Linwood rugby coach going to Belfast

Press, 2 December 1978, Page 60

Linwood rugby coach going to Belfast

By

PAUL VERDON

Canterbury rugby’s cen- B tennial year has gained mo- h mentum already with the tc news of a split between the jy coaches of one of its strong- tl est senior clubs. Sl Linwood’s Messrs Peter’ 8 Ci Magrath and Pat Foster c guided a “rebuilding” senior ir team to the grand final of the Canterbury Savings Bank Trophy championship h several months ago. o But next year, when the C province will be celebrating d 100 years of football, the a two men will be coaching ft opposing senior sides. Mr Magrath will remain ti with Linwood, as sole coach “ for 1979, following an ap- h pointment which was unchallenged, according to a a club official. i y However, Mr Foster, for L many years a successful coach of Linwood and a Canterbury B sides, will s coach Belfast. t The appointment of Mr “ Foster has been confirmed, i and follows the retirement g of the successful Belfast n coach, Mr Andy Holland. Mr Foster could not be f contacted for comment. 15 However, it is understood s that Mr Holland, who cap- J tained the Linwood seniors o as well as Canterbury B “ under the coaching of Mr v Foster before taking on the

Belfast appointment, had a hand in persuading Mr Foster to switch allegiances. Linwood’s club captain, Mr Fergie McCormick, could throw little light on the reasons for Mr Foster’s decision to leave Linwood, except for saying that the coach was a "fairly singleminded sort of a person.” Ironically, it appears that Mr McCormick, the former All Black full-back who will have his second year as one of the selectors of the Canterbury Colts in 1979, did play a small part in the apparent disillusionment of Mt Foster with Linwood. Mr Magrath, when asked to comment, said he was “possibly not surprised” to hear of Mr Foster’s decision. He confirmed that he had appraoched Mr Foster this year, to help him with the Linwood senior back-line. “But times have changed and it had been a long time since Pat had coached at this level,” said Mr Magrath. “He kept wanting to bring in older players such as Fergie McCormick, Peter Jellyman dna Dave McGuigan.” Mr Magrath said that Mr Foster’s decision to bring McCormick into the senior squad for the final — McCormick played the second half — had been “sprung on me mid-week, without any consultation.” "It was frustrating for the

younger players. — and 1 was disappointed because .1 had laid my own head on the chopping block over the previous few seasons by making the decision to drop one or two older players,” said Mr Magrath. “I felt like having a bustup over it all, but for the team’s sake at that stage, did not do so. However, I know several .of. the players were ’sore about it.”

Meanwhile, a fact which was not widely known dur-

ing the latter stages of the i Winter months was the res-: ignation of Hornby’s Frank I Townsend as senior coach. According to a Hornby club official, the parting of the i ways, after Mr Townsend, a ; former member of Christ- ] church’s champion senior side, had enjoyed some sue-; cess with the team, was byij “mutual consent.” Mr “Toby” Anderson, oncei renowned as the long-time) captain of Buller and al South Island prop forward!: for several years in the < 19505, took over for the last > six matches this year. He has been reappointed by: Hornby. Rumours have also ■abounded that the formert

i Canterbury back coach, Mr Derek Arnold, .would coach Hornby in 1979. However, the Hornby official said that Mr Arnold had declined to become “officially involved.” He will “help out with our backs,” as may such fine former backs as Mr Wally Argus, a former All Black wing, and Mr Peter Kearney., Among other senior coaches to be reappointed are Christchurch’s former senior hooker, Mr Russell Skerrett

(second year), and Shirley’s Brian Richards and Arthur Gardyne (third season). New Brighton is expected to announce it senior coach on Tuesday. But the club’s president, 'Mr Tom Nolan predicted that Mr Ceddie Smith, who has guided a rather unremarkable band of iplayers to a CSB Cup and al CSB Trophy, respectively, in i the last two years, will get |the job again. I However. Mr said jhe was eager to see two club members who have recently been unseated as provincial selectors — Mr Bruce Bowick, Canterbury B, and Mr Brent ftfoore, Canterbury Colts — return to club coaching.

High School Old Boys have rung in the changes at several levels. Retiring after five and six years respectively as senior coaches are Messrs lan Purdon and Vance Bishop, who enjoyed a good measure of success ’ with a changing group of! players over their period ini charge, caused mainly by; transfers and retirements. Mr Roly Manning, the senior B coach this year, has been joined by Mr Paul Davies. the well-known track and field coach, as the senior coaches. It is Mr Davies’s second stint at senior coaching. Mr Laurie O'Reilly, who co-coached the University A side this year with Mr Morrie Collins, has “handed over” the side to the former New Zealand Universities forward, Mr Mel Dunne, in a sole-charge appointment. After being involved with the coaching of one or the other of the University senior teams for more than a decade. Mr O’Reilly, whose; commitments as a South Is-1 land coaching co-ordinator for the New Zealand union will mean his absence from, Christchurch for several week-ends during the winter, is expected to coach the B side next year. Messrs Murray Giera and Des Hanson, this year’s successful Marist Senior B

coaches, will coach that club’s senior side in 1979. Marist's situation had become complicated by the unavailability of its former All Black lock Mr Jake Burns, after several seasons [in charge, and the loss of the back coach, Mr Maurice ! McQuillan (on transfer), mid-way through the winter, to be replaced by Mr Bill

Another change concerns Burnside. After coaching the senior side for the last four years, Mr lan Rodger is now unavailable. The appointment, expected to be made official next week, should come from either Mr Brian Preston, the senior assistant coach this year, or Mr Murray Sturgeon, the former West Coast forward and senor player, who guided the Burnside Senior B team this year.

Albion’s coaches for the last two years, Messrs Brent Ramsay and Ron Dyer, have been joined by a third nomination in Mr Roy Stubbles, for the 1979 appointments. Merivale - Papanui will have a change, for Mr Dave] Pirie is unavailable. In spite! of a national campaign, the response to the advertisement of the senior coaching : vacancy has been disappointing. according to the secretary (Mrs D Maze;.