-mate, C. R. Leney, accumulated 13 points to take his premiership total to 68, only two fewer than M. W. J. O’Donnell (Marist). In the curtain-raiser on the ■oval, T. Mene (Sydenham)— [in the second-row instead of his usual wing berth—touched down for the eleventh time in six matches. Results: Linwood 25, Hornby 6. Papanui 7, Woolston 6. Kaiapoi 18, Sydenham 9. Addington 17, Christ-church-Eastern Suburbs 13. Marist-Western Suburbs bye. PREMIERSHIP POINTS

ALL BUT VICTORY

Woolston emerged with tremendous credit from Its onepoint loss to Papanui. It scored two of the three tries in the fixture, bustled Papanui out of its stride and fell behind only eight minutes from the finish when M. H. F. Godinet succeeded with a simple scrum penalty. Because of the absence of quite a lew of its-leading players—on duty for Canterbury—Papanui would have been unfortunate to

have dropped two competition points. However, on the run of I play it had to concede most of the day’s honours to its rivai. After K. Williams had kicked an early goal for Papanui, Wool--,ston went to the lead when M. Cussack raced away for a spectacular wing’s try from a blindside scrum move. It was of note that the former Papanui and New Zealand half, Mr J. G. Clarke, had a few words of advice to give Woolston’s playlets at the interval—and the prop, J. Williams, responded with a second touch-down three minutes •later. There was some misfortune as far as Woolston was concerned Jwhen Papanui closed the gap to one point with half an hour remaining. A. W. Thompson forced Ids way past the tenacious Woolston defence, but one of the Woolston players was receiving medical attention at the time. Some apparent tactical errors tended to spoil Woolston’s chance of success. On two occasions its captain, B. V. Williams, chose to attempt goal kicks from penalties that wer e out of the range of G. Malzard. The first miskick led to Thompson’s touch-down, and the other also gave possession to Papanui. Williams had two difficult opportunities to kick Papanui ahead before Godinet was on •target. In other phases of play, Williams was Papanul’s best back. The most prominent Woolston backs were E. D. Williams, Cossack and B. Collins, and B. V. ,Williams, J. Williams and W. I Jeffs were prominent in the forjward exchanges. SECOND LOSS Apart from a brief period of | prosperity early in the first i half, when the full-back, A. 1 Peterson, joined In a back-line

move to open the scoring, Sydenham never impressed as a winning proposition against Kaiapoi in the curtain-raiser on the oval.

Kaiapoi had enjoyed a territorial advantage in the opening quarter, but most of its movements failed to produce any positive results because of mishandling and poor passing. On the few occasions that the ball was moved with confidence, the Kaiapoi three-quarters caused Sydenham’s ragged cover-defence the utmost concern.

The wings, 1. J. Doonan (twice) and D. R. Neylons, ran evasively and with pace to finish off Kaiapoi’s three scoring manoeuvres in the first spell, placing the country side 10 point* clear at the interval.

Only three minutes after the resumption, the diminutive Kaiapoi hooker. T. Tewara—substituting for the Canterbury representative, D. P. Brown—backed up thoughtfully to take a reverse

pass and send Kaiapoi even further ahead.

The numerous errors that had hindered Sydenham’s display also began to creep into the efforts of its opponent. The prolific scoring T. Mene, in the Sydenham second-row for this match, increased his impressive try-scoring tally, but it was not until Just before the finish that the wing, R. E. Andrews, was able to reduce Kalapoi’s margin of victory to nine points. W. Stanley, the Kaiapoi secondrow forward, had a fine allround game for his team and was the recipient of the “Jim Beam Award.” G. J. Eaton was also lively in the winning pack and Doonan, Neylons and J. Clarke ran strongly among the backs.

Few Sydenham players enhanced their reputations, and injuries to M. Stewart and J. McCue added further discomfort to the club’s supporters. Mene would certainly be more at home in his usual wing position. EASTERN'S COLLAPSE

Th* two clubs which had causad unexpected results in the sixth round, Addington and Christchurch-Eastern Suburbs, continued to display fluctuations of form when they clashed on the subsidiary field at the Show Grounds. Eastern, with the benefit of the wind, was in command for most of the first spell and provided the only three try-scoring movement in this period. Addington had relied on occasional attacks and the goal-kicking of G. Te Aho to give Eastern its only really worrying moments. There was a complete transition when the game resumed after the break. The powerful running of the Addington wing, T. Metua, breached the Eastern defence to narrow the deficiency to four points, and then Metua did well to reverse a pass to the supporting forward, J. L. Forster, to four points, and then metua point of its opponent.

