Auckland deservedly wraps up rugby title

Press, 4 October 1982, Page 48

Auckland deservedly wraps up rugby title

p.\ Wellington In its most complete display of the season, Auckland beat Wellington at Athletic Park yesterday, and wrapped up the national rugby championship first division title for the first time.

The title win came at a fitting time, for the 1983 season is Auckland's centenary year, and although the coach. Mr -John Hart, is unsure if he will be available again, he was highly satisfied vesterdav.

It may also have been a fitting finale for the Auckland full-back. Bryan Williams, who had made a comeback to top level rugby this season. He can choose to leave the first-class arena with another feather in his crammed cap. For the lock. Andy Haden, who placed his one hundredth first class game for his union yesterday, it was also an appropriate wind-up to the season. F'or Wellington, it was the

end oi the least-memorable winter for years. Wellington again played ineptly at times, making mistakes that this time last year were foreign to it. and allowing opponents to feed off its mistakes.

Enjoying a huge line-out advantage, Auckland often controlled play to operate virtually as it pleased. Grant Fox complemented the side's five tries with six goals from 11 attempts, to make the game a high-scoring one. The first signs of Auckland's purpose came in the seventh minute when Glenn Rich charged away from the back of a scrum to break the first tackle - a poor feature of Wellington's play — and dived in at the corner to

open a 7-0 lead. Williams scored the next try. in the twenty-eighth minute, and by then, Wellington were in big trouble at 619 (the other points all coming from kicks). Wellington's Allan Hewson, who kicked four penalties and a conversion, ended the season with 198 points.

Wellington fired better in the second half, with first Mike Clamp and then Stu Wilson scoring tries. Wilson's giving him 95 in first-class rugby.

A long Wellington drop-out in the seventieth minute summed up its woes. Williams pumped a long kick back into Wellington territorv. where the ball was

knocked forward. From the scrum, the Auckland backs moved the ball in orthodox fashion and John Collinson grabbed a try in the corner, taking Auckland to 31-16 and complete safety. ' The home team had a good spell late in the second half, when the two tries came, but it was well beaten. Wellington received 15 penalties and free kicks to Auckland's 10. but was cleaned out 7-24 in the line-outs. Rucks and mauls were shared evenly: Scorers:

Auckland 35 iGlenn Rich 2. John Collinson. Bryan Williams. Gary Whelton. tries; Grant Fox 3 penalties. 3 conversions).

Wellington 22 (Stu Wilson. Michael ("lamp, tries; Allan Hewson 4 penalties, conversion).