Schools’ water polo of high standard

Press, 12 May 1980, Page 33

Schools’ water polo of high standard

By

RAY CAIRNS

The water polo provided by the oustanding teams at the national secondary schools championships during the week-end was of international quality. This particularly applied to the top boys’ games, involving Canterbury A and the Homebush Boys’ High- School team from Sydney’s western suburbs: and the Canterbury and Wellington A girls’ teams. Though not eligible for the New Zealand title, Homebush A assured itself of a top billing with its 6-5 victory against Canterbury.

In many ways, Canterbury had the better of the match, and enjoyed the advantage of having the Homebush captain, Denis O’Regan, fouled out after 2min of the second quarter; and John Harker was to-follow him in the fourth quarter. But undue haste, and the consquential bad shots which followed, cost Canterbury dearly. After the first two quarters produced score-lines of 2-2 then 4-4, Homebush went out to a 6-4 lead in the third -quarter which was to prove decisive. Similarly, the Canterbury girls’ team had to face a 3-0 deficit against Wellington A in the final quarter, and it was thanks almost exclusively to the tremendous drive and spirit of Wendy Anink, its captain, that Canterbury actually closed to 3-2. Canterbury A still has to play the old foe, Wellington, but the latter is not as strong as usual. It succumbed, 14-6, to Homebush A; conceded a draw to Auckland; and won by’ only 4-1 and 5-1 to the B sides of Homebush and Canterbury. The draw between Wellington and Auckland came from an uncharacteristic lapse by Welling, ton. A goal ahead, it received a man-up situation with 43 seconds remaining, and the logical course

p.ould have been to retain possession for the allowable 35 seclonds, anyway. But there was a quick and poor shot; the Auckland captain, Mark Grooby, broke from his oppsoite? John Dyson; and the powerful shot gave his team a hard-earned goal. The two very young teams, the Homebush and Canterbury B sides, have been the surprises of the.tournament with their application and control bringing them impressive returns, even in defeat. Their own meeting was a fitting draw, 4-all, Martin Potts, the Canterbury captain, scoring the equalising goal in the final halfminute. Results:— GIRLS Canterbury A 12 (A. McKendry, D. Sullings. P. Thomas, all 3; W. Anink 2, K. Sharpies), Canterbury B 0. Wellington A 16 (J. Field 6, A. Langridge 4, D. Hesketh 2, L. Grant, E. Kelly. A. McGruer, T. Bognuda). Wellington B 0. Canterbury A 21 (Anink 6, Sullings 5, McKendry 3, Sharpies, Thomas. S. Short, all 2: S. Prior), Wellington B 1 (H. Stephens). Wellington A 9 (Field 3, N. Ashmore 2, Langridge, Hesketh, Kelly. McGruer), Canterbury B 1 (P. Stevenson). Canterbury B 10 (D. McClure 3, Stevenson, S. Wakefield, both 2; C. Burchett, A. Forbes, J. Taylor), Wellington B 1 (D. Braithwaite). Wellington A 3 (Langridge, Hesketh. Field), Canterbury A 2 (Anink 2). Wellington A 9 (Grant Langridge, Hesketh, all 2; McGruer, Ashmore, own goal), Wellington B 0. BOYS Canterbury A 17 (B. W. Buck, J. F. Boyce, B. M. Ferigo. G. Mason, all 3; L. J. Marshall, F. B. McMaster, both 2; B. T. Todd), Canterbury C 1 (P. Wakefield). Auckland beat Canterbury C by default; Canterbury B 8 (M. S. Potts 3, D. Boyce 2, G. D. Connor, L. Gollan, S. Moore), Otago

3 tB Tremaine 2, G. Laing). Wellington A 4 (S. Jackson, J. A, Dyson, both 2). Homebush R 1 (P. McDonald). Homebush A 27 iJ. Harker 10. A Brady 8, B. Santone 6. D. O’Regan 2; S. Heslop). Canterbury C I <G. Link). Canterbury A 7 (Buck 3. McMaster 2, Marshall, B. J. Wilson). Auckland 3 (S. Knights 2. M. A. Grooby). Homebush A 25 (O’Regan 8. Brady. Harker, both 5, Santone.' A. Provenzano. S. Prince, all -2; Heslop), Otago 1 (Laing). Canterbury A 13 (Boyce 4. Buck 3, Ferigo, Todd, both 2; Marshall, Wilson), Homebush B 1 (McDonald). Homebush A 14 (Brady’ 7. Harker 4. O'Regan 2, Santonc), Wellington 6 (Jackson 3. Dyson 2, G. van Wijk). Otago 8 (S. Kornyer 4. A. Smith 3. G. Challis), Canterbury C 1 (C. Scott). Homebush B 11 (C. Holder 6. I. Bowhay 3, S. Gilbert 2), Auckland 10; (Grooby 6. J.. Knights, T. Wesley, both 2). Wellington 5 (B. McGuinness 2, Dyson, Jackson, I. HalD, Canterbury B 1 (Potts). Homebush A 21 (Prince, Brady, O’Regan, Harker, Heslop, all 3; Provenzano. Santone, both 2: T. Wallace, M. Luidmanis), Auckland 0. Canterbury A 27 (Marshall, Buck, both 6; Wilson 4. Boyce. McMaster, G. Forbes, all 3, Ferigo, Mason), Otago 0. Auckland 6 (Grooby 4, R. Cole, S. Knights), Wellington 6 (Dyson '3. Jackson, McGuinness. : N, Watson). Canterbury B 10 (Potts 5, Erickson 2, D. Boyce, Moore, R. H. Stuart), Canterbury C 4 (R. P. Langley 2, Scott, G. Link). Homebush A 6 (Santone 2, Provenzano. Brady, O'Regan. Harker). Canterbury A 5 (Marshall 2. Suck, Boyce, Forbes). Homebush B 9 (Gilbert 4. Holder 3. Bowhay 21. Otago 6 (Laing 6). Wellington 10 (Hall, Dyson, both 3; S. Apostalakis 2, A. Patterson, Watson), Canterbury C 1 (Scott). Canterbury’ B 4 (Potts 2, Connor 2), Homebush B 4 (Holder 2. Gilbert, Bowhay).