N.Z. shooters suffer worst defeat ever against Aust.

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34047, 10 January 1976, Page 36

N.Z. shooters suffer worst defeat ever against Aust.

The New Zealand rifle team will be hard to beat in the Empire Trophy match against Australia at Trentham tomorrow, says the team commander (Roy Martin), in spite of its humiliating defeat in the first clash on the Trentham ranges yesterday. Martin had just watched a 14-man Australian team give New Zealand the biggest thumping it has ever had in the 15 years the two countries have contested the C.A.C. Trophy. In the calmest weather the riflemen have enjoyed at the Trentham meeting for manyyears the Australians were 47 points ahead of New Zealand after matches over 900 and 1000 yards.

The previous biggest defeat for New Zealand was by 17 points. For the Australians it was sweet revenge. For a week they have been baffled by the notorious Trentham winds and have been well out of things over the extreme distances. It was so gentle yesterday that a 21-year-old Sydney clerk. Rob Rush, was able to put on a possible 50 at 1000 yards, and 48s and 49s were common. Although disappointed at New Zealand’s defeat, Roy Martin said that the New Zealanders had a lot more against them than did Australia. “We didn’t have time to zero our rifles in after the morning’s matches,” he said.

“The result was a lot of elevation trouble—the worst I’ve ever seen in an international match. “We needed the opportunity to zero our rifles because most of the New Zealanders have been using their own hand-loaded ammunition during the championship matches. In the team shoot we had to use manufactured ammunition — and there’s a lot of difference.” The Australians had been using manufactured ammunition throughout the week so did not have the same problem. As well, the calm weather suited the Australians. “We would have liked a bit of wind, more testing conditions,” Martin said. “But take it from me—we’ll be zeroing our rifles in on Sunday morning.” New Zealand at least has the record book going for it.

No team has so far managed to win both the C.A.C. and Empire trophies in the one meeting. The Australian team captain, Laurie Mclnerney, was confident after yesterday’s victory. “We will win again on Sunday, we will win,” he declared. “They were Australian conditions today. But as I said earlier, we are a team, not individuals. “I hope conditions for Sunday are like they were today. But whatever they are like — we will win,” he said. The top scorer for the New

Zealand side with 94.5 was the Gisborne man, Gerald Fuller, who is having a rare week. That would have made him only ninth among the 14 Australians, headed by Rush with 98.6.

Only one woman has qualified for the National Rifle Association championship final at Trentham today. In the Queen’s 50, announced yesterday morning, to shoot over 900 yards for the New Zealand title, Miss Wendy Prichard, of Upper Hutt, finished fortythird with 477 points out of a possible 500, 12 behind the leader, Bill Bayne, of Hastings.

One C grade competitor, P. D. Farnum, of Rotorua, finished in the top 25, to qualify for the final’s second detail shoot. Nine Australians will compete in the final, but only three qualified for the second detailed shoot, the highest being Merv Hoberg and Bill Smith, both on 483.

Although official results of the Masefield aggregate, the second stage of which was fired yesterday were not available last night, Lindsay Smith, of Malvern, seemed assured of victory. He started the day trailing Steve Bower, of Auckland, by one point, but in the three seven-shot matches piled on a possible 105. Bower slumped in the final match over 600 yards. Scores in the Australia-New Zealand match were: Australia: L. Felton 94.5, E. Townson 93.6, R. Parker 94.8, P. Ford 93.8 R. Rush 98.6, W. Emmslie 95.7, R. Graham 95.3, A. Powell 95.6, A. Hobbs 93.4, D. Walters 94.1, T. Long 95.7, R. Rowlands 95.3. B. Allchurch 96.6, T. Hodgson 94.7. Total 1324.80. New Zealand: V. Curtis 91.4, S. G. Bower 92.5, D. Whiteman 92.4, M. Catley 92.1, W. Boreham 93.6, F. Godfrey 92.1, A. Halberg 89.1, K. Jacob 82.1, J. Harris 93.6, B. Price 91.3 J Dodson 90.6, G. Fuller 94.5; W. Bayne 92.4, B. K. Whiteman 94.4. Total 1277.61. A district teams match yesterday resulted: Wellington 973.74, Auckland 963.77, Queensland 963.75, Taranaki 962.66, Canterbury 961.78 Hawke’s Bay 960.55.