Boost for Linwood

Press, 19 July 1983, Page 27

Boost for Linwood

The Linwood High School First rugby XV boosted its morale no end with its convincing, 21-6 victory over the rising Xavier College XV last Wednesday. Linwood’s only other win this season has been against Cashmere High School, although the side has performed well in some of the lost encounters.

It all came together last Wednesday. Richard Faaope was outstanding with his twohanded lineout takes, while Perenise Faletanoai kicked brilliantly at goal, including one successful shot from 50 metres.

Clinton Dalzell, a sturdy prop, played Very well too, capping his performance with a fine try from a tap penalty. Linwood was back on the debit side of the ledger last Saturday, but the side did well to hold Bumside High' to 8-4. David King, a flanker, scored Linwood’s try, a good effort following a scrum close to the line, while Bumside’s two touchdowns came from defensive errors. With Faaope out

injured, Linwood struggled in the lineouts, and Bumside showed a little more control up front. Linwood High, now with a second XV to provide depth, will be back in the top flight next season and looking to improve on its performance, although only four players will be back next year. Christ’s College had a costly lesson in the intricacies of the rules last Tuesday. The penalised side must retire 10 metres from the mark where the penalty is awarded, and must not advance if .the ball is taken back from the mark to be played. This is more obvious if the ball is taken back a little to allow more latitude for a tap penalty move, but not so obvious when it is taken well back for a shot at goal. When Boy’s High’s James Whelan attempted that crucial penalty goal last Tuesday, all of the College players should have been behind the goal-line. In that match, the back play# seemed to suffer through big match nerves, but there was

some very good forward play. Richard Jenman looked a fine prospect as a lock for Boys’ High, and Anton van der Wilt, Jenman’s opposite in the number five jersey for College, also looked good. Richard Allison (College) and Andrew Kennedy were useful supporting locks, while College’s tall, rangy No. 8, Dan Batchelor, impressed with his performance.

Batchelor’s opposite, Peter Wairau, scored two vital tries, he took a knock in scoring the first amid a welter of bodies, but came back well to make scoring look easy when he detached from the back of a five-metre scrum, midway through the second half.

Boys’ High’s halfback, the ebullient little Stuart Thomson, scored the side’s other try, scuttling under a scrum which had reeled back over the College line. There are presumably some lads in the Old Boys’ fourteenth grade side who will be looking forward to emulating the feats of their elders in the High School First XV in the

next few years. Jeff Allott is playing very well at second five-eigthts for that Old Boys side, as are lan Hamilton, the No. 8 and John McPhail, a prop. The Hegan brothers, Craig, a wing, and Richie, the hooker, show promise along with the halfback, Shane Stanley. Old Boys played Burnside recently, a team captained by Greg Murray, an outstanding flanker. Paul Brady, Daaron Reynolds and Andrew Cochrane are good tight forwards. In the backs, Ray Sefton is a small, willing wing, a fine tackler, while Brendan Calder and Matthew Hill are others to impress.

Suburbs is performing well in the eleventh grade, with Craig Caesar, Kent O’Malley and Ricky Davidson working well up front. The inside back combination of Tony Grose and Michael Owens continues to perform well in an over-all team effort this season; it includes only three losses, two by close margins.