Canterbury league side struggles to beat Coast

Press, Issue 33840, 12 May 1975, Page 26

Canterbury league side struggles to beat Coast

(From

JOHN COFFEY)

GREYMOUTH.

What appeared headed for a comfortable victory gradually turned into a tense struggle for survival before the Canterbury Rugby league team beat West Coast, 14-11, at Wingham Park, Greymouth, yesterday.

Canterbury skipped seven points clear in the first nine minutes and was cruising comfortably when leading 14-4 at half-time.

But Canterbury had an extremely rocky passage with the wind behind it after the resumption, and only some hectic tackling prevented West Coast from at least drawing level just before the finish.

The match was one of contrasts for Canterbury'. With Dale Brown hooking possession from nine of the first 11 scrums, the forwards and backs were given plenty of chances to run on to the ball and occasionally through a West Coast defence that was lax in its team-work. Francis Lawrence was sent away for a try when his fellow-centre, Bruce Dickison, made one of the few clean breaks in the threequarters, and Rex Dalzell,

Mark Broadhurst, and Stewart Hogg were moving in unison up the centre of the field. It seemed that all the pieces were falling into place — until the West Coast pack knocked over the jigsaw.

Even without its three (Kiwis — John Hibbs, Tony Coll, and Raymond Baxendale — West Coast eventually took control around the play-the-balls. The West Coast forwards could hardly be rated with some of the great packs produced by the province in past seasons, but individually and together they responded enthusiastically to the urgings of the large crowd. And at the head of them were the rugged props, Lester Mahuika and Bill Hargreaves — known to their supporters as “Charcoal” and “Billy the Pom” — who invariably took the pass from the dummy-half, drew two or three of their opponents to them, and delivered safelv to the looseforwards, Revin Franklin, John Pattinson, and Bill Balderstone, to carry the momentum upfield. COAST’S TRY One such manoeuvre between Hargreaves and Balderstone provided West Coast with its only try 13 minutes into the second half. Bj’ now Canterbury’s source of possession had all but dried up — Alan Gard-

ner had a final advantage of 23-19 over Brown, and was beaten in only six of the 18 scrums after the interval — and West Coast consistently made ground past. some sloppy tackling. Had it not been for the covering of the Canterbury full-back, Jack Clarke, who dived full length to bring down the West Coast wing, Brent Lindbom. and the loose-forward, Mutu Stone — ever a willing worker in cancelling out the errors of his team-mates — West Coast would have more than overcome its points deficit. It was only in the early stages that the Canterbury backs moved with much purpose, the closer marking of I their rivals, the slippery ball,! and the first wet playing ( field of. the season combining I to disrupt most of their posi-( tive intentions. Lawrence and Lewis Hud-' son ran with purpose among | the backs, and Clarke I attempted to ada some variation by joining the line. Dickison was nimble in his footwork, but was one of those without sufficient

application in his defence. Wally Wilson and his West Coast marker at scrum-half,

Donald Monk, were all square at the end of very

busy afternoons around the base of the packs.

The West Coast stand-off, Gerard Harcourt, completely split the Canterbury’ line-up

late in the first half, only to hit the comer post as he dived to touch down. He continued to trouble Canterbury with his backing up. John Low, at centre, and the fullback, Trevor Crestani, were very sound, and Lindbom moved strongly along the left flank. Only once did the young (Canterbury second-row partjnership of Dalzell and Broadhurst function with the. thrust of which they are capable. West Coast might have lent two outstanding secondrow men to the Kiwis, but it produced another fine attacker in the 19-year-old Franklin. Making his debut in first-class football. Franklin I showed speed when ranging wide of his props. For Canterbury, Lawrence i (9min) and Dalzell (37min) scored tries, and Lawrence kicked four goals. Balderstone (43min) replied with a try for West Coast and Crestani kicked four goals.