Marist in lead, Belfast now third, in senior rugby competition

Press, 1 July 1985, Page 22

Marist in lead, Belfast now third, in senior rugby competition

As Belfast plummeted to its third successive defeat in the Championship Cup senior rugby competition on Saturday, Marist piled on a halfcentury of points against Lincoln College and took the championship lead. With two rounds remaining in the round-robin Cup competition, Marist has reached the lead at a vital time and is in a good position to retain the cup it won last year. However, it can ill afford any lapse in its final two matches, against Linwood and then Belfast.

University won its sixth successive match on Saturday and is within one point of Marist. University can be expected to win its final two matches, against Albion and Shirley. Belfast’s rapid decline in recent weeks has followed a pattern established in other seasons whereby the side has started strongly and tapered off towards the end. However, it is still in third position and might have a chance of winning the cup if it can topple Marist in the last round.

Even though Belfast scored the only two tries of its match against Bumside, it lost through a dropkicked goal in the last minute. The prolific goal-scoring Bumside first five-eighths, Deane McKinnel, gave the knock-out blow after having kept his team in the match earlier by kicking five penalty goals. Results of the other matches were more predictable. Christchurch moved above Shirley on the points table by beating that team in a close but scrappy affair, and Old Boys were the more organised and disciplined side against Linwood, which will now be lucky to reach the top eight. New Brighton, helped by the return of the goal-kicking halfback, Ross Adler, ended a run of three losses, overcoming Albion by a deceptively big margin. Further down the table, two teams with equal points, Meri-vale-Papanui and Hornby, stayed on level terms, drawing 6-6, and Sydenham gained its fourth one-point result of the season by keeping the winning score of the opposition to within six points of its own. By scoring all 18 points for Burnside, McKinnel increased his lead at the top of the points scorers’ table. He has totalled 155 points, with Colin Williamson (Shirley) on 140 and Rod Latham (Christchurch) on 128. John Nelson was successful with his sixth drop-kicked goal of the season. It came at a crucial time for Suburbs and helped his team to a 6-3 win over Sydenham.

Burnside 18 Belfast 15 Bumside: D. McKinnel

dropped goal, five penalty goals. Belfast: K. Keane, A.

Boyd, tries; B. Hutchinson, two conversions, penalty goal. Referee: Mr M. L. Fitzgibbon. A dropped goal by Deane McKinnel from 25m in the last minute gave Burnside a win over Belfast in an error-ridden match at Burnside Park.

As in its previous match, Belfast had both a territorial and possession advantage, but its inability to turn possession into points again cost the side the match.

Although exciting because of the closeness of the scores — the teams were locked at 9-9 at half-time — the match as a spectacle was unattractive. The handling of both sets of backs was abysmal and the troubles were compounded by ill-judged kicking and running. Kieran Keane played a good game for Belfast at first fiveeighths and his opposite, McKinnel, after an uncertain start, played capably. His goalkicking — he kicked five goals from seven attempts — was a feature. Dane Reid, Mason Dalzell, and Rob Penney were the heart of the Burnside pack, while John Retallick, Theo Gomans, and Owen Rees showed up in the dominant Belfast eight. The least savoury feature of the match was the attitude adopted by both teams — there was always a nasty undercurrent which resulted in no points being awarded for sportsmanship to either team. High School Old Boys 24

Linwood 13 Old Boys: K. Flynn 2, N. Ward, D. Pool, tries; M. Reeves, conversion, penalty goal; J. Leggat, dropped goal. Linwood: G. Jones, try; A. McCormick, two penalty goals; S. Bacbop, dropped goal. Referee: Mr G. J. Anderson. After its fully committed effort the previous Saturday, Linwood was disappointing against High School Old Boys in a vital match for both teams at Linfield Park and paid the penalty. Old Boys, ahead 14-3 at half-time, deservedly won, 24-13. Old Boys kept a tight rein in the first half, scored a “soft” try after eight minutes and never really had their lead challenged. Two outstanding individual efforts highlighted Old Boys’ win, although it was a good all-round team performance. Nigel Ward was most impressive off the back of the scrum, displaying determination in his runs and good handling skills, while the centre, Kieran Flynn, sliced effortlessly through disorganised defence to score two brilliant solo tries. Linwood was inconsistent in its endeavour, but did have a good period of play early in the second half when it often went close to scoring. But it made errors at the vital times, twice holding possession too long and once sending an illdirected pass with a man unmarked. Grateful for those let-offs, Old Boys regained the initiative early in the last quarter and Flynn’s second try with 10 minutes remaining put it out of the danger zone. Linwood’s chances were not helped by the Bachop brothers,

