Hornby deprives Runanga of shield

Press, 20 September 1982, Page 32

Hornby deprives Runanga of shield

From PAT TAYLOR, in Greymouth Marty Crequer’s conversion kick sent the ball soaring between the uprights, and Hornby supporters went delirious as its side lifted the Thacker Shield, the symbol of South Island club rugby league supremacy. 19-17, from the holder. Rurianga. at Wingham Park. Greymouth, yesterday afternoon. Runanga had led. 14-9. at half-time in a match played on a : heavy ground, but Hornby had levelled the score part way through the second spell. The match was a tense

struggle, and a boil-over came after 25 minutes into the second spell, when a linesman. Mr Keith Murdoch, reported the Hornby scrumhalf, Paul Wallace; to the referee. Mr David Kines. for kicking, and Wallace was dispatched to the showers. Hornbv, soldiered on with 12 players — actually 11 and a half, as replacement forward. Geoff Hines, courageously limped from scrum to scrum for much of the second spell knowing that his side had already used its two substitutes. Runanga lost some of its forward nbwer and scrum

ball when the captain and hooker. John Griffin — named by the West Coast supporters club the night before as its player of the year — was forced to retire with a gashed mouth. With time running out. Runanga was throwing attack after attack' at the Hornby defence but on atleast three occasions fumbled possible tries bv either spilling the greasy ball forward, or passing forward.Runanga. however, appeared, to have the game in hand and history made in .retaining the shield for a fourth year, when a wing.

Stephen Low, scored wide out. But in the last two minutes. Hornby battled its way upfield, and Wayne Wallace. the Hornby loose forward, found his way over the line to score and level the ;scores. Crequer’s conversion gave the shield to Hornby as full-time sounded. . . Despite the heavy nature of the ground — the result of heavy rain in the morning — ■both sides attempted to spin the ball at every opportunity, but the defences for the most part were equal to the occasion. Runanga at one stage was

out to’a 14-2 lead, then n »-z 14-4. but the kicker of Hornby’s two penalty goals, Bruce Cooper, was injured and replaced by Steve Phair. Phair almost scored for Hornby in the opening minutes of the second half when he kicked through, and seemed to. have'the defence beaten on his follow through run. but his feet disappeared from under him only three metres from the line. The young West Coast centre and goalkicker. Dan Lee. played a- heady game for his side to take out one of the players-of-the-day award; the other going to the

unrnhv second rower. Ross Taylor, wnu a particularly effective worker in the tight and open. For Hornby tries were scored by Paul Wallace’. lan Gear and Wayne Wallace, with Cooper kicking two penalty goals and Crequer converting all three tries. For Runanga. tries were scored by Chris Menzies. Glen Gibb, and Stephen Low. with Lee kicking two penalty goals and two conversions. In the curtain-raiser. Greymouth High School beat John Paul H High School. 14-3. in the annual fixture for the inter-collegiate-Rugby League Cup.