Convincing rugby win for Canterbury over Nth Auckland

Press, 19 July 1979, Page 30

Convincing rugby win for Canterbury over Nth Auckland

Bv

KEVIN McMENAMIN

At the present rate of progress Canterbury could have a very good rugby team before the season is over, perhaps even a championship-winning one.

The improvement which! started against South' Canterbury last week was! continued at Lancaster Park] yesterday when Canterbury began its first division pro-1 gramme with an 18-0 win] over North Auckland. However, North Auckland: was most disappointing. The efforts in beating Southland and Otago in the previous week appeared to take their toll and for most of the game North Auckland looked a tired side. It was given a good shaking in the first 20 minutes when Canterbury took to its task as though it had been on a diet of raw meat all week. Canterbury secured a 7-0 lead during this on-1 slaught and it was able to hold if until half-time, in spite of some improvement by North Auckland Both sides slipped into a reverse gear in the second spell. Canterbury lost its earlier rhythm and made mistakes while the spark, or what little there had been, was lost completely from North Auckland's game. It was not until the last 15 minutes that Canterbury added to its score, two tries in the right corner, one by Richard Wilson, who kicked his second penalty goal to give him a tally of 10 points.

The line-outs were again Canterbury’s most obvious failing. The final count was 18-14 in North Auckland's favour and of the 14 Canterbury won very few were from clean takes. The timing of the jump to the ball seemed the biggest defect. However, the home side

never ran short of possession. The forwards were far more convincing in rucks and mauls and from these sources they returned the ball to their backs 20 times, to North Auckland’s four. Two other features of play gave hope for the future. The first was the running of the backs. There was a tendency, particularly in the second spell, to move the ball through the chain too quickly, leaving the wings cramped for room, but Wayne Smith, at first fiveeighths, was very assured, and Kieran Keane and Shane! Gibbons were sharp in midfield. Keane received the “player of the day” award, but it must have been in a photo-finish with the flanker. Barney Henderson, who was continually in the play and always to good effect. Not since the days of Stewart Cron has Canterbury had a loose forward who achieved so much. This was the other highly encouraging sign for the future. The other forwards played well, too. There was plenty of constructive vigour about their activities, although to some extent they were made to look good by the laxities of their opponents. The props, Barry Thompson and John Ashworth, led

some thundering drives and John Black was back to his best. Graeme Higginson, apart from failing to make the most of his height in the. line-outs, was also good value in close-passing rushes. In making a fine tackle — possibly a try-saving one —

Steve Scott received a bump on the head midway through the first half and hie was replaced at the internal by iGraeme Ellis. Neither man struck up a smooth partnership with Smith, although Scott’s general play was sound.

Graham Phillips and John Guest, for their line-out worth, were the best of the North Auckland forwards. lan Phillips made some crunching tackles Off the side of the scrum, but as a pack North Auckland was very much in Canterbury’s shadow.

Eddie Dunn gave only fleeting glimpses of his talents and the one back to repeatedly look like beating a man was the centre, Charles Going, a very snappy mover. It was, in some ways, a strange game. Canterbury won well, but did not always play well. Yet the good parts were good enough to suggest that better things may be in store. North Auckland, its confidence a little shaken, must now turn its thoughts to defending the Ranfurly Shield.

Wilson opened the scoring when he landed a simple penalty goal in the sixth minute after the North Auckland backs had been caught off-side. The first try came in the twentieth minute after lan Mather had joined the backline from the blindside wing. Steve Scott broke from a ruck and was caught and Alex Wyllie played half-back to give the backs another I run. Gibbons got around his marker and his path to the goal-line was cleared when the full-back, David Haynes, slipped over.

It was not until 26 minutes of the second spell had passed that Canterbury scored again. There was a bold forward drive up the middle and Gibbons kicked for Randal Scott’s wing. Wilson got the bounce ahead of Scott and scored.

Wilson added a penalty three minutes later and right an full-time Randal Scott was given an overlap after a fine break by Smith and some equally good work by Henderson in keeping the movement alive.