Honours to Coast in 9-9 draw

Press, 28 May 1981, Page 28

Honours to Coast in 9-9 draw

By

KEVIN McMENAMIN

It was not just a beautiful fine day and a summer hard ground that was unusual about Canterbury’s annual rugby match against West Coast at Greymouth yesterday.

The Coast side was a far better one than Canterbury is accustomed to meeting and it was the local side which took most of the honours from the 9-9 result.

Canterbury managed the only try of the game — scored with such ease by Kieran Keane just after halftime that at the time more seemed likely — but it was the eager-beaver West Coasters who gave Canterbury no other opportunities to score from either their own abilities or from enforced errors. The Coast pack was quite outstanding, starting with a hooker, Gary- Paterson, who topped his performance by grabbing three tightheads, without conceding one. to a back-row of Jon Sullivan. Graham McGurk and Blair Hopkins which was as good going forward as it was when in retreat. McGurk, in particular, terrorised the Canterbury inside backs who had enough problems of their own. making without having to avoid a flanker who often seemed to move at the pace of a pass. There was certainly only one team playing any struc-

tured rugby in the first half and the team was not Canterbury. The side’s biggest problem was clearing the ball to its backs, but then later, when the backs were given a run. West Coast ■ produced a two-wave defensive screen that was just about inpenetrable. j At the interval West Coast led, 6-0, the result of two penalty goals by its full-back, Stephen Boon. With three other attempts missing — two by Boon and one bv David ’ Foster — the lead could easily have been greater, arid Canterbury, which looked to be getting terribly frustrated by its bumbling efforts, would not have found a shoulder to cry on.

The second spell was only six minutes old before Canterbury had taken the lead. Robbie Deans, probably Canterbury’s best player, landed a penalty in the second minute and he kicked a better goal. when he converted Keanes blindside try four minutes later. But if the crowd started to think of Canterbury running away to its customary handsome win, the Coast players soon showed that they were in no mood to capitulate. With the forwards again setting the pace. West Coast regained the whip hand and it was obvious with Id minutes left that only a lucky try or a handy penalty was going to save Canterbury.