Canterbury excels in dramatic win over N.S.W.

Press, 11 August 1980, Page 32

Canterbury excels in dramatic win over N.S.W.

By

KEVIN McMENAMIN

Australia might have some very smart rugby players but they can still be beaten by a New Zealand side that relies on traditional forward power with the complement of backs who are proficient in the game’s basic skills.

Canterbury proved this to the delight of a crowd of ibout 12,000 at Lancaster Park yesterday when it came from 16-6 down at half-time to beat the visiting New South Wales state side, 2220.

It was a tremendous game, the players hardly ,tired at all by the large mud patches just • out from the grandstand touchline. With New South Wales having a try advantage of four to two, Canterbury could be considered a little lucky to win. At the same time, however, it was still a vintage display by the Canterbury forwards and the best performance by the team as a whole on Lancaster Park for many a day. The “Man of the match” award just had to go to the visiting full-back, Glen Ella. He staked his claim in the opening minutes when he made a long run that very nearly brought a try and then, a few minutes later, brilliantly scooped up the ball one-handed out of a mud patch, beat an on-com-ing Canterbury player and coolly bounced the ball into touch.

Later Ella was to improve on this when he single-hand-edly cut the Canterbury defence to ribbons on the way to a brilliant try. Throughout the game he repeatedly astonished the crowd with his deft step and ability to get an attack moving from defensive situations.

His twin brother, Mark, was content to serve mainly

i as a link at first five- : eighths, and his class was ■ reflected in safe hand, a tidy : little tactical kick and, the surest sign of all, time always to carry out his intentions. Although not playing at all badly, Canterbury looked doomed to lose at half-time. One or two missed tackles had proved costly and while the forwards were winning plenty of ball the backs were finding their opponents as sound on defence as they were sharp on attack. But in the second spell the pack lifted its play several notches, driving forward with great determination and, by dominating possession, it cut the pipeline of set play possession to the New South Wales backs. It is doubtful if Graeme Higginson has ever played a better game for Canterbury, and he had turned out the previous day for his Hurunui sub-union which had an upset win over North Canterbury. Higginson was almost solely responsible . for Canterbury’s 15-9 line-out advantage (it was 14-5 in rucks) and, despite what some “experts” might say about good tight forwards staying buried in the tight, his mid-field charges were a vital factor in the secondhalf recovery. Peter McLaren and Pat O’Byrne also supplied plenty of well-directed muscle, and John Ashworth was all honest toil. The loose forwards had their problems in getting to the New South

Wales backs, but after a slow start they improved, especially Barney Henderson whose tackling was low and hard.

The Canterbury backs had similar problems, but once the centre, Paul Molloy, had warmed to his task the New South Wales backs were often stopped in their tracks. The difficulty for a start was getting to them. Molloy had a fine game and was very close to Higginson as Canterbury’s best player. With his tackling he more than made up for an early miss that allowed the tpurists to score their first try and his straight running was a feature of Canterbury’s vastly improved back play. On one occasion there was the rare sight in New Zealand rugby these days of the ball moving right through the chain and each back taking a finger-tip pass; Another rare sight was the excellence with which the high kick was used.

Rod Latham and Kieran Keane both placed some beautiful punts late in the game, when - New South Wales had the sun to contend with. Latham, in fact, had a very good game, displaying greater speed than he is credited with when scoring his try and also in getting across to make a tackle that very likely saved a try. Richard Wilson scored Canterbury’s other try, after Molloy had cleverly exploited an extra man situation, and Wilson, too, combined pace and decisiveness to produce one of his best games. ; Wilson may even take more credit for Canterbury’s win than his personal contribution of 15 points would suggest. In the last minute the New South Wales right wing, David Colishaw, raced clear with only Wilson to beat.

' Wilson made the tackle safely, although the matchwinning try Would undoubtedly have been scored if Colishaw had passed inside to Mark Ella Who was no more than jogging. Mick Mathers and John Cooligan were industrious forwards for New South Wales and the flanker, Andy Stewart, had an excellent first half, being unable to roam quite so much in the second spell. In the mid-field Michael Hawker and Mitchell Cox were an inventive pair, at least until Keane and Molloy figured out who was to crunch whom. Keane was in a very aggressive mood and he allowed his competitiveness to get out of hand a couple of times, notably when he tried to knock Glen Ella’s head off.

However, for the most part it was a fine game of rugby between two very good sides. By its win, Canterbury has furthered its distinguished record against overseas teams, but, perhaps of greater moment, it has shown that it has a team which could really go places this year. For Canterbury, tries by Rod Latham and Richard Wilson; Wilson three penalty goals and a conversion; Latham a dropped goal. For New South Wales, tries by David Colishaw, Glen Ella, Michael Hawker and Mark Ella; Bob McLean two conversions.