Meates, Simpson in command

Press, 9 August 1982, Page 13

Meates, Simpson in command

The individual brilliance of the strapping University flanker. Mark Meates, and the ebullient centre, Vic Simpson, coupled with the whole-hearted effort of their team-mates proved too much for New Brighton in the crucial C.S.B. Trophy match on Lancaster Park oval.

The two teams were uncompromising in their approach, the tackling fiercely competitive and there were periods of bright, open play to go with the many torrid forward exchanges. New Brighton had the’ better of the first half, but only had a one-point lead to show for its superiority. The second spell belonged to University A, the mercurial Simpson dancing a merry tune through the usually reliable Brighton defence. It was Simpson who sealed the match 12 minutes from the finish. University was ahead 9-7 and Brighton’s attempt to run the ball from inside its own 22m resulted in Simpson robbing his opposite of the ball and scoring unopposed. . Meates roamed freely and it was fitting that he was on hand to receive a pass from Simpson and open University’s scoring account. ■ . University packed a solid scrum and the props, Phil Robson and John Edmondson, made life uncomfortable for their opposites. Yet Brighton’s capable hooker. Bob Davison, secured six of the match’s eight tight-heads.

Davison was the outstanding Brighton forward and' he broke through a line-out to score for the seasiders and place them ahead, 4-0, after 19 minutes. But Brighton's ’ only other points came from a great 55m penalty goal by Stephen Blackler on the call of half-time.

Jan Stewart helped give University a slight advantage from

the line-outs, but the stirring work of his fellow forwards stifled the usual effectiveness of the Brighton loose forward trio. MARIST PREVAILS A sharp little try by Steve Baker 9 minutes into the second half put Marist in front of Shirley for the first time, and set it on the road to a well-earned victory. Some deft goal-kicking by Bernie Stewart built on the advantage and although Robbie Yates

scored a try for Shirley from a “flying wedge” tap penalty movement, time was then up on the clock. Marist’s try came, fittingly, from a line-out, Baker slipping through and diving for the line from the resulting maul. Kevin Milne and Mark Connell had dominated the Shirley pairing of Roger Smith and Kerry Mitchell, and by game’s end they had made the line-out count 22-9 in Marist’s favour.

Milne won the "player of the day” award for his work in the

tight and in the line-outs. Marist had an edge over Shirley in second phase play and although it was slightly down on the scrum count, Tony Katting took two tight-heads to one by Shirley’s Yates. If Marist’s forwards laid the platform for victory, the backs had their moments on attack. Garry Hooper came into the line often from the blindside wing and he almost always found a way through, with the men inside him setting him up deftly. Shirley lost Stuart Mitchell towards the end with a recurrence of his shoulder injury and the veteran No. 8 can not have been satisfied with the part he e. To attempt to counter ’s dominance at three and five in the line-out, Shirley used long throws' to the back quite frequently. But the throws were often astray and Mitchell’s jumping ability was often wasted. GREEN SHINES Three grand tries to Craig ' Green, playing from full-back, and fine goal-kicking by the first fivereighths for the day, Robbie Deans, carried Christchurch to an easy win over Burnside in the curtain-raiser at Rugby Park. Bumside wrested a good share of possession from the makeshift Christchurch pack, but it struggled to mount the sweeping, movements for which it has become renowned. Those movements which did make significant ground broke down through handling mistakes with the line in clear sight. There was one exception, but it came right at the end of the match. A brilliant side-stepping run out of defence by David Farrant, in which the young fullback must have covered almost 100 m with his switches of ground, led to a consolation try to John Lindsay.

Ron Grossi's try, 12 minutes into the *match 'after Christchurch had scored nine points inside the first smin. came from a movement which looked destined to fail from the outset. Grossi took the ball standing still after a back had jinked in and across field, but Grossi's dummy pass somehow fooled the Christchurch defence and he did well to gather pace and score. Green was impeccable at fullback for Christchurch. He was always well positioned on defence, but it was the splendid anticipation of his support play on • attack that made him the outstanding figure of the match. POOR DISPLAY Belfast and Linwood ably demonstrated why they were but of the running for the C.S.B. Trophy by playing aimless, mediocre football at Sheldon Park. The handling, especially Linwood's. was appalling, the forward play often muddling, and the attacks, with the exception of one or two second-half Linwood efforts, lacked originality and guile. Belfast prevailed through the old Welsh tactics of chiselling towards the goal-line and then forcing a way across by sheer weight of mimbers. It did this three times, for three tries, and after the third effort a Linwood player picked up the ball and hurled it at a Belfast man.

-The referee, Mr Alan Taylor, called both captains together and spoke to them sternly about surly play. Mr Taylor was also at pains to see that no-one was injured by the bad packing in the scrums and the sloppy rucking; he sounded warnings to the forwards several times. But despite his concern, injuries cropped up often, and the players were fortunate that a very fit St John Ambulance team was on the job.