Time factor favours Canty against Waikato

Press, 21 August 1989, Page 23

Time factor favours Canty against Waikato

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

Two minutes — not much longer than it takes Grant Fox to kick a goal — is not an interminable amount of time, but that short period has had special significance for Canterbury rugby teams of the last two seasons.

Towards the end of last year, Canterbury twice lost national first division rugby championship matches in the seventyeighth minute and subsequently finished in the middle of the table. At Lancaster Park on Saturday, the boot was on the other foot. It was Canterbury which had the final say, a thrilling try two minutes from the finish taking it to a 23-22 victory against Waikato in their National Mutual competition fixture. Once the tight-head prop, Graham Purvis, had released the fullback, Daryl Halligan, on a long, strong run in the sixtyfifth minute which was halted only a few metres from the Canterbury line by an embracing tackle by Paula Bale, Waikato commanded play in the last quarter. The Waikato pack was powerful, both in the scrum and on the drive, and chillingly efficient in wresting possession from the rucks and mauls. The Canterbury forwards had to call on every sinew and muscle to resist the advance of a compact and competent opposing unit. A dropped goal 15 minutes from the end by Waikato’s first fiveeighths, Brett Craies — and he was given so much time that he could have compiled his Christmas card list — took Waikato

into the lead for the second time, at 22-19. And Canterbury, for many agonising minutes, experienced that dreadful sensation of making play but progressing nowhere. The crowd of 15,000 stayed rooted in the belief that where there is life there is hope. And hope leapt eternal when Bruce Deans and Rob Penney combined on the shortside to create room for the little-used left wing, Wiremu Maunsell, in the seventy-eighth minute. Maunsell set sail over halfway and angled away from the sideline. When challenged Penney, sprinting for all his worth, was in support and he drew the inside backs. Andrew McCormick, chest expanded as usual, legs pumping like pistons, took over and he set up the ruck from which Bruce Deans cleared thhe ball while on one knee. Stephen Bachop accepted the pass and flicked on to Robbie Deans in the one action, and Deans instinctively slipped a little kick over the Waikato line as the cover defence came at haste. It was a replica of the kick which brought Paula Bale the first try in the eighth minute, and the strapping Fijian wing was not to let Canterbury down. His long, loping strides won him the race

before the defence and before the deadball re-

gion. Bale could scarcely concel his jubilation, nor could many others. Deans missed the sideline conversion but it was only of statistical importance. He had made his contribution in the first half with two angled 40m penalty goals and with his two exquisite grubber kicks, the ball bouncing end on end, awaiting the arrival of Bale. Waikato had reason to feel disappointed at the final result, but the

players had no reason to feel guilt about their own performances. Both teams believed in pride and attitude, both teams played with fierce passion and commitment, players cannot give more than 100 per cent. Canterbury’s victory left it as the only first division team with maximum points, although Auckland, which drew with North Harbour, is also unbeaten. Waikato’s defeat ended a sequence of 12 wins this season and it continued a drought against Canterbury. The “Mooloos” have • not won at Lancaster Park for 30 years, and they have not lowered its South Island rival since 1981. Waikato had ample chances to steal a march and should have been ahead at half-time, 16-10 instead of 13-10. But its imported goal-kicker,

Brett Craies, who sided with Waikato when shut

out of the Auckland team by Fox, missed a very handy penalty in the first half and another from 25m and only slightly angled with 10 minutes to play. Canterbury was out to a 10-4 lead after 18 minutes — Bale’s early try being cancelled soon after by the Waikato halfback, Kevin Putt, who swooped on a loose ball from a Canterbury scrum and darted away from a startled Bruce Deans —

but a Craies penalty goal and a converted try had Waikato in front at the interlude. Waikato’s second try was scored by a former Canterbury prop, Richard Loe, whose bullocking burst for a few metres proved where his loyalties now lie. The build-up had been intense, Warren Gatland and Brent Anderson, heavily involved in the close-shoulder charges, and it was a tribute to the Canterbury forwards that they denied Waikato from constantly using this strength through dominating the set pieces. Andy Earl was employed with spectacular success near the end of the line-outs, and with Albert Anderson, Chris England and Penney all chiming in, Canterbury had a two-to-one advantage. It was a similar

percentage in scrum possession.

The backlines were eager to pit their attacking talents and the’ defences were sometimes found wanting. Bruce Deans levelled tries with Putt when he forced his way through his marker’s tackle in the second half Bale excelled on attack and McCormick and Bachop also devised ways through the opposing line, but Canterbury owed much to the crunching low tackles of Warwick Taylor.

The Waikato centre, Rodney Mclntosh, a physical education teacher, educated the Canterbury defence with his physical approach. He and Putt must have impressed the two All Black selectors present, Lane Penn and John Hart, while Duane Monkley, an aggressive flanker, Richard Jerram, and the All Black front row of Purvis, Gatland and Loe, certainly did not allow their reputations to diminish. For Canterbury, Paula Bale (2) and Bruce Deans scored tries; Robbie Deans kicked a conversion and three penalty goals. For Waikato, Kevin Putt and Richard Loe scored tries; Brett Craies kicked a conversion, three penalty goals and a dropped goal.