Slower greens encourage Moffat

Press, 27 December 1985, Page 3

Slower greens encourage Moffat

By

KEVIN McMENAMIN

Apart from a belief that it must soon go away, the rain of the last week has not been well received by those associated with the Rothmans national bowls championships, which begin in Christchurch tomorrow.

One exception, however, is Canterbury’s top player of recent times, Morgan Moffat.

“The rain has certainly not bothered me,” said Moffat yesterday. “The more it rains the slower the greens become and the slower the greens the better I go.” Moffat will have a chance to gauge his form when he meets the defending singles champion, Phil Dickison (Kaikorai), in an exhibition singles match before the official opening at the tournament headquarters, Woolston W.M.C., this afternoon.

While it might only be an exhibition game, Moffat does not under-rate its importance. Because of his Scottish background (he emigrated to New Zealand 10 years ago), Moffat is not only more at home on slow greens, but he is also seen, by both others and himself, as primarily a two-bowl, or fours, player. “It is all very well being a top fours third or skip, but you have got to be able to play good singles if you want to get into the big tournaments,” said Moffat. Moffat, himself, may defeat this argument. He has been a top fours skip since he steered a Linwood team to the national title in Christchurch in 1978. The same year he won New Zealand selection, for the Edmonton Commonwealth Games, and has held his place every year since. However, he has still to

accomplish anything of note in singles, which is the reason for his eagerness to do well this time. “I don’t usually attend away Dominions, so I don’t want to waste the opportunity,” he said.

In his singles section rounds Moffat has struck a particularly tough draw. But this pleases him more than worries him. “It is better to know what quality you are up against and I usually find that I play better against strong rivals.” Moffat will meet two former Nw Zealand singles champions in his four section games at Redcliffs tomorrow. The first is the wily veteran, Robbie Robson (Tokoroa), who won the title in Christchurch 11 years ago, and the second is Stan Lawson (Sydenham), whose big year was at Dunedin in 1968 and there was almost another one when he lost the 1978 final in Christchurch to John Malcolm (Carlton).

Moffat is confident that he will give a good account of himself in the singles, although it will be in the team games that his reputation will be more on the line, especially with a team for the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh next year soon to be selected. Moffat has brought home a medal from the last three Commonwealth Games, one when representing Scotland and twice in New Zealand teams. But never a gold. This is something he would love to rectify next year and with the Games bowls to be played at the Balgreen Club in Edinburgh, which he knows well, he may never get a better chance.

“I know that I have got to play steadily in the next

three weeks if I am to get to Edinburgh, and if the greens remain slow it should be to my advantage.” Moffat will contest the fours with a South Brighton team which has never Sed together. It will start Gavin Good leading, Warren Fitchett at No. 2 and Peter Meier at No. 3, but whether the order remains unchanged will depend on how it goes in the first few games.

For various reasons, more than 40 competitors withdrew from the tournament yesterday, and the organisers had a busy day trying to find replacements. Among them were two nationally known players, Gordon Jolly (Leith) and Kerry Clark (Johnsonville). Jolly, whose wife is ill, has withdrawn from everything, and Clark, whose father has suffered a heart attack, has pulled out of the singles only.

Despite the rain, most greens are reported to be in tip-top order. A good deal of water was removed from the main green at Woolston W.M.C. yesterday, but it looks ready to take the two-and-half weeks of constant use that lies ahead.

Beating a Skoglund has long been a way of achieving fame, if only briefly, at national tournaments and three Elmwood players, Andy Gray, Jack Morton and Charlie Sumner,.have been given the chance to topple a Skoglund in their singles sections. Gray will be up against the most famous of the clan, Phil; Morton has Philip junior in his sights; and Sumner will do battle with Phil’s other son, Raymond. Round Heaton Street there are whispers of a big Elmwood treble.