Surprise league finalists earned their positions

Press, 2 April 1980, Page 30

Surprise league finalists earned their positions

By

JOHN COFFEY

It is inevitable that students of early-season rugby league form in Canterbury have had the surprise eliminations of Eastern Suburbs-Hertz, Marist-Western Suburbs and Papanui uppermost in their minds leading up to the final of the QantasRadio Avon tournament at the Show Grounds this evening. But the unexpected results which have occurred during the preliminary

stages of the knock-out competition should not cloud the very real fact that the survivors, Hornby and Linwood, thoroughly deserve to play off for the bulk of the $lOOO prize money. :... ' ■ ; ' Linwood was the run-ner-up to Eastern in the 1979 knock-out final, but a slump in mid-season and a defeat by-• Marist-.in the championship semi-finals left it with fourth ranking of the nine premier teams. And, although Hornby won one of its two premiership meetings with Linwood, its over-all performance was far from i. convincing arid it finished . its programme bt being : well beaten by Baisweil in . the Gore Cup series. Consequently, . Linwood

and Hornby were not regarded as serious threats to the acknowledged top three sides. Such opinions have had to be radically revised as Hornby gained a notable victory over Papanui and Marist succumbed to Linwood. Anyone left with enough

courage to lay odds would probably regard Linwood as the pre-match favourite for tonight’s final. But in the context of this particular tournament that would indeed be tempting fate. Perhaps the most intriguing feature of the triumphant march by Hornby and Linwood has been the success they have enjoyed with • squads that are little changed from those which faltered so frequently last winter. Hornby has two new players, Alan Rushton and Wayne Munday, and they have filled significant roles in the club’s return to prominence. Linwood on the other hand, has its 1979 squad still intact, the only significant alteration

having been the switching of Wally Wilson to standoff half, with Keith Henry finding a permanent place at scrum-half. Rushton, as Hornby’s captain, has led by example- He is a tough and mobile prop and his presence alone would

draw greater respect from opposing packs. It has been no individual effort, though, for Wayne Wall-, ace has been quite outstanding at loose forward, and the other men of the Hornby scrummage have been shoulder-to-shoulder with Rushton and Wallace throughout. A strapping centre, Munday, originally from Auckland, took several detours on his way. to Hornby. He spent a season in rugby union and started this season as Shirley’s captain-coach. Shirley was decisively beaten by Hornby in the first knock-out round and within a week Munday had switched clubs. More awareness in linking up with his wings once a break has been

made would further increase his effectiveness.

• Munday has an able centre partner in Kelvin Kelly, and three of the wings used so far, Michael Kelly, Grant Hallett and Richard Hallett, have been prolific try-scorers; the other Phil Ashton, has considerable potential as a goal-kicker. Behind them, and displaying all of the flair expected of him, has been Robin Alfeld, while Merv Manson and Brent Ringdahl have given dedicated service in the halves. If the Hornby players have made their mark in their. various specialities, then Linwood’s has been a complete team effort. Its defence against Marist last week was exemplary and Lewis Hudson’s kicking, frorn penalties and with field goals, was a rich source of points. Without the injured prop. Rex Dalzell, the Linwood forwards pooled their determination and. resources to deny Marist possession from set play until a valuable lead had been wrested and they made- far fewer basic errors than their opponents. There were no weak links to Linwood’s chain, and it was no simple assignment to select the loose forward, Mike Smith, as the "man of the match” and the tenacious hoo k e r-forward, Gary Briden, as the recipient of the special award for the most honest toiler in the semi-finals. Temperament and teamwork are vital in competition finals, and the side which best handles those ■ ■ requirements . is . likely to prevail this evening.