Solid boost for Old Boys

Press, 7 May 1980, Page 38

Solid boost for Old Boys

By

JOHN BROOKS

There are two good reasons why last season’s champion senior rugby team, High School Old Boys, should not languish in the middle of the competition field for much longer. One is the return to Christchurch yesterday morning of Mark Harding, the sturdy former Canterbury prop and national water polo player. The other is the projected arrival of Gary Cookson, the high scoring first five-eighths, whose two huge penalty goals set Old Boys on their way to a 17-14 win against Christchurch in last year’s grand final. Both men have been in the United States. The team’s coaches, Messrs Roley Manning and Paul Davies, antici-

pated the return of Harding, and had made provision for phasing him back into the senior squad. But news of Cookson’s return came as a complete surprise. He is expected back next week. Harding looked fit and

formidable when he returned from the United States yesterday. And he expressed his keenness at pulling on the familiar white jersey again. “I’m pretty fit after four months of rugby and with no injuries,” he said. “I played for a club just south of San Francisco and was coached by ‘Tiny’ Hill.” The 24-year-old prop is

a solid scrummager and earnest rucker, and he has returned at a time when Old Boys are picking up their forward play after an uncertain start. “We expected to have some problems early on, but Roley Manning has

worked well on the forwards, and their combination and confidence are starting to improve,”' Mr Davies said. “We have a long way to go yet, but at least we are going forward.” Mr Davies said he had heard that Cookson wished to be considered for inclusion in the senior squad, but had no information about his level

of fitness. His unexpected return could create problems — pleasant ones — for the Old Boys’ selectors, for a full squad had been chosen. But Mr Davies referred to Cookson’s kicking last winter as a “tremendous asset” — he , scored 139 points, for an aggregate of 314 in three seasons. “Certainly we will have ■ to look at him fairly hard,” Mr Davies said. Old Boys have already benefited from the return of the former Canterbury' t h r e e-quarter, Bruce McPhail, the “father figure” of the back-line. McPhail had his first game last Saturday since recovering from a knee cartilage operation, and scored two , trie's from centre, as well as steadying the backline.