South Canty loses to Southland

Press, 26 September 1988, Page 27

South Canty loses to Southland

By special correspondent

A lethargic South Canterbury rugby team wrote its own. epitaph on Saturday when it surrendered second division survival through a totally inept performance against Trust Bank Southland. It lost its final game of the series, 31-7, and played the game in the manner of a third division team. In perfect conditions at the Homestead Stadium, and before a disappointing crowd of 1500, South Canterbury’ played at a level well below that expected from a team desperately needing a win to stay afloat. By the time referee Graeme Anderson, of Canterbury, had sounded the final whistle, South Canterbury had conceeded five tries to one to a Southland team. The latter lifted its performance markedly in the second half after leading, 13-7, at the changeover, well above the standard of the opposition. South Canterbury won more lineout possession than expected. It competed well in second phase play but lacked purpose in the backline and squandered chances through poor handling and the lack of team cohesion. By comparison; Southland was made to look champions but theirs was a far from faultless performance; .it was sufficient to lift it to fourth on the points table and provide a solid base from which to approach the 1989 season with. The backline, engineered with purpose by inside men, Bobby Murrell and Simon Culhane, cut capers with gay abandon, exposed woeful defensive deficiencies in the South Canterbury line and accordingly, reaped the benefits. Fullback, Brent McKenzie, crossed for two tries to lift his points tally for the season to 53. Bruce Pascoe showed determination and pace to grab his try and Eoin Crossman showed aggrssion to score his try and prowess with a trusty right boot, which was on target with four conversions and the only penalty goal attempt tried. But the try greeted with most applause was a sterling effort from prop forward, Shaun Flynn, who, in Ben Johnson fashion, "sprinted” 45 metres to the line and silenced once and for all

This was the try of the game and started by Culhane inside his own 22-metre line. South Canterbury’s lot was a well-taken try in the fourth minute of the game to the speedy right winger, Ross Elliott, and a 40m penalty goal, kicked by Chris Gard, after Barry Fairbrother had been astray with a conversion and penalty goal attempt earlier. Don Ineson, with some good leaping in the middle of the lineouts, gave South Canterbury a 9-2 half-time advantage but Southland reduced the margin to 12-10 in South Canterbury’s favour. Barry Matthews looked to have the ability in the South Canterbury backline to make capital from this phase. South Canterbury’s poor scrummaging was further exposed by the Southland pack with de Groot finishing 3-1 ahead in the tighthead count. Southland captain, Murray Brown, .had a fine all round game and was awarded the “man of the match” title. Rata Smith and de Groot were forced to spend a 10 minute period in the sin bin after a punching incident mid-way through the second half of the game. Referee Anderson had no hesitation in first, despatching de Groot behind the posts after he felled South Canterbury flanker, Gerry Davidson, with a pinpoint punch to the jaw after Smith had earlier been sighted by the line umpire for a similar misdemeanour. However, South Canterbury was unable to take advantage of the six man Southland forward pack and score badly needed points. This effort typified the strangely subdued approach throughout the game adopted by South Canterbury while the Mid-Canterbury team could rejoice at the result after being soundly beaten seven days earlier. South Canterbury won the lineouts, 12-10, (9-2 halftime), was awarded 12 penalties to Southland's 5 (4-3) while Southland claimed the tightheads, 3-1 (1-0). Southland 31 (Brent McKenzie 2, Bruce Pascoe, Eoin Crossan, Shaun Flynn tries; Crossan four conversions, penalty goal) South Canterbury 7 (Ross Elliott try; Chris Gard penalty goal), those who have called all season for his blood.