Glenmark wins again

Press, 9 June 1980, Page 19

Glenmark wins again

Alex Wyllie is no longer available for representative rugby, but he is still soldiering on for his. club, Glenmark. and tinues to make a big personal contribution to that country team.

The all-conquering Glenmark team met its nearest rival, Kaiapoi, at Kaiapoi, on Saturday before a crowd described bv a Kaiapoi official as the biggest he had seen at a club match. Although Kaiapoi tried valiantly to the end. it was in vain, as the unbeaten Glenmark side tightened its grip on the North Canterbury and Hurunui combined senior title with a 14-6 victory. Wyllie, who coaches his team .and plays for it in his familiar No. 8 position, has certainly not mellowed. The grizzled veteran was the central character in a series of varied events in. the first. 15 minutes.

■He started with a prolonged argument with the referee (Mr Peter Williams) relating to a scrum penalty, then he told barrackers in the crowd where they could go. By wresting the ball free from a maul, Wyllie initiated the opening try for Glenmark. and soon after there was time for concern for Glenmark supporters when he lay prone for several minutes and w-’s o' t considerable pain. But he re-

covered and later scored the try that sealed Kaiapoi’s fate. It was a tough, uncompromising, bruising match, restricted mainly to the forwards, although Kaiapoi did show some adventure among its backs in the last 15 minutes as it tried to erase a four-point deficit. A spate of injuries and 35 penalties prevented ‘io match from being free-flowing.

Most or the passing by the backs In both teams was laboured and often passes were miss-timed or thrown thoughtlessly-. Kaiapoi, behind, 7-3, at half-time, which was a fair reflection of play in the first spell, started the second half with great gusto and had closed to within one point after three minutes. It had a sustained period on attack for 15 minutes and narrowly missed several chances to take the lead.

Had Kaiapoi taken the lead, it might have been difficult for Glenmark to reverse the balance for there was no shortage of support for Kaiapoi along the sidelines.

But Gle.nmark weathered the storm and as its forwards gained an ascendancy through coordinated driving and peeling, the sharp edge disappeared from the Kaiapoi attack. A simple penalty 15 minutes from the finish by Gienmark’s ■goal-kicker. Pat Pin, gave his

team a 10-6 lead, but It was still an insecure advantage. However, Wyllie settled that | with his try near the finish. | From a tap penalty about Bm. from Kaiapoi’s line, the big man , was fed the ball on the burst. No mortal could have denied j him a try. I The powerful Richard Loe, Jack Burrowes, and Matt Wilson (who . gained three tight-heads) gave Glenmark the forward power up front and Wyllie and Ross ■ Loffhagen provided the mastery at the back of the scrum.

John Munro, more so in the first half, and Shane Nesbitt, for his determined tackling, were most prominent in the Glenmark back-line. Although the smallest forward on the field, Joe - Velutich, the Kaiapoi flanker, was among the gamest. He had an outstanding match and received strong support from Andy Stott and Wayne Pearce, the captain. The Kaiapoi back-line was disjointed too often and the inside backs were sometimes reluctant to tackle, but Dave Percasky and Kevin Allen each managed one useful break and there was a gritty performance by the right wing, Stephen Mottershead. For Glenmark, Andy Harrison and Wyllie scored tries and Pine added two penalties. Kaiapoi’s points came from two penalties kicked by Peter Sheehan.