Uninspired Canterbury loses to Counties

Press, 6 September 1976, Page 17

Uninspired Canterbury loses to Counties

Some of the Cape Town tear gas must have wafted through the Canterbury’ rugby team’s dressing-room at Lancaster Park on Saturday, judging by the side’s dispirited display in losing, 6-11, to Counties.

Devoid of inspiration, the home side ambled through the match at half-pace, and its frenzied efforts to snatch the fat from the fire when Counties seized the lead 11 minutes from the end failed for want of total dedication and co-opera-tion. Alex Wyllie. Canterbury’s captain, sensed an air of relaxation among his players before the kick-off, and he tried in vain to instil a mood of purposeful application to the task in hand. But the home side appeared to regard Counties as just another beast for the slaughter, and it was rudely awakened by the visitor’s unexpected ability in the basic skills. Counties is a aide which has always been recognised because of the attacking flair of its backs. But after it had been chewed up by the Otago forwards at Carisbrook. it quickly realised what was required to achieve success on a southern rugby tour. Diligent pack practice at Invercargill paved the way for a win against Southland, and a continuation of this approach in training laid the foundation for the unexpected win against Canterbury.

Canterbury bows to no-one at the ruck, but on Saturday Counties cleverly concentrated the second-phase encounters on the maul—at which it was clearly superior. Canterbury won a good deal of bail in the air and on the ground, but Counties quickly wenched possession from the red-and-blacks. even when Canterbury was moving forward on the drive.

John Spiers, a barrelchested lock, was the most prominent contestant in these struggles, and Rod

Ketels and Andy Dalton were also in on the kill. Although Canterbury ran the ball willingly whenever it gained possession, a lack of pace among the inside backs and some spirited tackling by the Counties defenders kept Canterbury try-less. Counties had a major problem because of the lastminute defection of its regular first five-eighths, Eoin Mcßobbie, who was troubled by a knee injury. So the" former Lincoln College half-back, Mark Codlin, who had been left out of the original selection because of Canterbury’s 'amiliarity with his style of play, was brought into first five-eighths for the first time in his footballing life. For a while, it appeared as if Counties was employing a double half-back approach. Bruce McLesch, the official wearer of the number nine jersey, would pass the ball to Codlin, and he would stop and stoop before sending the ball on to Bob Lendrum, at second five-eighths. This ponderous delivery, and the earnest defence of Canterbury’s Murray McEwan, placed severe restrictions on the activities of the Counties three-quarters. But then Codlin began to hoist the ball high in the air, and although the Canterbury full-back, Doug Heffernan, dealt superbly with all the challenges which came his way, the Counties forwards reasserted themselves at the subsequent melees. HALF-TIME LEAD Canterbury led, 6-0, at halftime, but two tries by the Fletcher Humphries “Player of the Day” Pat Yates, the muscular Counties right wing, put the visitors ahead with fl minutes remaining. With only 90 seconds of playing time left, Lendrum drop-kicked a goal from a range of 35m to clinch victory for Counties. The result was an indict-

ment of the state of Canterbury rugby at the top level. Three years ago, on the same ground, Canterbury humbled Counties, 38-6. Saturday’s visiting side included seven of the players who had been ground into the turf in 1973.

This time the boot was firmly on the other foot. Counties mauled Canterbury out of the game, and the ability of Ketels at No. 2 in the line-out and the excellence of Alan Dawson in the loose forward forays were unmatched by Canterbury. The home side ran the ball much more than its rival, but a lack of genuine pace among the inside backs and the excellent tackling of Codlin and Owen Bumside, the Counties full-back, put paid to most of the Canterbury thrusts. Terry Mehrtens and Bruce McPhail made some promising dabs, and Scott Cartwright and Dave McGuigan displayed determination on the wings, but there was an obvious lack of understanding among the members of a recast back-line. Steve Scott’s torrid time at half-back did not help matters. Canterbury pulled all its favourite moves — the midfield switch, the Vance Stewart-Wyllie peel from the line-out, and the modified Calcutta from tapped penalties — but none of them was carried with much dash. Canterbury just seemed to be going through the motions.

The only Canterbury players to distinguish themselves were Heffernan, whose fielding, tackling, and positional play were in the top bracket, and Dave Thompson, an outstanding participant in the hand-to-hand stuff. Dalton led the Counties forwards spiritedly, shared the tight-heads with Canterbury’s Murray Hall, and constantly reminded his men that its opponent was not invincible. Yates and Lendrum

transmitted this belief into reality. Counties’ win was achieved in spite of a continuation of its goal-kicking woes. Lendrum, who took ail the placekicks, failed six times, although he struck the uprights twice. For Counties: Two tries by Yates; a dropped goal by Lendrum. For Canterbury: Two penalty goals by Heffernan.