Competition getting very hot for rugby league semi-finals

Press, 22 May 1978, Page 20

Competition getting very hot for rugby league semi-finals

j The rivalry for the Canterbury ] rugby league championship semifinal became even more intense when Hornby beat Eastern Suburbs-Hertz, 14-12, at the Show Grounds on Saturday. The hopes Addington’s supporters hold that their side will overcome a disappointing start to the season, and reach the top four were also kept alive by a 13-11 victory at the expense of the bottom team, Kaiapoi. There will be further clarification of a rather intriguing situation when Papanui meets Liftwood, and Marist-Western Suburbs is opposed by Sydenham tn the other seventh round premiership matches under floodlights on Wednesday evening. Papanui is already assured of , a handy lead at the end of the ] first complete round-robin. It has ' a maximum of 12 points from six ] appearances. Marist and Eastern are both on eight, with Marist a same in hand; Sydenham, also with a match to be played, and Hornby are equal fourth with seven points; Linwood has six from as many fixtures, ahead of Addington (four) and Kaiapoi epone). None of the four teams which played on Saturday capitalised on the fresh and bitterly cold wind. Addington scored seven points into the wind. and struggled to hold its advantage In the second half, and Eastern almost recovered from a sevenpoint deficit when required to run into the breeze. Two players placed in unfamiliar positions won the individual awards: ATel Tihore, a second-row forward since his transfer to Hornby p returned to the wing, where he had represented Wellington, and claimed the “McWilliam’s Wine” prize, as well as two tries: Rick Offering moved from stand-off half to centre for Addington and also contributed two tries in taking the ‘‘Jim Beam” award. Results: Hornby 14, Eastern 12. Addington 13, Kaiapoi 11. SCRUMAGING DOMINANCE Two successive defeats have lessened the chances of Eastern Suburbs reaching its fourth consecutive championship grand final, but it emerged with credit from its narrow loss to Hornby on Saturday. Eastern was without its three national trlalists. Dean Harris, Barry Edkins and Alan Rushton, and it was expected that its rigorous encounter with Linwood last Wednesday evening would have left it very vulnerable to a fresh Hornby XIII. But Eastern, apparently well beaten when behind. 4-11. after having had the benefit of the wind in the opening spell, re

sponded willingly and only just failed to take the lead nine minutes from full time. Its centre, Kevin Murphy, actually crossed Hornby’s try line, but was held off the ground by three defenders and Hornby managed to recover and move play downfield. It was surprising that Eastern should have ..the better of the territorial exchanges before the interval, for Murray Wright hooked possession from 13 of the 16 scrums during that period. The Eastern pack wrested parity •in set play after the resumption and Ken Fraser and Murray French were On hand to turn deft passes from John McGuiness into points. If anything, Eastern should have been able to draw. Its usually very reliable goal-kicker, Chris Astle. was astray with a conversion attempt from directly in front of the uprights, his one failure in four opportunities. Hornby’s young forwards, Wayne Wallace, Dean Taylor and Alan Rutherford, were prominent throughout, although Taylor—and his Eastern rival, Jim Churcher—had the experience of spending a term in the “chilly-bin.” Merv Manson and French had a lively duel as the opposing scrum-halves, Warren Wright was effective in the centres, and Tihore covered well on defence in addition to bumping off tacklers on his two trips, to the try-line. Murphy and John Dromgoole moved purposefully in the Eastern three-quarters, and Fraser, Grant Findlay and McGuinness were the best of the forwards. VITAL TRY Quick thinking by the Addington scrum-half, lan Mcßeath, provided the try for Addington which, in the final accounting, was largely responsible for its resisting Kaiapol's determined bid for a first premiership win this season. Mcßeath was thrown a very poor pass a.s Addington mounted an attack to the left. Instead of trying to scoop up the slippery ball, he kicked ahead with fine judgment and Rick Odering, equally alert, raced through to touch down and place Addington ahead, 10-3. Addington was the more constructive unit for most of the match—if missing the penetration of its injured full-back, Grant Stocker—and created the more scoring chances. Several were wasted though by breakdowns in promising movements. The Kaiapoi hooker. Dale Brown, conceded the ball from five of the first six scrums before his pack settled to its task, and finished with a 20-14

superiority. But most of Kaiapoi s manoeuvres were predictable, and its third try—by Ray Howard, after John Greengrass had run well—did not come until the last minute. Odering was very impressive for Addington when with the ball. He was sharp to pierce any gaps left in Kaiapoi’s defence and his first try was the product of a long, swerving run. Barry Brown and Mcßeath

also tested Kaiapoi’s tacklers, and Mutu Stone filled the standoff role with some skill. In the absence of Robert Lanauze, Frank Endacott was a most capable forward leader, assisted earnestly by Shane Odering and Steve Winata. Greengrass and Brown worked ably in the Kaiapoi pack, and Kevin Steel, Graeme Cooksley and Howard moved smartly to gain their tries.