Central makes it into Tooth Cup

Press, 11 August 1980, Page 3

Central makes it into Tooth Cup

By

JOHN COFFEY

The national inter-districts rugby league competition was as much a mathematical exercise as a test of football skills during and after the final round matches at Wellington and Auckland on Saturday. Auckland came back strongly into contention when, with its opponent reduced to 12 men because of injuries, it scored 15 points in the last 13 minutes to beat Northern, 37-17, at Carlaw Park.

Meanwhile, South and Central were engaged in a closer tussle at Rugby League Park, Wellington. South by then needed victory by about 17 points, but it had to be content with an 18-10 success. The results left Central, Auckland and South with identical records of two wins and one loss. Both Central and Auckland had scored 16 more points than they had conceded in the competition, and South had a more modest differential of plus nine. However, the system to find the winner is a percentage one, the division of points against into points for, and it favours the side

with the best’ defensive performance. Central therefore will represent New Zealand in the rich 1981 Tooth Cup contest in Australia, its percentage (138) having been marginally better than those of Auckland (127) and South (119).

It was scant consolation for South’s players that they had been the first to beat Central in two seasons of districts’ football. They will long have cause to rue the defensive errors which cost them so dearly against Auckland late last month. A draw in that game — and the totals were tied at 19-19 with just two minutes left — would have been enough to top the points table. Results and scorers on Saturday were.—

South 18 (B. J. Green, K. A. Franklin, P. W. Truscott, P. G. Klink tries; M. W. J. O’Donnell three goals) beat Central 10 (N. J. Tupaea, G. L. West tries; Tupaea two goals). Half-time, South. 5-0. Auckland 37 (T. Fepuleai four, J. D. Smith two, S. Varley tries; G. Kemble eight goals) heat Northern 17 (W. Kells, K. L. Fisher, R. Sinclair tries; S. Dunstan four goals). Half-tinie, 18-7. Points were.—

W L F A Pts % Central 2 1 58 42 4 138 Auckland 2 1 74 58 4 127 South 2 1 56 47 4 119 Northern 0 3 47 82 0 50 (South-Central report, page 18).