Fergie’s try swings the match

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33858, 2 June 1975, Page 1

Fergie’s try swings the match

(By

R. T. BRITTENDEN )

It was a sombre stage: sullen skies, a bleak breeze from the south, grey smoke from the gasworks swirling across the ground. But on it Canterbun’ and Scotland played out a great sporting drama. And the principal was Canterbury’s 36-year-old full-back, the dauntless, durable Fergie McCormick.

Three others scored tries for Canterbury. But the one which meant most came 10 minutes from the end, and it was McCormick who crashed across the line.

It meant most because it wrested from Scotland a lead held tenaciously by the lovely, spiralling goal-kicking of Andy Irvine, and because it probably gave McCormick — and the crowd of 34,500 — the most satisfactory moment of that and many a day. It would be courageous to liken McCormick to Peter Pan. In fact on Saturday he might, had he thought of it, felt more like Captain Hook. His early-season leg injury worried him, and his goalkicking was astray — he kept hooking the ball, and even hit the left upright in a shot from dead in front. Not himself That was not all that went unhappily for the greatest figure in Canterbury Rugby. He was, simply, not himself in his gathering of the ball, or in his line-kicking under pressure. It was as if some distinguished, veteran actor were muffing his lines. It was sad to see. Yet at this most vital moment of a stirring game, McCormick came through. He was some 15 yards from the

Scots’ line when Bill Bus! emerged from one of the many fierce mauls and handed him the ball. There was a desperately slim gap, but McCormick took it at his considerable top pace. A defender tried to stop him, another at the same moment went under him in a tackle; and this gave McCormick the forward thrust to carry him over the line. A fair-minded, generous crowd went quite berserk. Swung game It was a memorable moment. And for McCormick, one to savour in a retirement which is not yet imminent. He has done so much for his province and his country, yet this try will be remembered. It swung the game, and it restored, to a proper place, a player who had been struggling desperately. England's cricket captain, Mike Denness, would have appreciated the situation. There were other heroes in Canterbury’s splendid victory, Alex Wyllie led his resolute forwards admirably, Lyn Davis had one of his greatest games, and minutes from the end, Stewart Cron came from, it seemed, nowhere to flatten Lewis Dick when the flying Scotsman seemed certain to score. Clean match If this victory by 20 points to nine, and four tries to none, further advanced Canterbury’s spectacular record against overseas teams, it was the game itself which benefited most. There, for 80 minutes, was one of the very fiercest of close-contact physical sports. But there was hardly a moment in which the game was not played in the finest of sporting spirits. It is comfortable and easy to be complimentary to a beaten visiting team. But at Lancaster Park Scotland, in the heat of the fray and the desperation of impending defeat, displayed a discipline which had already won it an admirable reputation, on and off the field.

And it was a Rugby day to remember — for the vigour and colour of the contest, for Canterbury's great victory, for the credit it all gave to two fine teams. Match report: Back page