Runanga rank league outsider

Press, 12 September 1986, Page 36

Runanga rank league outsider

By JOHN COFFEY No rugby league club ’has had its name inscribed on the Thacker Shield as often as Runanga, but the West Coast champion is a rank outsider to beat the holder, Hornby, at the Addington Show Grounds tomorrow. Runanga has won or successfully defended the shield on 13 occasions since its first victory in 1931, and it extends another record tomorrow by playing in an eighth consecutive South Island club championship decider. But since Runanga was

headed off by Hornby, 1917, at Greymouth in 1982 it has experienced considerable trouble adjusting to Canterbury conditions in its challenges to Papanui and Hornby (twice). Even a 12-point opening spurt and the early dismissal of a Hornby player were not sufficient to keep the Coasters in contention last season. Hornby has historically had the measure of Runanga in their shield encounters. Runanga won by two points in 1962 and kept its prize in one of rugby league’s rare scoreless draws in 1969;

Hornby has been the victor on the other five occasions, only once by less than 16 points. The injury which has deprived Runanga of its former Kiwi scrum-half, Glen Gibb, is another serious blow in its preparation to meet a side containing three players with international experience and nine who represented Canterbury A this winter. Nor is there any likelihood that Hornby will relax in the week between its championship grand final defeat of Halswell and its entry into the Lion Red League Nationals

tournament. “A lot of people in our club put as much emphasis on the Thacker Shield as they do the grand final,” said the Hornby coach, Frank Endacott, yesterday. "They feel it is no use being Canterbury champion and not South Island champion as well." Two changes have been made from the side which regained the Canterbury title from Halswell. Gary McLauchlan returns to the second row so that Richard Setu can be rested to prevent aggravation of a minor injury, and work commitments

require a premier B •grade replacement for the reserve back, Steve Geddis. Runanga’s main assets are the experience of the midfield backs, Bernie Green, Dan Lee and Chris Menzies, and loose forwards, Kevin Harrington and Stephen Low, and the rich rugby league tradition of their township. That is unlikely to be enough against a Hornby Combination keen to put the shield in safe-keeping as a prelude to making Canterbury’s first real impact on the national knock-out tournament.