Hornby held to 25-3

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34146, 6 May 1976, Page 30

Hornby held to 25-3

i Bn

JOHN COFFEY)

I lornby’s sequence of mammoth rugbv league winning margins was i interrupted when it was surprisingly restricted by Marist-W estern Suburbs '.o a 25-3 win at the Show Grounds last evening. Indeed, it was not until six minutes into the second half that Hornby took the lead, tnd only 10 minutes remained before the country XIII slipped out of range.

■ Four late tries provided a .margin more in keeping with .Hornby’s earlier dominance of the qualifying competition. For the first time this season. Hornby encountered an opponent which ignored reputations — although Robertson. Wayne Bunn and Richard Popata were missing from the Hornby pack — and without the calmness and skill of Bob Jarvis at stand-off half a major upset might have occurred. Jarvis contributed the first and final tries for Hornby and set up several others. But for a long time he could count on few of his teammates being able to evade the tenacious Marist tackling. Eventually, others began to respond to Jarvis's leadership and to make use of Murray Wright’s 10-3 scrummaging advantage after the interval. As the Marist defence slowed through sheer weariness, gaps ap- . peared on the flanks of the back-line. MARIST FORWARDS ! The unheralded Marist forwards. John Vaughan, Grenville Beri, Chris Brereton, Dennis Menzies, Graham Lewis and Gerard Stokes, fully deserved their moment of satisfaction when the scoreboard showed Hornby trailing, 3-5, at half-time. Dave Neale, the scrumhalf, was another to stem many Hornby attacks, and Michael O’Donnell was clearly the best of the outside backs in either side, if not receiving the finishing opportunities of Hornbrook. Hornby’s goal-kicker, Trevor Williams, raised his century of points for the season

j when adding his try, but has | probably never before in hiI long premier career had to '|be content with a kicking analysis of only one succor.;, (from 11 attempts. j In the curtain-raiser ani other favoured team. Woolston, could also consider itself flattered by its eventual winning margin. It_beat Uni-versity-United, 47-12, Im ! cause it accumulated 33 (points in the last quarter. i University relied almost completely on individua! running efforts and the line kicking of John Rosanowski, but kept within one point of Woolston until a few minutes into the second half. It was then that the free running of the Woolston threequarters began to take its toll, Brian Heemi, Pat Lagrosse and the replacement. Lou Beecroft, all claiming three tries. Hornby 23 (H. Hornbrook two, R. J. Harvis two. M. Manson, P. Caldwell. T. Williams tries; Williams one igoal) beat Marist-Western j Suburbs 5 (G. Lewis try: V. IW. J. O’Donnell one goal), i Half-time: Marist. 5-3. Scrums: Hornby. 19-12. Pen|alties: Hornby, 10-6. Woolston 47 (B. Heemi three, P. Lagrosse three. L. Beecroft three, B. Collins, R. Tait tries; B. J. Turner six, Beecroft goals) beat Univer-sity-United 12 (P. Rosanowski, G. Faulkner tries; G. J. Rosanowski three goals). Half-time: Woolston, 11-10. Scrums: Woolston. 22-12. Penalties: University, 11-5.