Sound Tooth Cup trial

Press, 15 February 1982, Page 27

Sound Tooth Cup trial

By

JOHN COFFEY

Rugby league in mid-Feb-ruary might be regarded by some as a form of summer madness, but the candidates for the South Island side slipped quite easily into a footballing frame of mind in the first Tooth Cup trial at the Show Grounds on Saturday evening. The South coach, Ces Clark, and convener of the selection panel, HarryWalker, had good reason to express their satisfaction at the fitness and skills shown by the players. For the re-

cord, a South XIII beat a Invitation XIII, 28-18.

The players, too, recognised that their team-mates and rivals had been conscientious in their off-season fitness programmes. It was evident that South has a fair measure of depth and that competition for the Tooth Cup squad will be fierce.

One of more heartening aspects was the absence of any serious injuries on the dauntingly hard playing surface. Bumps and bruises were inevitable for there

was little quarter given at the tackle, but any fears that such an early start w'ould produce a crop of disabilities were unfounded.

Indeed, those who were recovering from mishaps of last winter passed their fitness tests. Gordon Smith was as lively as ever at stand-off half in the Invitation side, and Tony Coll, at loose forward, was not restricted in his movements. The trial teams, as expected. were evenly matched, and only two tries

in the last few .minutes carried South clear. The Invitation XIII had led. 15-5. at one stage, but South dominated the third quarter. If South has particular strength in any area it is in the inside backs. Smith and Wally’ Wilson combined smoothly. Murray French was consistent behind the South scrum, and David Field characteristically created gaps for his outside men.

Paul Truscott and John Griffin tied their hooking

duel at 14-14. and Truscott was responsible for a number of decisive breaks. Mike Smith joined South’s ranks as a second-half replacement, and made his mark with two smart tries.

What deficiencies there were in handling and positional play were understandable and’ not too frequent. The very purpose of the trial—and the next at Greymouth on February 28—was to assist in eliminating such problems before South sets off on its hard Tooth Cup campaign. Scorers:

South 28 (M. J. Smith, two, P. W. Truscott. P. Harris. B. J. Green, M. R. French, D. A. Perkins, G. C. Roberts, tries; Perkins, two goals) beat Invitation XIII 18 (M. J. Williams, two, G. J. Smith, J. Rangihuna, tries, L. E. Hudson, three goals).