Canty beats Wasps

Press, 23 April 1984, Page 26

Canty beats Wasps

PA Rotorua The Canterbury rugby team added another scalp to its fine record when it beat the star-studded Wasps, 3120, at the Rotorua National Stadium yesterday. The season’s opening first class fixture attracted a crowd of 12,000 and they were treated to a game of attacking rugby played on a perfect surface and in ideal weather conditions.

Two even packs cancelled each other in most phases except the line-outs, where Tony Thorpe was in excellent form for Canterbury to give it a definite edge. Thorpe and the captain, Don Hayes, were in great early season form but the pack in general looked very sharp. Alan Dawson, Alistair Robinson and Steven McDowell turned in excellent games for the Wasps with Dawson arguably the best player on the field; but it was the ability of Canterbury’s backline to make better use of its possession that swung the game its way. Bruce Deans and Wayne Smith directed play well and the speedy backline grabbed all its opportunities.

Andrew Donald, the Wasps half-back, turned in an impressive game and lan Dunn showed a little of his magic,

Scorers: Canterbury 31 (Andrew McMasters 2, Don Hayes, Jock Hobbs, Richard Moffatt tries; Rod Latham 4 conversions, penalty); Wasps 20 (lan Dunn, Frank Shelford, Arthur Stone, Kawhena Woodman, tries; Mark Finlay two conversions).