Boot rules at Timaru

Press, 29 August 1977, Page 30

Boot rules at Timaru

j A superb dropped goal by the full-back, Doug Nicol, from 45m out, cleared South Canterbury of any danger of defeat at the hands of Nelson Bays at Fraser Park on Saturday. It was a vital second divi-i sion championship match, as both teams were unbeaten. After its 12-0 win South Canterbury seems almost cer- ■ tain to again win the second division, and to go forward to meet the lowest-ranked: first division side (probably, Marlborough) in a promotion- I' relegation game. Midway through the second,; half, South Canterbury held!l a somewhat tenuous 6-0 lead!; and Nelson looked capable ; of getting right back into the 1 game. But Nicol’s “pot” saw,l South Canterbury pull ahead! 9-0, and then he thoroughly H wrapped up the game for the i home team by kicking alt

penalty 10 minutes from the' final whistle. Tony Goddard had dropkicked a goal after four; minutes to give South Can-’ terbury a 3-0 advantage and the score had stayed the same until Nicol landed a penalty: goal early in the second half. South Canterbury was spasmodic and unimpressive most of the way. The forwards seldom drove ahead as a unit and too much i untidy ball was shovelled i back from line-outs to the; I half-back, Bill Dickson. The lock, Dick Sharpe,; , made the cleanest two-1 I handed takes in the line-outs' I and toiled away solidly in the tight, and the loose forwards,. Noel Glass and Peter Grant, | had their moments. Without adequate protection from his forwards Dickson’s service slipped and far too seldom did the ball geti

s'along the line to the wings, , Neville Richards and lan ■ I Palmer, who were again the • pick of the South Canterbury back-line. I Nelson Bays’ forwards, led • by their two vigorous locks.| ’; Murray West and Bevan . Smith, impressed with their • scrummaging. But Nelson Bays, like the home side, did not show • much enterprise and penetra- ; tion in the back line, and the two fast wingers, Stewart ■; Robertson and Colin Haigh.j i had few chances because of; I the slow delivery through the; I five-eighths. ' The game developed into a battle between the goal- , kickers. Nicol put over three, I kicks to finish well ahead of, the Nelson Bays’ full-back,; Jim Speedy, who missed with j four shots at goal — two' (from relatively easy range.