Big crowd sees Papanui beat a strong Marist in rugby league

Press, 4 May 1978, Page 36

Big crowd sees Papanui beat a strong Marist in rugby league

By

JOHN COFFEY

Papanui’s new wave of rugby league forward power swept it to the top of the Canterbury club premiership table with a decisive 31-9 victory over Marist-Western Suburbs at the Show Grounds last evening. Although it was the Papanui backs who completed five of their side’s seven try-scoring movements, the initial dominance and virtually all of the later thrust was achieved by a pack that was clearly superior to Marist in alertness and combination.

Ever present in Papanui’s manoeuvres was its captaincoach, Rod Walker. It was his cool, tactical planning which ensured that promising attacks were transformed into points; his youthful assistants put his teachings into practice with enthusiasm and no small measure of skill. That Marist remained competitive until mid-way into the third quarter could be attributed to the swift hooking of John McCue. Not

one to bow to reputations, McCue heat the Canterbury representative, Mike Godinet, to the strike conclusively and later had the upper hand over the replacement, Mark Phifer, to finish with a 21-12 advantage in set play. However, what Papanui lacked in scrummaging, it more than made up for by the effectiveness of its defence, both in the first line of tacklers and in the speed with which the cover assembled to snuff out threats to its try-line. It was not until the seventy-first minute that Kevin Franklin, the Marist centre, found sufficient freedom to touch down.

Happily the match did not have the abrasive nature that some such tense matchings provide. Danny Millward. Papanui’s prop, settled down after a fiery start to earn the Mennen “player of the match” award and the only subsequent incident was John Cole’s late charge

of the Marist scrum-half, Wayne O’Donnell. Cole, on all other counts, came through the game with an enhanced reputation. Aged only 19, he surged through weak defence to allow Papanui a 10-4 lead at the interval. In a football sense, he stood as tall as the far more seasoned Walker and Millward.

Marist’s forward pattern was stinted. Individuals were left to run with the bal and were denied support. The tackling did not have the united vigour of that of Papanui.

Terry Gillman was especially kept under a tight hold and McCue and Carl Wild were willing workers. The biggest impression was that made by the forceful s e c o n d-row substitute, Michael Mclntyre. The failure of Papanui’s backs to create their own scoring opportunities was caused by the slow service from the halves, Ken Tait and Peter Tairi, and Tairi’s unfamiliarity with the basics

of a stand-off’s role. It was left to the three-quarters to enjoy their moments of prosperity as finishers of chances that their forwards had created.

Franklin and Mocky Brereton, in mid-field for Marist, would also have relished speedier delivery of the ball. Both proved that they were capable of breaking tackles. In the curtain-raiser, Sydenham overcame a 21-12 scrummaging deficit to account for Kaiapoi, 26-7. Kaiapoi was a tenacious opponent but two fine tries by the Sydenham stand-off half, David Field, in the second half made certain that the margin would be one of reasonable proportions.

Field was chosen as the “player of the match" and Peter Sturgeon, Bruce Dickison, and Bob Grant also gave pleasing performances for Sydenham. The most prominent Kaiapoi players were John Greengrass, Glen

Turton, Tony Stanley, and, until he retired injured, Kevin Steel. Scorers:

Papanui 31 (M. J. Kelly 2, C. M. Blazey, J. P. Cole, P. J. Tairi, R. V. Seaward, E. S. Kerrigan tries; K. P. J. Williams 5 goals) beat Marist 9 (K. A. Franklin try; M. W. J. O’Donnell 3 goals). Halftime: 10-4. Referee: D. Wilson.

Sydenham 26 (D. C. Field 2, B. I. Dickison, F. P. Lawrence, S. J. Hogg, M. D. Vincent tries; Dickison 3, Lawrence goals) beat Kaiapoi 7 (G. Turton try; J. Clarke 2 goals) Half-time: 8-5. Referee: T. Drake. The attendance of about 3000 was probably a record for a floodlit club match at the Show Grounds.

Premiership table: F A Pts W D L Papanui 4 0 0 124 33 8 Eastern 3 0 1 93 65 6 Marist 3 0 1 87 70 6 Sydenham 2 1 1 73 53 5 Linwood 2 0 2 76 73 4 Hornby 1 1 2 44 56 3 Kaiapoi 0 0 4 47 106 0 Addington 0 0 4 35 128 0