Jones marks return with top display

Press, 18 May 1989, Page 48

Jones marks return with top display

PA Wanganui The All Black flanker, Michael Jones, marked his return to first-class rugby this season with a top performance as North Zone comprehensively outplayed Central Zone, 45-11, at Spriggens Park yesterday.

Jones did not play for Auckland in the South Pacific Championships because of religious convictions and an ankle injury which he sustained while playing club rugby for Waitemata. But he excelled yesterday under trying conditions making several strong surges and generally impressing as torrential rain fell during most of the game. He was an integral part of a powerful North Zone pack which dominated the game. Jones and Zinzan Brooke showed dexterity and skill in the loose, often turning on the pace, while prop Steve McDowell showed he had lost none of his ability since moving from Auckland. The dominance of the North Zone pack was made obvious in the second half when after a slender 8-3 lead at halftime, North romped away for a win. Wayne Shelford, under pressure to retain his All Black captaincy and No. 8 position, dispelled all doubts as he led from the front. He led a concerted North Zone effort in the driving, mauling, rucking and scrummaging to rout the Central Zone in the second spell.

That coupled with confident and outstanding handling in the slippery conditions rewarded North Zone with eight tries. For Central, the secondfive eighths, John Schuster, had another good game featuring in the tackles and contributing to what perhaps was the try of the day. That try saw the fullback, Matthew Cooper, making a break, offloading to Schuster who was in support and eventually he sent in the Wellington wing, Nigel Geany, to score the first of his two tries. Central frittered away good opportunities in the

first half when it failed to utilise the wind at its back, opting instead to kick away whenever it had possession of the ball. Central backs, in that stanza of play, were under a lot of pressure, significantly more than Northern counterparts. From its 8-3 half-time lead, North went on a scoring spree to lead 39-3 at one stage. The game freed up in the second half, after Northern had established its superiority in the forwards, allowing Central backs to run more. The only sour point in the match was when North’s Marty Berry and Central’s Adrian McKenzie were sinbinned simultaneously after an incident early in the game. North’s convincing performance yesterday is a strong indication that it is certain to defend the George Nepia Memorial trophy successfully. North plays South in the final match of the series at Takapuna on May 24. Scorers: — North Zone 45 (Richard Cole, Steven McDowell, Richard Loe, Bernie McCahill, lan Wood, Warren Gatland, Walter Little, Wayne Shelford tries; Grant Fox penalty, 5 conversions) beat Central Zone 11 (Nigel Geany 2 tries, Matthew Cooper penalty). Half-time: 8-3.