Two top polo teams

Press, 7 April 1978, Page 24

Two top polo teams

By

DAVID LEGGAT

Two teams — Amuri A and Ashburton A — seem likely to dominate proceedings at the South Island polo championships, which begin at Ryans Road this morning and continue over the weekend.

The strong Amuri team of Bruce and Alan Calder, Graham Higginson and Colin Clark, recently showed its abilities with a 9-5 win over Ashburton to win the Lundy Plate at the Ashley club’s tournament a fortnight ago. It has only won the Gould Cup — the symbol of South Island polo supremacy — once in its 13-year history — in 1972 — and it has a total handicap of nine.

Amuri failed narrowly in

its quest to win the mediumgoal handicap contest at the Savile Cup tournament at Fielding four weeks ago. After beginning well with a 3-2 win over Hawke’s Bay B, the winning goal coming late in the last chukka, Amuri came up against the powerful Cambridge B side. The wellbalanced northern combination won, 12-5, but a 7-2 win over Waimai B was enough to get Amuri through to the section final. Cambridge C, however, won the final, 6-5.

The Ashburton A team is Dennis O’Sullivan, brother of the celebrated Emmett, John Askin, Andrew Askin and Guy Martin. John Askin injured his back in a recent tournament and had been a doubtful starter for the championships. Ashburton has a marvel-

lous record in the Gould Cup, having won it nine times, including the first seven years it was played for, 1965-71. The two other teams in the A grade section are Ashley and Blenheim A, with Brian Storer and David Cambridge, both two-goal handicap players, being expected to produce good performances for their respective teams.

Six teams will play for the Plaisted Cup, for mediumgoal teams — Amuri B, Amuri D, Geraldine A, Taieri, Waimate A and Wiamate B.

Four teams, Amuri C, Ashburton B, Blenheim and Geraldine B, will compete in the low-goal competition, with Ashburton B being a tough proposition for its opponents.