Canterbury students shine at rugby

Press, 28 July 1976, Page 19

Canterbury students shine at rugby

Canterbury should be strongly represented in the New Zealand Universities’ rugby team for the match against the Lions at Lancaster Park next season.

Players from the University of Canterbury A and B teams provided the nucleus of both the South Island and New Zealand universities sides recently, and all performed particularly well. The representation was among the biggest Canterbury has had in combined universities teams. Bill Lewis (full-back), Randall Scott and Wayne Lewis (wings). Peter Cook (halfback), Ray Scott (flanker). Gary Brown (lock) and John Black (hooker) all played for N.Z.U., and lan Shapland (flanker), John Edmondson (prop) and Craig Shearer (first fiveeighths) were in the South Island side. Shearer and Bill Lewis play for University B in Christchurch; they gained their chances through the commitment to the Canterbury team of two members of the University A side, Kevin Jennings and Doug Heffernan. The Canterburydominated South Island XV beat North Island Universities, 25-17, and the

Christchurch players were again to the fore when N.Z.U. beat Wellington, 26-21. Canterbury players scored all but four of the 51 points gained by the winning teams in these games. Bill Lewis kicked 23 points, Randall Scott and Wayne Lewis scored five tries between them, and Cook shaded the former All Black half-back, lan Stevens. Ray Scott, a forgotten man in Canterbury rugby, produced outstanding form in the forwards. As well as being a dominant figure in the loose he set up many moves from the back of the line-out. Black in the scrums and Brown in the line-outs cornered a good deal of clean possession for N.Z.U. The heavy call made on the services of University A players caused problems for the team in the Christchurch competition. But the restructured side responded splendidly, holding off Shirley to win, 12-8. The appearances of

John Phillips and Sam Leary in this match brought the number of Canterbury full-backs ap-

pearing in University’s colours this season to four. The others are Bill Lewis and Heffernan.