Sound Canterbury effort in rugby

Press, 26 July 1984, Page 40

Sound Canterbury effort in rugby

From

BARRY SIMPSON

in Blenheim As a run-up to its first Ranfurly Shield defence next Wednesday, yesterday’s 20-12 win over Marlborough could be viewed with some satisfaction by Canterbury. Canterbury held a greater territorial advantage throughout a match which failed to reach any heights. The weather, not the players, dictated how the game should be played, and Canterbury, playing the greasy conditions better, won deservedly. Canterbury’s score included three tries. All Marlborough’s points came off the boot of young Ross Wilcock, who dropped a goal from a free-kick and also slotted three penalty goals.

Both teams made valiant efforts to move the ball through the backs, but in the second half too many dropped or ill-directed passes demanded a tightening of strategies. The referee, Mr Lyall Daines, celebrating 21 years of refereeing with his fiftieth first class match, found much in Canterbury’s line-out techniques worthy of censure and many of the

15 penalties awarded against the visitors originated from there.

It was Dale Atkins, Canterbury’s man of the match, who so often spear-headed his team’s drives into Marlborough territory. With Atkins, Don Hayes and Pat O’Gorman winning good line-out ball, Atkins and Barry White were free to roam in the open. The Canterbury scrum moved the Marlborough pack back metres at a time, and it was on one such occasion that Atkins scored from a pushover try. The left wing, Adrian Boyd, snapped up the few chances that came his way — two of them resulting in tries — and he and the right wing, Brad Stringer, looked for business all day. Victor Simpson and James Leggat were given little rein by their markers, Paul Phillips and Paul Karena. Phillips had a couple of runs and impressed as a nicely-balanced player with attacking potential.

The Marlborough first five-eighths, Wilcock, aged 19, also has an impressive style and even more impressive boot. The first three penalty shots at goal he missed were also the last

he missed. Rod Latham’s goal kicking was a mixture of good and indifferent. From one badly hooked shot late in the second half, a ' Marlborough fumble by the line let a flying Boyd in for a try. The Marlborough captain, Jim Love, gave Marlborough some parity with Canterbury in the line-outs until he had to leave the field five minutes into the second half. Then Ken Hart left the reserves bench and dominated the match from Marlborough’s point of view for the next 35 minutes. Marlborough made many dabs into Canterbury territory, but notwithstanding some good loose play by Terry Wilson, could not notch a try. Kerry Keenan, at second five-eighths, was named Marlborough’s Man of the Match. Canterbury led 10-3 at half time (tries to Atkins and Boyd and a conversion by Latham) to 3 (dropped goal by Wilcock). A try by Boyd and two penalty goals by Latham provided Canterbury with another 10 points in the second half. Latham kicked three penalty goals.