Marist puts on power-packed performance

Press, 15 August 1988, Page 36

Marist puts on power-packed performance

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

If the Shirley senior rugby players are superstitious they may have recognised the portents of doom as they emerged from the tunnel for the Trust Bank Trophy club championship final against Marist at Lancaster Park yesterday afternoon.

Marist had assembled a big child congregation, the line of youngsters in green-and-white jerseys extending from the tunnel’s entrance to halfway. Opposite the Marist supporters stood the Shirley juniors, clad in blue, but their numbers ran out at the 22m line. Something similar occurred on the playing field. Marist had the strength in numbers, it played with confidence and commitment which started with an unyielding front row and finished with its agile and artful fullback, Richard Connell. It played with clinical precision, thoroughly deserving its 25-15 victory. Shirley’s achievements this season have been outstanding, entering the final with the Trust Bank Cup in its possession and just the one loss in 19 previous matches. It badly wanted to complete a difficult double, but though it tried mightily it succumbed to a better team on the day. Fittingly the “player of the match” award went to the Marist halfback and captain, Steve Baker. Tough as teak, Baker lived up to his nickname “Bunny” only in the manner by which he dashed and darted about the field. Apart from that he was nobody’s bunny. A relieved and understandably elated Marist coach, Peter McGrath, in

charge for the first time this season, said that he knew Marist would win one of the trophies — “and we nearly got the first round one. “We showed character in our loss to Shirley in the first round although we were not quite good enough, and since then we have won 11 in a row, going from strength to strength. “Rugby is a team game and that is the way we play it. Today I think our forwards proved a point. In all honesty I have felt that we are the most complete side in the competition.” The Marist forwards were full of valour, holding Shirley in the scrums, achieving parity in the lineouts but gaining stunning success in the second-phase. The 25-14 advantage won by Marist from that quarter was most telling. Shirley will reflect with horror the number of times it took the ball into rucks and mauls only for Marist to come away with possession. Not too much enterprise was displayed in the first quarter as the usual battle for forward power took place between the packs, but Marist settled better and bustled Shirley into errors. An angled 32m penalty goal by Greg Coffey after 9min and a try to Kelly Hansen, who scuttled 20m on the blindside after

superbly collecting a pass from the No. 8, Adrian Kennedy, gave Marist a 70 lead and positive reward for hard endeavour. Shirley, however, scored a timely try on the stroke of half-time. Gavin Hill, then Na Katae, then Hill again, drove to the line and the Shirley forwards grouped quickly and released the ball each time — something sadly lacking until then — finally setting up the prop, John Robbins, for the try. Colin Williamson’s conversion had Shirley within one point at the interval and when he succeeded with a 38m dropped goal five minutes after the resumption, his team was ahead for the first time. It was shortlived, however, Marist’s repeated hammerings at the defence finally revealing a crack when Bill Anderson removed some tautness from the line and Steve Hansen slipped through the half opening. That was in the twelfth minute and from then on it was Marist in command, the “Green Machine” was cranked up and moving forward inexorably. Coffey found kicking form, taking his tally to 371 for the season, and Tala Kele got the third try after he and Kennedy linked arms and became airborne together over Shirley’s line. Shirley’s performance was plucky to the finish

and from the kick-off it made inroads into Marist’s half, taking two penalties quickly and scoring a consolation try through Ross Tarawhiti. But it was no more than a consolation, for Marist had a second championship to go with its trophy win in 1985.

In a Marist pack which covered itself in glory, Alan Munro, Kele, Tom Coughlan and Bruce Houghton chased and tackled, tackled and chased. Baker was most efficient behind the pack and Marist held a slight edge in attacking ability in the backs while the Hansen brothers and Connell were unflinching on defence.

Hill and Katae covered big mileage for Shirley, trying to snare the ball at breakdowns, and Tarawhiti, Grant Mickell and Barry Hammersley played themselves to a standstill. The backs, too, gave their best, and if it was not quite sufficient in the end, the Shirley coach, Frank Jack, could have no complaint about a lack of commitment. For Marist, Kelly Hansen, Steve Hansen, and Tala Kele scored tries; Greg Coffey kicked two conversions and three penalty goals. For Shirley, John Robbins and Ross Tarawhiti scored tries; Colin Williamson kicked a conversion and a dropped goal; and Gavin Hill kicked a conversion.

Minor finals: Page 26