Rugby Exciting finale ahead now for DCL Shield contest

Press, 28 August 1978, Page 19

Rugby Exciting finale ahead now for DCL Shield contest

The defeat of the leading teams in the DCL Shield, competition on Saturday has! ensured a tight finish this i week-end to this suppiemen- | tary senior rugby series. Old Boys, a confident leader of section one, fell to; Marist, a side which had | begun sluggishly, to lose its' first two matches, in the contest. The previously unbeaten i front-runner in section two, Albion, was well beaten by: Belfast. Both Old Boys and: Albion failed to score. ’ As a result of these rever- i ses, Old Boys now shares the lead with Suburbs in section one, and Belfast and Shirley have joined Albion in the lead of section two. After one further round next Saturday, the section winners will advance to a final to be played under lights at Denton Oval. Albion and Burnside are joint holders of the shield. Saturday’s results: SECTION I Marist 12, Old Boys 0. Sydenham 0, Hornby 0. Suburbs 13, Bumside 9. SECTION II Belfast 16, Albion 0. University B 13, Meri-vale-Papanui 6. Shirley 12, Lincoln College 7.

MARIST IMPROVES Marist’s strong defence held out Old Boys in the first half at Linfield Park,; and from then on the game belonged to the green and whites. Marist scored three tries in the second half, after a scoreless first 40min. Old Boys attacked with a will, but the slippery conditions and a much more resolute Marist effort denied them rewards. Marist was hardly recognisable as the side which started the DCL. series so lethargically. Terry Petersen, a well-built player, was particularly impressive in the forwards. The accomplished first five-eighths John Neilson was the outstanding player for Suburbs when it beat Burnside convincingly. He handled and kicked splendidly on a day when mistakes were frequent because of the miserable weather. The Suburbs pack, led by

the resolute Warren Hay, held the initiative for much of the game, and kept Burnside under pressure. In a game of lost chances, Sydenham and Hornby fought out a scoreless draw at Sydenham Park. Hornby had the better of the game, but although Fred and Sam Hale cut through several times, and the Hornby pack won seven consecutive 5m scrums near the end, points failed to come. Robert Webster was an industrious forward for Hornby, and Neville Wilson at half-back revelled in the wet conditions. Sydenham's century scorer, Ken Taylor, missed four penalty kicks. On a dry day, he might have kicked these with his eyes closed. GROUND CHANGE

The switch of venue from a flooded Middleton Park to Sheldon Park might well have been a' stroke of good fortune for Belfast. Back on its home ground, the team gave one of its typically direct and powerful driving forward displays, and with Wayne Nutbrown mudlarking well at half-back, the ball won was put to good use.

Nutbrown and his first five-eighths, Roger Taylor, built on the good work Of their forwards to score all

Belfast's points. Albion battled on stoically, with Murray Straight and John Barraclough showing up. But jit was Belfast’s day, without a doubt. Brett Codlin (Lincoln College) became the fifth senior player in Christchurch this winter to score 100 points ‘when he kicked a penalty ’goal (which brought his tally to 99) and then scored a try against Shirley. These efforts brought Lincoln College its only points, but they jwere not enough to bring ! victory against Shirley in a game of nip and tuck at Jelihcoe Park.

Shirley’s mobile forwards and its half-back, Steve Scott, kept their team on the boil, and Norm Chase and Nigel Image made the most of their chances in the three-quarter line. The Lincoln forwards responded vigorously, and the industrious flanker John Patterson had another fine game. University B gained its first win of the season when it overcame Merivale-Pa-panui at Ham. Although the combined side’s pack gave its usual stout display,“the attacks lacked finish and University, with two good breaks, gained the only tries of a rain-dogged match. Alan Trenberth, who played reliably at full-back, was a leading figure.

Points are:— Section W L 1 D F A Pts H.S.O.B. 3 1 — 49 33 6 Subs. 3 1 53 49 6 Marist 2 •> 42 32 4 Burnside 2 2 56 70 4 Hornby 1 2 1 28 29 3 Sydenham 3 1 33 48 1 Belfast Section W II L 1 F 60 A 35 Pts 6 Albion 3 1 63 41 6 Shirley 3 1 44 38 6 Lincoln College 2 2 67 59 4 University B 1 3 29 64 •> Merivale-Pap. - 4 29 55 5