Seven minutes from full-time, Forster’s partner in the Addington second-row. P. A. Hayward, capped a useful all-round contri-

button with the vital touch-down that cost Eastern another two premiership points that should never have been lost. L. Paskell and B. I. Dickinson attempted to inject some enthusiasm into the Eastern backline. and Paskell suceeded byscoring twice in the first half. But their intentions were hindered by a determined Addington tackling screen in the later stages. The most effective Addington players were Metua. Hayward, Forster and R. M. Kirk, while J. Magulnness and P. Rushton might be well satisfied with their toils in the Eastern pack. WIND ASSISTED

The superiority that Linwood enjoyed over the last half an hour of the main match on the oval — the only game to produce a clear-cut outcome—was In contrast to the evenness of the two sides up to this point.

Hornby had perhaps not made the best use of the wind in the first half, but it did manage to hold its own on a territorial basis. The only touch-down before the interval was the first of the two tries scored by the talented Linwood centre. M. Barker. soon after the start. This was complemented by two goals to each team and testified to the keenness of the defensive work. Hornby, unfortunately, lost the services of the wily R. A. Neiman with an injury after 20 minutes and It was forced to restyle is back formation. The trend of play took a decided turn in Linwood's direction when the full-back. D. G. Wells, fielded a tactical kick, evaded several Hornby defenders and ran more than 60 yards to be awarded a corner try. Many spectators in close attendance were of the opinion that Wells stepped on to the touchline as he avoided a desperate tackle by his opposite. R. Nicholle.

A tiiird peanlty to T. Williams helped Hornby back to 6-10, but in quick succession C. R. Leney —after fine work by W. A. Wilson from a scrum — Barker and R. Syme boosted Linwood’s total, with Leney kicking goals at regular intervals. . P. D. Jones, the Linwood tactician. Leney, Barker and Wilson were especially effective for the winning side; B. W. Langton had an active and pleasing comeback for Hornby, being assisted by R. W. Dalzell in testing Linwood.

16 THE PRESS, MONDAY, JUNE 18. 1973. Sil ar) Two u Rugbj nexpec T leagui t BL 1 Iwo of the favoured teams, Chnstch beaten, and Papanui and Linwood—two of v' honours—met forceful opposition when the league premiership was held at the Show It appeared that Eastinterest in the likely semiern was safe from defeat when it led Addington, finalists. Marist-Western Suburbs, which had the bye on Saturday, Papanui and 13-4, at the interval, but Linwood are together at the the Magpies gained all head of the table, with two 1.3 points that were points to Sydenham and scored after the resumpanother two to Addington. P. D. Jones, the Linwood Only S8.00 ’ tion. In contrast, Sydenham trailed Kaiapoi for loose forward and captain, won the McWilliam’s Wines most of their fixture be“Player of the Week” award, 'Christchurchfore losing by 18-9. Linwood dominated the while his team-mate, C. R. Leney, accumulated 13 points to take his premiership total Wellington. final quarter against Hornby, using the wind judiciously to 68, only two fewer than M. W. J. O’Donnell (Marist). to scamper awav to a final In the curtain-raiser on the margin of 25-6. An outstandoval, T. Mene (Sydenham)— ( r i h \ j\t ■ n.ifb r»> P.-Uu-i ' ing individual trv by the Linin the second-row instead of T r v ' . :■» lc.iv • wood full-back, D. G. Wells, his usual wing berth— ( liini, Ni ■Unit ti ’ ’•H<ni set his team on its victory touched down for the .. j i .i l . i C’\ vCct course even though there was eleventh time in six matches. Lues,I 1 \tcdlK>d.ivsi a suspicion that he stepped Results: 1’- 'u:i .< into touch near the end of Linwood 25, Hornby 6. • I’ •! 1 rr\ S 'tlifflt' l< ’ , ' his 65-yard run. However, it was Woolston’s Papanui 7, Woolston 6. \\ '-'Vi.-r 1 niov . . ni.se brave attempt to upset PapaKaiapoi 18, Sydenham 9. k - ( I U)! Slr.iil uh! nui that was the highlight of Addington 17, Christan afternoon’s football that church-Eastem Suburbs suffered because of the 13. ik.. C( ., '.k.<i U.|’> .<[ absence of representative plavers. Woolston scored two Marist-Western Suburbs all; X -A"!. isnrR.nl tries to Papanui’s one (this bye. 1 .V; Ik, mg (Hike being conceded when WoolPREMIERSHIP POINTS ston was a player short P W D L F A Pts Marist 6 5 0 1 172 77 10 Papanui 6 5 0 1 151 84 10 Linwood 8 5 0 1 122 62 10 Railways because of an injury) and did not relinquish the lead until eight minutes from full-time. The unexpected win by Addington 7 3 0 4 94 147 6 1 and Addington has increased Kaiapoi 7 2 1 4 79 118 5 Hornby 6 2 0 4 79 134 4 Eastern 6 1 1 4 94 122 3 i _ i .Jfes ... Woolston 6 0 0 6 71 126 0