Maoris end rugby season on high note

Press, 5 September 1983, Page 18

Maoris end rugby season on high note

The Canterbury Maoris rugby team has met with little success this season, but it finished its representative programme on a high note at Linfield Park on Saturday when it beat North Canterbury, 25-15. Both teams had several regular players missing, but the Maoris settled down better. Each side had periods where it held the ascendancy, but neither could sustain the advantage for any length of time. Ironically, it was North Canterbury which kept up

the most concerted attack, In the last 10 minutes, it camped near the Maoris line, yet failed to score, and the Maoris sealed the game with a breakaway try in the last second. Victory was well deserved for the Maoris. They scored five tries to three, but the manner in which they played into a strong head wind was much more purposeful than that of North Canterbury, The Maoris did not seem to have enough points on the board at half-time when

they led 10-7 after having the wind at their backs. When Robbie McGregor scored six minutes into the second half to give North Canterbury the lead for the first time, the Maoris seemed doomed.

However, they showed commendable grit, tackled tenaciously, and put the limited amount of ball they won in the forwards to better use in the backline.

North Canterbury looked most dangerous in the last quarter when it stopped

kicking aimlessly and tried to attack through its backs. The forwards supported the moves well, but a couple of handling errors and determined tackling by the opposition restricted North Canterbury to eight points in the second half whereas the Maoris added 15. The Maoris loose-forward trio of Brent Whakataka, Lamen Hohaia, and Scott Williams was outstanding in disrupting the North Canterbury backs and all three stood out for some crunching runs.

Ralph Robertson, who fittingly scored the final try for the Maoris, gave a gutsy display at half-back, and the aggressive running of Steve Menihera and the skilful side-stepping of Kahui Watling, gave the Maoris more penetration than their opposites.

The experienced McGregor was a strong runner and defender for North Canterbury, although his chances were limited on the wing, and Kevin Allen made a few incisive breaks at centre. The best of the forwards

were Don Rennie, Paul McGarva and the hooker, Dave Burrows. Scorers:—

For Canterbury Maoris, tries to Rikai Perene 2, George Poutu, Menihera and Robertson. Eddie Symonds kicked a conversion and penalty goal. The North Canterbury tries were scored by McGarva, McGregor and Tony Harris, Kevin Graham adding a penalty goal. In the curtain-raiser, North Canterbury Colts beat Canterbury Maoris under 23, 9-4.