MARLBOROUGH’S FINEST HOUR Former All Black coach man behind shock win

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33290, 30 July 1973, Page 24

MARLBOROUGH’S FINEST HOUR Former All Black coach man behind shock win

(By

J. K. BROOKS)

Mr F. R. Allen, a former All Black coach, must now be regarded as the guru of New Zealand Rugby. Two days of his famous “needle” sessions with the Marlborough team in Blenheim last week-end gave the players so much faith in themselves that they were able to whisk the Ranfurly Shield out of Canterbury’s uncertain grasp in a colossal upset at Lancaster Park on Saturday.

The coaches and players of the challenging team paid spontaneous tributes to Mr Allen for the inspiration which enabled a team from a minor union with only eight senior club sides to topple mightv Canterbury bv the convincing score of 13-6.

“Fred Allen was with us for only two days, but , his value to our team could not be described in words,” said the Marlborough captain, K. S. Sutherland, after receiving the prized log o’ wood from his rival leader, A. J. Wyllie. The colourfully-clad, j exuberant Marlborough supiporters danced and yelled for J joy from the time B. R. Ford the challenger’s left wing, scored a sensational try to clinch victory three minutes ifrom the end until well after ■ the final whistle had sounded. Shattered hopes But for the many Canterbury supporters in a crowd of about 15,000, the result must have had as shattering an effect as the outcome of the Canterbury-Wairarapa game for the shield on the ■same ground in 1950. I On that occasion. Canterbury lost the shield by a dropped goal to nil; and on Saturday it was a dropped goal by the former Lincoln College player, A. M. Goddard. which gave Marlborough a firm grasp on the shield with seven minutes remaining. The challenger won the ball from a syd scrum, formed after J. K. Phillips had, in desperation, kicked the ball ■ dead from the field of play. Goddard was still dazed from a collision with Wyllie during the movement, but he sent the ball on a true path between the posts. 60-yard run Four minutes later, Ford, wrestling his way out of a maul, found the ball in his ■ hands, and ran 60 yards to'

score a try which put the issue beyond doubt. T. W. Mitchell, his marker, was trapped in the maul, Phillips was unable to catch the former track champion, and W. F. McCormick’s encompassing arms were prised apart by Ford’s lengthening stride. Canterbury was caught completely by surprise. The game was won and lost on the strength of Marlborough’s defence and Canterbury’s propensity for making errors. The holder won a welter of rucked ball and, in the second quarter, hammered at Marlborough’s line with a persistency which seemed certain to provide a matchwinning margin.

But this mountain of possession produced only a molehill as far as scoring was concerned. D. A. Hales, one of the successes in a beaten team, scored one try — but he should have had two, perhaps three more. Costly misses The normally reliable I. A. Hurst twice presented him with impossible passes with the line clear, and on another i occasion McCormick sent the Iball into orbit above Hales’s head.

These were costly lapses, and Canterbuy, held to 6-all at half-time after playing v ith a stiff breeze, found similar assaults difficult to mount as the game wore on. Marlborough played to a simple yet effective plan. “It was our intention to keep it tight,” said one of the team’s coaches, Mr D. J. Saul. “We knew that if we could handle the task up front we had a show of winning. “We took that grilling in the second quarter and held them off, apart from the one try. This was the period when our prospects began to look up.” Marlborough’s hardy forwards, l n d by R. S. and A. R. Sutherland and J. W. Joseph, prog.essively blunted the efforts of the Canterbury pack. In the second half it was noticeable that the Canterbury forwards were reaching the rucks slower, !and with less zeal. I The ball was never passed beyond K. R. Hodges, at second five-eighths, and the Marlborough inside backs i peppered Canterbury with 'kicks, many of which were ; reduced in value by the fine positional play of McConpick and the skilful fielding of Mitchell and Hales.

Hurst contained

Marlborough’s defence was extremely good. Hurst, who has surged past many an international defender, met his match in S. W, P. Marfell, a splendid .tackler. Ford was a grand retriever and A, R. Sutherland covered ably. Canterbury tried too many fancy moves and the failure of these seemed to strike a chord of despondency among the backs. They have seen far better days.

Canterbury had a big advantage in the scrums. W. K. Bush, the tight head prop, consistently twisted and lifted B. Huntley in the first half, to set the Marlborough pack back-pedalling. Under pressure

This had a chain reaction. R, J. May, the Marlborough half-back, received the ball under difficulties and Goddard, who did not retreat with the forwards, often found himself with very little air space for a hurried clearing kick. It was significant that Canterbury failed to make capital of this advantage.

The home side’s forwards won the rucks with regularity, but Marlborough’s fringing play limited the subsequent development of some moves from this source. L. J. Davis, the Canterbury halfback, was at his nimble best, which was just as well for the holder.

There were problems for (Canterbury in the line-outs, and even the switching of H. H. Macdonald to No. 7 to mark A. R. Sutherland did not have the desired effect. Wyllie foiled The speed and alertness of D. W. Neal added further to ! Canterbury’s worries, and B. P. Dwyer earned his spurs by turning Wyllie on his side when it seemed certain that ithe Canterbury captain i would score from the back of a scrum. Canterbury lacked nothing on the score of application, but the vital spark was missing. In spite of the able dispatching of possession by Davis and O. D. Bruce, the back-line moved woodenly and the timing of the pass 'was faulty. . i

The referee (Mr B. Dawson, of Invercargill) was severe on breaches of the rule governing playing the ball on the ground after a tackle. The unfortunate Hurst found himself in trouble here, too. Scuttled itself Some of the side’s best attacks were launched by McCormick and Hales, when Marlborough had kicked the ball deep. But the challenger was rarely outflanked. And on the one occasion when Canterbury had five men to Marlborough’s two, the holder obligingly scuttled itself.

Phillips gave the Marlborough backs his earnest attention, and Macdonald, Bush and S. E. G. Cron were key men in the winning of the rucks. Yet these efforts,

like many others, were not translated into points. “We had our opportunities in the second quarter, when we were winning rucks, driving well and scrummaging well,” said the Canterbury forwards’ coach (Dr J. D. Stewart). “We should have had 12 to 15 points from these endeavours, but we failed to score the tries.” For Marlborough: Ford a try, Goddard a dropped goal, G. K. Cocks two penalty goals. For Canterbury: Hales a try; McCormick a conversion.