Tuuta puts Hornby into grand final

Press, 25 August 1986, Page 27

Tuuta puts Hornby into grand final

An eleventh-hour try carried Hornby through to a 7-6 victory over Addington at the Addington Show Grounds yesterday and into the grand final of the Canterbury rugby league Lion Red championship on September 7. Brendon Tuuta, the strapping Hornby scrum-half, capitalised on the success of his forwards in gaining a tight head near the Addington goal-line to shoulder his way across for the winning points six minutes from full-time. For most of the second half Addington had bravely defended a 6-0 half-time advantage, only to have it gradually whittled away by a penalty goal to Barry Edkins, a field goal by Tuuta and then Tuuta’s touch down.

If Addington is to gain a rematch in the grand final it must first beat the defending champion, Halswell, in the preliminary final on Sunday. Halswell yesterday eliminated Papanui with surprising ease, 20-2, in the minor semifinal.

Although it led throughout, Halswell put the issue beyond doubt with three tries in just seven minutes either side of the interval. The “man of the match” award in the major semi-final went to Tuuta.

Hornby 7, Addington 6. Hornby: B. E. Tuuta try; B. R. Edkins goal; Tuuta field goal. Addington: P. A. Connell try; R. Puke goal. Half-time, Addington, 6-0. Referee, Mr K. R. Blackler.

Hornby held a decided territorial advantage over Addington, spending most of the opening quarter and virtually all of the second half camped deep in Addington’s half.

As early as the twelfth minute a Hornby player reached the Addington ingoal area, only to be prevented from forcing the ball correctly. While attacker and defender were untangling

themselves an ugly flare-up occurred, bringing into the open the considerable tension within the match. Moments later the Addington wing, Pomare Connell, was sent to the sin-bin for a high tackle. That was to be the last blatently illegal incident in a fast and physical game.

Connell continued to make his mark, however. Both Steve Geddis and Vaughan Low twice felt the force of his spot tackles from the right wing — Geddis having to be replaced after he was dazed a third time. Connell was also well positioned for his team’s try.

A penalty goal by Rangi Puke in the second minute was the only scoring until Connell ranged up outside his forwards, Scott. Barrow and Esene Faimalo, to place Addington clear by six points at the break. The loss of Geddis forced a reshuffle in the Hornby lineup, Barry Edkins switching from loose forward to standoff half. Hornby was severely troubled by handling errors at crucial times as it battered away at the Addington defence.

But the constant tackling, relieved briefly by Hornby’s mistakes, took its toll on the Addington players. Testing kicks by Edkins and Wayne Wallace forced three goalline drop-outs, and the belated try to Tuuta was perhaps an inevitable result.

Tuuta, the rangy secondrower, Graham Larson, and the replacement forward, Richard Setu, had impressed as the biggest threats to Addington’s diminishing lead. Between them, Wallace and the second replacement, Michael Stewart, had taken five tight heads in the scrummaging. Playing at prop, Esene Faimalo had an outstanding match for Addington, and Barrow, John Green and Shane Gousmett also gave

strong performances in the pack. Connell was the best Addington back, and Avon Placid and Alex Faimalo provided sturdy opposition to the Hornby line. Halswell 20, Papanui 2. Halswell: G. Grut, C. M. Towart, S. Davis tries; P. W. Bancroft four goals. Papanui: A. J. Wildermoth goal. Half-time, 8-2. Referee, Mr G. A. Baxter.

Any chance that Papanui had of ending the losing sequence experienced by teams qualifying third since the present championship system was introduced in 1967 was extinguished by Halswell in a spectacular scoring spree just before and after half-time.

All that Halswell had to show for its territorial ascendancy in the first halfhour was two penalty goals by Phil Bancroft, and one of those was to be cancelled out by Tony Wildermoth. However, Halswell found space from a scrum on its left flank and the speedy wing, Chris Towart, left the cover defence behind in a 40m sprint to touch down.

Halswell returned full of confidence, and within five minutes of the resumption

had the winning of the match. Glenn Grut’s try came after a penetrating run by Mark Frame and a slick reverse pass from Bancroft, and then Steve Davis crashed over to score after a deft delivery by Jeff Whittaker. That was to complete ‘the scoring. There never was any prospect of Papanui making really positive use of its potentially high-scoring backs in such unfavourable conditions. Nor was Halswell’s defence in any mood to allow Papanui any concessions. The whole Halswell pack deserved merit for wrenching the gaps through which Grut and Davis poured.