Runaway win places Hornby in league grand final

Press, 5 September 1983, Page 3

Runaway win places Hornby in league grand final

By

JOHN COFFEY

It would not surprise if the Sydenham captaincoach, David Field, reconsiders his plan to show his players video replays of Hornby’s 35-4 victory over Papanui in the preliminary final of the Canterbury rugby league championship at the Show Grounds yesterday. Sydenham, having already qualified for the grand final next Sunday, had its video equipment in operation to analyse the performance of its opponent. But the Sydenham squad would hardly need reminding of how Hornby achieved its biggest win over Papanui since 1963. Nor would its confidence be boosted by the probability that replays would disclose that Hornby is capable of further lifting its standard. Hornby ran in six tries, while ruining several other excellent opportunities, and Barry Edkins slipped smoothly into his goal-kick-ing groove. It is certain, though, that the Sydenham pack will present a more forthright

defence than that mustered by the much smaller Papanui forward formation yesterday. Papanui dearly missed the services of Doug Thompson, who was forced to withdraw because of illness. With Edkins in his alternative role of stand-off half, Hornby effectively had seven hardened forwards to batter down Papanui’s resistance around the play-the-balls. There was no respite for Papanui, either, when Alan Davis and Mel Tihore replaced Stu Wells and Graham Larson in the second spell. Ross Taylor would probably still have been chosen as the “man of the match” even if he had not capped a rousing all-round display with the first and last of Hornby’s tries. Taylor was ever to the forefront of Hornby’s forward assaults and the firmness of his tackling shook the composure of his opponents. He had at his shoulder his brother, Dean, and Wells and Larson, the latter among the try-scorers for a fourth consecutive match. Gary McLauchlan marred

an otherwise enterprising effort with suspect handling, but Wayne Wallace roved with his customary success when probing for gaps or covering Papanui’s rare breaks. Apart from the scrumhalf, Steve Hann, Edkins and, in the opening half, John Griffiths, the Hornby backs filled a subsidiary role. It was logical that Hornby should capitalise on Papanui’s pack problems, and one might expect more back-line thrusts when Marty Crequer returns to the centres next Sunday. Edkins missed only one of his last six kicks, deftly dropped a field goal from 40 metres, and was positioned to score a try after Davis had made the initial running. Hann hared off for his try, which had Hornby 17-4 ahead at the interval, when he ranged up outside Ross Taylor and Wallace, and Griffiths intelligently kicked ahead and won the chase for his touch-down. Papanui was devoid of ideas to stop Hornby’s progress. Its physical deficiencies in the forward ex-

changes were exaggerated by looseness close to the play-the-balls, and the outside backs might well have applied for the unemployment benefit so infrequently were they brought into the action. Certainly, Papanui had an equal share of the ball. But its error-rate was alarming — poor passing and inaccurate kicking regularly turning the ball back to Hornby. Indeed, Papanui’s most promising scoring chance came from an interception by Kelvin Kelly, who was collared just short of the try-line by Vaughan Low. Any prospect of Papanui staging a revival with the wind at its back in the second half was extinguished just two minutes after the resumption. Hornby wrested a tight-head from a scrum, Hann drew the defence, and Larson was on hand to accept an in-pass and keep Hornby thoroughly in command. The most experienced Papanui forwards, John Cole and Gary Taie, did their utmost to turn the tide. But such was Hornby’s

resolve in midfield, they were forced wide, cramping Papanui’s backs and not over-extending the Hornby cover. If there is any disappointment in Hornby’s camp it would be derived from its non-inclusion in the national Tusk Cup knock-out tournament. Canterbury was the only major league to nominate its teams in August, and Hornby, which has now accumulated 140 points in its last three games and conceded only one try in 160 minutes of football, did not qualify under the method used. But it might be compensation that Hornby can fully concentrate on next Sunday’s grand final against Sydenham, a match it will probably start as a warm favourite. Details.— Hornby 35 (R. H. Taylor two, J. R. Griffiths, B. R. Edkins, S. J. Hann, G. C. Larson tries; Edkins five goals, field goal) beat Papanui 4 (B. W. Nicholson two goals). Half-time, 17-4. Scrums, Hornby, 11-9. Penalties, Papanui, 15-11. Referee, Mr K. Ireland.