Captain’s inspiration lands Marlborough sevens title

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33966, 6 October 1975, Page 26

Captain’s inspiration lands Marlborough sevens title

tNew Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND.

Marlborough, led in grand style by its captain, the former All Black, Alan Sutherland, deservedly won the inaugural final of the national seven-a-side tournament at Eden Park, Auckland, on Saturday.

Playing in the harder of the two sections, Marlborough went through its four matches unbeaten, and among those it beat were the favoured Otago and Wellington. In the final, Marlborough beat the other unbeaten sec-

■ tion winner, Canterbury, 25- , 11, after trailing, 7-4, at the end of the first 10-minute half. Marlborough made a habit ! of coming from behind to win. It was down, 4-0 and 6-4, at half-time against Wellington and Otago, respectively, yet managed to pile on the second-half presi sure to win. If Sutherland was its hero,

then Dave Neal and the others were not too far behind. Sutherland, a big man, was in everything, and so often was in the right place at the right time to set up that allimportant second-phase play and send players, in Rugbyleague fashion, bursting through the gaps which opened up. With only 14 players on the full-size field, seven-a-side Rugby has much entertaining running Rugby to offer, and most teams threw everything into attack. Canterbury, in particular, seized every chance to take the initiative and attack, its free-running backs, TerryMitchell and Dave McGuigan, popping up everywhere and then tearing for the line. Tries at times came almost too quickly to keep count. The final began quietly enough, Fergie McCormick putting Canterbury ahead wfith an early penalty goal, which was followed some minutes later by a Mitchell try. Just before the break, Neal scored a try for Marlborough, which Sutherland only narrowly failed to convert.

A minute after the interval, however, Marlborough hit the front with a Sutherland try and conversion, and although Mark Codlin scored a couple of minutes later to put Canterbury back in front, its lead was short-lived as Sutherland and Neal scored their second tries of the game—which each man converted himself—and Kerry Hodties drop-kicked a goal. Results:—

Section one. — Marlborough, beat Taranaki, 18-4; beat Wellington. 14-10; beat Otago. 10-6. Taranaki, lost to Marlborough, 4-18: lost, to Otago, 4-26: lost to Wellington, 12-24. Wellington, lost to Otago, 4-25; lost to Marlborough. 10-14; beat Taranaki, ■ 24-12. Otago, beat Wellington,

25-4; beat Taranaki. 26-4; lost to Marlborough, 6-10. Section two.—Canterbury, beat Auckland, 18-12; beat Poverty Bay, 18-8; beat Waikato, 24-0. Auckland, lost to Canterbury, 12-18: beat Waikato, 22-10; lost to Poverty Bay, 12-14. Poverty Bay, beat Waikato, 26-14; lost to Canterbury. 8-18; beat Auckland, 14-12; Waikato, lost to Poverty Bay. 14-26; lost to Auckland, 10-22; lost to Canterbury’, 0-24.