Big first half carries Canty XV to victory

Press, 15 July 1982, Page 32

Big first half carries Canty XV to victory

An excellent display of efficency and control in the first half, which resulted in 24 points, took a Canterbury XV to a comfortable 40-6 win against North Canterbury in their rugby match at the Rangiora Show Grounds yesterday. The Canterbury team was rampant in the first spell, the forwards providing a feast of possession which the backs did not waste. The backs rap with purpose, timed their passes well, and threatened ,to run riot against a defence that was more than a little suspect. Ahead 24-3 at half-time, Canterbury looked set to score a half-century of points.

To . North Canterbury's credit, it came back in the second half with a much more concerted and determined effort. Persistent pressure forced mistakes by the

Canterbury players and the discipline and control exhibited by Canterbury in .the first half did not reappear in the second 40 minutes.

Canterbury had a dream start. A bad defensive blunder by the North Canterbury full-back resulted in Mdik Meates running 40m to score unopposed in the second minute. ,

The Canterbury loose forward trio of Meates, his University team-mate, Dale Atkins, and Peter McLaren, gave North Canterbury all sorts of problems in the first half. Their ascendancy allowed the half-back, Steve Baker, and the first fiveeighths, John Lindsay, to plot the plan of attack and they did that most ably. Canterbury might have been further ahead at halftime had not the wings, Mark Macintosh and Craig McDowell, decided to go

alone after having made the initial thrust. Both had support on hand with the defence in tatters, but they unsuccessfully tried to break the last barrier. North Canterbury, with a better share of possession and a more dedicated effort in its tackling, knocked Canterbury off-stride in the second half. Canterbury scored the only try of the half but it was called upon to defend equally as much as it was allowed to attack. . Lindsay and Burleigh, the Canterbury five-eighths, were sound tacticians for their team and were competent in defence when required in the second half. Andrew McMaster, the full-back, enhanced his growing reputation, adding impetus to attacking movements and proving reliable on defence. Canterbury’s forward effort was not so complete in the second half and' the loose trio was certainly not aS dominant. Don'Symon and Mike Fransen stuck to their duties and Bob Davison was a relentless pursuer of the ball.

For North Canterbury, Jack Burrows was a solid grafter and Dori Rennie tackled assiduously. The North Canterbury wings, Lamen Hohaia and Steve Mottershead, received chances in the second half and made some telling assaults. Their defence, however, did not match their attacking skills. For the Canterbury XV. Meates (3), Baker and McMaster scored tries; McMaster added two conversions and two penalty goals. North Canterbury’s points came from penalty goals by Kevin Graham and Alistair Roberts.