Affinity for home soil

Press, 7 August 1985, Page 31

Affinity for home soil

The claim was made recently in the “Sunday News” that the Canterbury rugby team has something in common with the French sides — it does not travel well. It is an argument which the Canterbury coach, Alex Wyllie, took exception to, coming as it did from a man who has good reason to remember one big game Canterbury produced outside of Christchurch. The writer was the former All Black, Stu Wilson, and be, of course, was playing for Wellington the day Canterbury uplifted the Ranfurly Shield in 1982. Wilson’s comment was prompted by Canterbury's surprise loss to WairarapaBush two weeks ago and, while it might be wrong to look at just one game in isolation, there is certainly backing for his claim. In the four years that Mr Wyllie has been taking Canterbury, the side has played 63 first-class fixtures, and of these 53 have been won, eight lost and two drawn. Four of the defeats came in the first season (1982) and they were to Mid-Canter-bury, New Zealand Maoris, Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay. There was also a drawn game against Counties at the end of that season, in what was Canterbury’s first shield defence after taking the trophy from Wellington. In 1983 Canterbury lost only once, to Queensland in Brisbane, and last year there was a loss to Auckland and a draw with Manawatu. This year the side has been beaten by Queensland as well as Wairarapa-Bush. The most interesting thing about these losses is that only one has been on

Lancaster Park. This was tc New Zealand Maoris three years ago last month. Since that day Canterbury has had 29 games at Lancaster Part and the perfect record is only slightly soiled by the drawn game with Counties. However, it must still be a national record for any side to go 29 games at home without a defeat. The number 29 does have some significance for Canterbury. It was at this figure that its run of unbeaten games anywhere was stopped by Auckland at Eden Park last winter. So while Stu Wilson’s assertion is justified to some extent, it could be that Canterbury has more affinity with Lancaster Park than with any French sides. The loss (27-12) to New Zealand Maoris in 1982 was Canterbury’s fourth game after Mr Wyllie took control of the team and, therfore, it has not lost to another province at home during his reign. The record before then was very different and in 1981 it lost its last three games on the park, to North Auckland, Manawatu and Wellington. But in the years since then it has beaten just about every New Zealand province, some more than once, and there have also been victories over Queensland (twice), New Zealand Universities and the British Lions. Of course, of the sequence of 29, 23 have been Ranfurly Shield challenges and while nearly all teams try that little bit harder in front of their home crowds there is nothing quite like defending the shield to bring the best out of a side.