Wgtn given first use of wind

Press, 20 September 1982, Page 17

Wgtn given first use of wind

The Canterbury captain Don Hayes, surprised most people when, after winning the toss, he elected to play into the wind in the first half The forecast had been for only a mild northerly, freshening late in the day. but it was a strong wind from around midday and the toss therefore became important.

It has become common practice for the side winning the toss to play with the wind in the first spell, something of a "use it while it s there" philosophy.

But Hayes saw it different He did discuss the matter with the Canterbury coach. Alex Wyllie. but Mr Wvllie said that while he offered an opinion the final decision rested with Hayes. "It may have been a risk, but 1 felt we were in good enough shape, mentally as well as physically, to hold them in the first half into the wind." said Haves.

"In the second spell I thought the game would probably open up and I had a feeling we were the filter side. It's so much harder to play into the wind when you are getting tired." The wind did drop appreciably in the last 10 minutes, and this was noticeable when Robbie Deans converted Wavne Smith's trv.

The ball was on target for the posts all the way, whereas for his first penalty earlier in the half, from much the same angle, Deans counted on. and got. a big late swing to draw the ball in between the uprights. Hayes suffered injured ribs early' in the second spell and the'pain eventually forced him to leave the fie’ld in the sixty-eighth minute. "the pain in having to leave the field, was greater.

but it was no time for a passenger." said Hayes later. He remained in his football gear and returned to accept the shield at the presentation immediately after the game. John Masefield replaced Hayes and the captaincy for the last 20 minutes was in the hands of John Ashworth, who had led the team on to the field to mark his one hundredth game for Canterburv.

"Ten minutes from the finish I was starting to wonder if being captain was such a good idea, but when Wayne Smith scored I felt a lot better, and better still when Robbie Deans added the conversion.” said Ashworth.

In captaining, if only for a lime, Canterbury in a successful shield challenge, Ashworth matched Mr Wyllie, who was playing his' one hundredth game for Canterbury. when he led the side to victory against Auckland in 1972. '

Both Mr Wyllie and his coaching partner. Doug Bruce, confessed to "feeling the strain." especially towards the finish when Wellington was leading and getting all the ball.

"At half-time I was reasonably satisfied, but I knew that unless we got points quickly in the second spell it was going to be very difficult. The Wellington forwards really hit us hard in those last 15 minutes," said Mr Wyllie. He was actually under the stand for a time, seeing to Hayes. “I think it was even worse down there, not knowing what was happening."

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