Shaw’s inspiration not enough against Waikato

Press, 3 April 1989, Page 26

Shaw’s inspiration not enough against Waikato

PA Hamilton The former All Black flanker, Mark Shaw, inspired the New Zealand Divisional XV to an impressive performance against Waikato at Rugby Park on Saturday. The Goodman Fielder Wattie fund-raising match for the New Zealand Rugby Foundation was won by Waikato 3225, but produced some fittingly close rugby and a seesawing scoreline for threequarters of the match. In the end the superior fitness, forward power and speed of the home team proved decisive and it finished with five tries to its opponent’s three.

The Divisional XV was selected from the second and third divisions squad that made an unbeaten six-match tour of the Pacific Islands towards the end of last year with the exception of the new wings, Michael Foster, and Jason Wells, called in because of injuries. With Shaw calling the shots with his uncompromising play at No. 8 in what was probably his last first class match, the Divisional XV took the game to Waikato in the opening 20 minutes.

The locks, Glynn Meads, and Frank Marfell dominated the line-outs during that period and Shaw and the open side flanker, Paul Ren-

ton, paved the way for some aggressive forward raids. The hooker, Lee McDonald, scored the opening try for the visitors in the sixth minute at the end of a series of forward rushes and the first fiveeighths, lan Stark, converted to give the Divisional XV an early 6-0 lead. It did not take long for Waikato to strike back and snatch the lead with a Brett Craies penalty goal and then a try to the big All Black tighthead prop, Richard Loe, with some good support play and the hint of a dummy. Stark put his team back in the lead in the twenth-fourth minute, but a superb team try finished off by the Waikato fullback, Daryl Halligan, after some awesome forward driving and quick hands along the backline was converted by Craies to make it 13-9 to the home side.

The teams went to halftime tied at 13-13 after some fine play by the Divisional backs in which the robust second five-eighths, Steve Gordon, doubled around his equally solid Wanganui teammate John Hainsworth and then backed up to score the try when wing, Michael Foster, was cut down in the corner by Halligan. A left footed dropped goal by Craies gave Waikato the early initiative in the second

half, but the visitors went out to a 22-16 lead by the twelfth minute, helped by a Shaw try from good pressure play. Waikato slowly asserted dominance in the line-outs through Steven Gordon, Brent Anderson and John Mitchell, while Richard Jerram was equally impressive when he replaced Gordon early in the second spell.

With the Waikato team forwards in command Halligan scored his second try from a stab kick through to the line by second five-eighths, Geoff Ailey, and then Jerram backed up a Halligan sortie to also score, with Craies converting both. Waikato finished with a pushover try to the captain, John Mitchell. ,

The Divisional XV coach and All Black selector, Lane Penn, praised both the divisional concept for what it was doing for small province rugby and the play of the Waikato team, which he said his side had probably done a favour by producing solid opposition. Scorers: Waikato 32, Daryl Halligan 2, Richard Loe, Richard Jerram, and John Mitchell tries; Brett Craies 3 conversions, a penalty goal and a dropped goal. N.Z. Divisional XV 25, Lee McDonald, Steve Gordon and Mark Shaw tries; lan Stark 2 conversions, 3 penalty goals. Half-time: 13-13.