Graham, at half-back, and Steven, at first five-eighths, having indifferent games. Graham Bachop, especially, had a dreadful time with his kicking and Steve Bachop became obsessed with the high kick.

Mike Fransen won a good supply of ball from line-outs for Linwood and he and Robbie Potts must have felt frustrated at seeing their good work wasted by the inside backs. Mike Cunningham snared some valuable loose ball for Old Boys and Barry Newfield and Alex McPhail were forwards intent on helping Ward drive ahead and set up good second-phase possession. Flynn stood out in a decidedly useful backline, but James Leggat and David Pool also proved they could force gaps. Christchurch 13 Shirley 10 Christchurch: G. Bree, try; R. Latham, two penalty goals; G. Kench, dropped goal. Shirley: M. O’Reilly, try; C. Williamson, two penalty goals. Referee: Mr T. R. Marshall. A more concerted forward drive led Christchurch to its win over Shirley in an often scrappy match at Rugby Park. The result looks a close one but, to put things in perspective, Christchurch was seven points clear when Mike O’Reilly, a new centre for Shirley, came to light with a strong burst on the angle to score his side’s try in injury time. Christchurch had led, 7-6, at half-time. The Christchurch drive was helped by muscular men such as Mark Treweek, Bruce Amai, and Andy Thomas, and it gave the side some good second-phase ball along with the lion’s share of the feed to scrums. As well, it tended to drag Shirley’s loose forwards, Mark Young in particular, into the tight play where they were not as prominent as they have been in other matches. An absorbing duel was seen in the line-outs, where the Christchurch pair of John Currie and Thomas edged out Shirley’s Mitchells, Kerry and John. As the second half progressed, Treweek took command at the back of the line. Shirley had its periods on attack, notably just after the interval, at the start of the last quarter, and in injury time. But the story of the match for the side was that the effort could not be sustained. In the first half, Shirley tried to move the ball wide very quickly but several long, raking passes went astray. If Shirley’s backs looked a little flighty, those of Christchurch were not noticeably more effective. The side’s try, while scored on the right wing by Gary Bree, came after persistent forward pressure had finally stretched the defence to breaking point. Behind the Christchurch line was Rod Latham, whose reading of the game and powerful punting kept the pack revving for sustained periods. Shirley’s best moments were sparked by Wayne Simpson and Brad Stringer. Twice in one minute early in the second half, Simpson made clean breaks, splitting the defence and going very close to the line the second time.

Later, Stringer made two

thrilling, jinking runs, slithering his way through the bulk of the Christchurch team only to see the movements founder on the rock of the cover defence. Marist 51

Lincoln College 0 Marist: P. Gibson (2), R. Smith, S. Hansen, S. Baker, P. O’Gorman, W. J. Anderson, T. Kele, B. McLean, tries; McLean, dropped goal; R. Connell, six conversions. Referee: Mr G. T. Barrett.

Marist’s confidence mounted with the score as it pulverised a brave but outclassed opponent on the main Lincoln College field. Ahead by 19 points after a testing first half, liberally sprinkled with mistakes, Marist found the going all downhill in the second. It won secondphase ball swiftly and often, and moved it wide to stretch the College defence beyond its limit. The support play was impressive, and several of the team’s nine tries were scored after sweeping movements involving half the players.

