Kiwis stop Hull’s unbeaten run

Press, 24 October 1980, Page 24

Kiwis stop Hull’s unbeaten run

NZPA London The touring Kiwis rugby league team brilliantly broke Hull Kingston Rover’s present unbeaten run with a 20-12 victory at Hull yesterday morning (New Zealand time). Hull Kingston Rovers, who were the rugby league champions two years ago, have had the present longest unbeaten run in all matches with ten wins. But this came to an end in no uncertain manner yesterday;, and the Taranaki prop, Bruce Gall, was the star of the Kiwi team. There was an early flare-up in the forwards but, the refere, Fred Lindop, spoke, firmly to both packs and there was no more trouble, in spite of fierce tackling by both sides. The Kiwis went to the lead early in the match when Gary Kemble kicked a penalty after four minutes, but he missed with a second chance after Gary Prohm was fouled near the line. Kemble missed again from in front of the posts, but Hubbard also missed one for Hull K. R. The Kiwis’ first try came after 24 minutes when Mark Broadhurst put Gall over and Barry Edkins converted. Hull, managed and coached by the legendary Roger Millward, who recently announced his retirement as a player after 15 years of top flight football because of yet another broken jaw, put a try on the board when the scrum half, Paul Harkin, sold a dummy and went over unopposed. Hubbard’s successful kick narrowed the gap to two points. The New Zealanders showed their form in the last five minutes of the spell when Gall went over twice.

i Nolan Tupaea had set up a ' good position and Leuluai : made the break to give Gall ■ an easy run-in for the first i one. Then the big prop sent ■ Gall flying to go over for his I third try. Edkins converted both of i them. The Kiwis seemed to run . out of steam after this, and . Hull, although depleted by ini juries which left it with only eleven men for the last 12 I minutes of the game, chipped ■ away at their lead. i The former test star, Phil ■ Lowe, went over in the forty nineth minute and ten mini utes later Phil Hogan kicked ■ a penalty to cut the margain • to 17-10. : But John Whittaker put the > Kiwis further ahead with a i fine breakaway try after Broadhurst had again made I the running. 1 Hogan took Hull’s tally to • 12 with a penalty, but he misI sed two other shots. ■ Hull suffered a bad blow in ■ the loss of its stand-off half, Steve Hartley, who had made i his test debut in Wigan where he marked Fred Ah Kuoi, I with a fractured wrist. Hartley, very fast and in > outstanding club form, will be ; out for the rest of the ser--1 ies - The Kiwis’ manager, Mr I Ces Mountford was full of praise for the Kiwis’ play in • the first half, but he said they ■ made a lot of handling mis- : takes in the second halt • “They went into the game ' determined to make up for i errors at Bradford and I think i they were trying to prove ■ themselves,” he said. I The New Zealanders go to i Scarborough today for training and will return to Harro- ; gate tomorrow before their ' match against Leeds on Sunday.