Canty forwards excel

Press, 12 July 1984, Page 44

Canty forwards excel

The backs were credited with all except one of the eight tries scored by a Canterbury XV in its 41-6 rugby victory against' Ellesmere at Leeston yesterday, but the forwards were largely responsible for most of them.

It was a steam-rolling performance by the Canterbury pack, and the Ellesmere forwards had no answer. Ellesmere yielded ground in every scrum, the line-out leapers were unable to match Pat O’Gorman and Mike Fransen, and the forwards had a frustrating time trying to locate and stop the heart of Canterbury forward drives.

Canterbury’s mauling was quite superb, the forwards keeping close attendance as they wheeled and peeled, smuggling the ball from one to another until the call for the release came from their half-back, Garry Barkle.

Because of some basic errors, Canterbury squan-

dered chances in the first half and, although it was ahead 13-0 at half-time, Ellesmere had achieved a territorial advantage. However, the pressure on its scrum had the forwards in disarray and the Ellesmere backs were unable to work rehearsed moves.

The Canterbury players combined more smoothly from the start of the second half, scored twice inside the first lOmin, and Don Hayes could not raise a response from his Ellesmere men as the points continued to pile against them. In the final few minutes, Ellesmere managed some second-phase ball and the backs showed that they could move with the same speed and determination as their opposites. The second-five-eighths, Arthur Marsh, scored the game’s final try, and it was a very worthy effort. Ellesmere’s players tackled extremely well in the first half, Phil Wilkin-

son, the hooker, doing his share and the centre, Mark Saunders, being airborne when making some crunching mid-field tackles. But the Canterbury pack excelled in the tight and in the loose where Barry White, Na Katae and Peter McLaren, fearlessly flung themselves among flailing feet to secure vital secondphase possession. The backs also combined well, especially in the second half, with Steve Hansen, Craig McDowell and David Farrant all able to glide through a disillusioned Ellesmere defence.

Tries for Canterbury were scored by Brent Winks two, Bill Anderson two, McDowell, Farrant, White and Allan Edge. Colin Williamson kicked one conversion and a penalty goal and Farrant added two conversions. Marsh scored Ellesmere’s try and Neville Carter was successful with the conversion.