Shirley ends 37-year rugby drought

Press, 25 August 1986, Page 38

Shirley ends 37-year rugby drought

By

KEVIN McMENAMIN

Shirley won the Christchurch senior rugby title for the first time in 37 years when it beat its closest rival, the defending champion, Marist, 18-7, in the final round of the Trusteebank Trophy series at Lancaster Park yesterday.

This, in fact, is the first time that Shirley has been the champion. The club was known as Technical Old Boys when it enjoyed its last success in 1949, 13 years before the name change was made. Shirley’s win yesterday, which came surprisingly easily, gave it an unbeaten record through the 15 Trophy games. It scored two tries, both by Craig Green, and Colin Williamson kicked the other 10 points to take him past 300 for the season.

Williamson finished with 303 points, 96 more than the previous record. Marist, the so-called “Green Machine” of club rugby, was taken apart by a ruthlessly efficient Shirley combination. In the forwards, in particular, Shirley outplayed Marist in every area but the line-outs, and by finishing only three line-outs behind, 18-21, it did as well here as it could have hoped. Marist used its possession poorly. It kicked away a lot, especially in the direction of the Shirley full-back, Brad Stringer, and the backs showed none of their customary flair. Although Williamson and Green were the men who hauled in the points, •it came as no surprise that Stringer should win the Quills “player of the day” award. His handling of the slippery ball was superb, and

whether running or kicking he was a regular ground winner. And he capped his display when he bowled over the 18 stone Tala Kele in a frontal tackle.

Nevertheless, Williamson did play extremely well. He had a hand in the lead-ups to both Green tries; he probably denied Marist a try when he took O’Donovan in a smother tackle late in the first half; and his tactical kicking was consistently sound.

Shirley stamped its authority on the game right from the start. It was unlucky not to pick, up a try in the first five minutes. On three occasions the forwards took the ball over the line, but could not get it down. It was Marist scored first. Greg Coffey got the side on to attack with a clean break from half-way and then rucked ball was swung wide to give Mike O’Donovan an overlap on the right wing.

After some more narrow escapes Marist increased its lead to 7-0 when Coffey kicked a 38m penalty after a late tackle on Steve Baker.

But then, in the last 10 minutes of the first spell, Green struck. They were typical Green tries; for the first he had to cover 20m and for the second 15m, and there were men to beat on each occasion.

He got through and past them, though, and for the

second he slid on his stomach the last metre. Late in the game there was almost a third try in similar circumstances. It was lost when the ball slipped from Green’s grasp as he hurled himself at the line.

Williamson converted both Green’s tries to make the half-time score 12-7 to Shirley and he landed two penalty goals, both good kicks from around 35m, early in the second spell. For Marist the game was as good as over. Despite a continued steady flew of line-out ball it was rarely out of its own half and it spent the last 10 minutes camped on its , goal-line. Not even the tap penalty to a wall of players, which has worked wonderfully well for the side all year, could revive its fortunes.

Shirley has proved itself a worthy town champion. It now has the never-easy challenge of having to beat the top country team, Glenmark, at Denton Oval on Wednesday night to have the right to call itself the Canterbury champion. Scorers. —

For Shirley, Craig Green two tries; Colin Williamson two conversions, two penalty goals.

For Marist, Mike O’Donovan a try; Greg Coffey a penalty goal. The referee, Mr Tom Doocey, awarded Marist eight penalties and Shirley five.