Marist only unbeaten team

Press, 13 April 1989, Page 44

Marist only unbeaten team

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

Marist remained the only unbeaten division one team in the Trust Bank Cup senior club rugby competition and Christchurch plummeted towards relegation after their clash under lights at Rugby Park last evening. Christchurch held Marist for the first quarter, but after that it was oneway traffic as the "Green Machine” stepped up a gear and ground its way to a 46-9 victory. The ability of the Marist forwards to arrive en masse at mauls and breakdowns went unmatched by Christchurch which failed to heed the plaintive cry from the grandstand of “more urgency Christchurch, more urgency.” Christchurch was ahead after three minutes and on equal terms at nine-all

after 18min, but it failed to add to its score as Marist piled on another 37. ' ; With the Marist tight forwards running like loose forwards, the loose forwards moving like backs, and the backs incisive and imaginative, Christchurch .was up against insurmountable odds. , . j 1 Although the' defeat was decisive, Christchurch deserved credit for trying manfully to the end. When Steve'Hanseh completed a spectacular movement initiated by the No. 8, Adrian-Kennedy, in the second minute of the > second half, and Kennedy ? scored himself llmiri later after a controlled pushover from 5m out, Marist was out to 34 points and 50 seemed a formality; However Marist was re-

stricted to 12 points in the . last 27min arid ;; Chnst-i. church, without much pos- ; session and too prone to error, did try to create play from the good number of penalties which came its way and also from the scraps of ball left behind by Marist. Richard Connell linked well from fullback in a fast-moving backline, well directed by Steve Baker. Kennedy, Tom Coughlan, Tala Kele and Paul Gallagher were all commitment in the Marist pack. Viy de Beus and Charles Te Kowhai tidied up well for Cliristchurch, but the backs were rather anonymous. Marist’s win avenged the result of the curtainraiser, a last second penalty goal, giving Christchurch Ihe win, 20-18, in a senior B match. ’ Scores'—Marist 46,(Steve

} Hansen 3, Richard Connell 2, .Paul Gallagher, Adrian Kennedy 'tries; Greg Coffey six conversions, two penalty goals) beat Christchurch 9 (Scott Robertson three penalty goals). Half-time: 24-9. Referee, Mr P, R. Jeilyman. In the match at Denton Oval, Lincoln Collegg scored 13 Uries ag, Sit romped to a ; 73-12?fwjn over Hornby in .division two. Lincoln 31-6, at tinued to dominate in the second half. Thefullback, Chris Adams, and the right wing, Monte Neal, both scored four tries for the students. Scores. — Lincoln Collegd 73 (C. Adams 4, M, Neal. 4, RHarris, M. Hanning, K. sbr& B. Harkess, D.- Murray tries? L. Smith nine .conversions, penalty goal) beat Hornby* 12 (M. Kinard try; B. Leathem two i, penalty goals;con version).? ■■■•• ■ ■. 'ft