The captain and centre, Steve Hansen, was the central figure in many attacks. Although hampered by his heavily protected right thigh, he magnetised the College defence before moving the ball to one from the queue of supporting players. In the Marist forwards, Bernie Ryan was involved usefully in much of the play, and his contribution was immense. Pat O’Gorman, playing as a flanker, made several stirring gallops, ball in one hand, and Mark Connell, Tala Kele, and Adrian Kennedy tailed him faithfully. With the ball coming back to him smoothly and regularly, Steve Baker enjoyed himself greatly at half-back. He cleared the ball well and made some sharp runs when he felt variation was needed. Outside him the diminutive Brian McLean was in his usual effervescent mood, once even taking a pass that he himself had thrown.

Lincoln College’s belated attempts to run the ball were stifled by solid Marist tackling. Phil Gibson was a sturdy midfield defender for the winner, and on attack he kept the ball flowing sweetly out to the wings. The College side was beaten by experience as much as anything else. It played gamely and never stopped trying, but it often picked the wrong options when it had the ball and was eventually overcome by Marist’s broadfronted assault.

Tom Coughlan and lan Fleming, the big locks, had some line-out success and David Monteith played soundly in the backs, apart from one glaring lapse. However, the Lincoln players had a good excuse for the staggering loss —. most of them had sat examinations in the morning.

New Brighton 24 Albion 6

New Brighton: P. McLaren, N. Phillips, tries; R. Adler,

two conversions, three penalty goals; W. Burleigh, dropped goal. Albion: G. James, penalty goal, dropped goal.

In losing by a similar margin to that in last week’s encounter with Christchurch, Albion was once again done an injustice by the scoreline. Although New Brighton was the better side, Albion matched it for much of the match, particularly in the first half. Both teams played well in the forwards, with some fiery rucking and mauling and well contested line-out ball. Albion was, however, let down by its backs. For much of the first half, Albion dominated line-out possession, only to have good ball squandered in the backline through erratic passing and players standing flatfooted.

Albion’s fast wing, Brent Winks, made several penetrating runs, yet regularly lost the ball through poorly timed passes and by outrunning his support backs. For New Brighton, Ross Adler had a fine return to senior rugby after ,an injury early in the season. He was successful with all five of his kicks at goal, and played a sound game at half-back. Both Adler and his first fiveeighths, Wayne Burleigh, seemed to have taken a leaf from Wayne Smith’s book. They hoisted several huge punts which often left the Albion defence scrambling, and led to several scoring and near-scoring movements. Albion opened the scoring with a Grant James penalty goal, although New Brighton replied with a fine try by its No. 8, Peter McLaren, who once again played a dynamic game. McLaren combined with Mark Bell for the try; Bell took the ball from a line-out at the 22m and brushed aside several Albion defenders, feeding to McLaren, who scored. With the half-time score at 9-6 to New Brighton, the sides seemed evenly matched. Yet the New Brighton steamroller took over in the second half; its forward play moved up a gear, the flanker, Na Katae, being particularly difficult to stop. New Brighton’s second try, which put the match result beyond doubt, came 20 minutes into the second half when Burleigh made a strong run up the centre and fed to Norm Phillips, who swerved past several defenders for a good try under the posts. University 42 Lyttelton 10 University: K. Jones 2, R. Gibson 2, S. Tobias 2, P. Benson, tries; D. Cotterell, four conversions, two penalty goals. Lyttelton: D. Couch, try; A. Williamson, two penalty goals. Referee: Mr T. M. Hannan. University had little difficulty in beating Lyttelton on the latter’s home ground but several stutters along the back-line left cause for some concern. The University forwards won the ball at will, heaving the smaller Lyttelton pack

POINTS TABLE W L D F A Pt Marist 10 2 1 353 111 43 University 10 3 — 309 159 42 Belfast 9 4 — 257 157 40 Chch 9 3 1 240 13 39 Shirley 9 4 — 289 157 38 H.S.O.B. 9 4 — 252 147 38 New Bri. 9 4 — 185 144 37 Burnside 8 4 1 275 174 35 Linwood 7 5 1 212 217 31 Suburbs 6 7 — 132 203 27 Albion 6 7 — 172 255 25 Lin. Coll. 3 10 — 157 262 16 Hornby 2 10 1 169 287 12 Mer.-Pap. 2 10 1 133 255 12 Sydenham 1 12 — 81 275 8 Lyttelton 1 12 — 93 355 5