Hard rugby opening day

Press, 8 April 1978, Page 52

Hard rugby opening day

By

JOHN BROOKS

Skin preparations to combat grass bums will be in wide use this afternoon when the senior inter-club rugby competition opens on rock-hard grounds in Christchurch. Players would have appreciated some easing in the ground conditions for the opening games but the preseason encounters will have acquainted them with the hard road which lies ahead. The leading fixture for the day will be between Christchurch, the dominant side of

the 70s until last season, and New’ Brighton, winner of the Canterbury Savings Bank Cup for the round-robin contest in 1977.

New Brighton has sustained heavy losses of personnel since last season but still hopes that it can make a good showing through solid scrummaging and speed about the field. This, too, is Christchurch’s forte, although it will not have Scott Cartwright to finish 1 off movements with his customary flourish. University A, the defend-

ing champion, will be without its main scorer, Doug Heffernan, who is injured, but Suburbs, its opponent of the day, will be harder hit because of the retirements of Lyn Davis and Graham Sims. There will be no little interest in the performance of Old Boys now that it has lost the valued services of Stuart Purdon. His workload in every match was substantial and his premature retirement because of injury could hit Old Boys hard.

However, they have last season’s North Island fullback, Clive Currie, to boost morale. Another newcomer who will command attention is Teddy Davis, of the Bay of Plenty, who will distribute the ball as half-back for Belfast.

Linwood, minus Fergie McCormick for the first time in 22 years, appears to have an enterprising backline in the making and this will help it in its quest to regain a place in the top four.