Canty B dominates against Manawatu

Press, 21 August 1989, Page 23

Canty B dominates against Manawatu

Canterbury B won so much ball against the Manawatu B rugby team it almost ran out of ways to use it winning 34-18 on the Palmerston North Showgrounds Oval on Saturday. Canterbury scored only three tries to two to make it two wins from its threematch tour. Canterbury totally dominated the first half but had only one try to show for it against a rusty Manawatu team whose only preparation had been

three training runs. The Manawatu forwards tightened up in the second half and began to win lineout ball. However, Canterbury, with a 19-3 half-time lead, loosened up and allowed Manawatu to snap up some scrappy ball and score two tries to close to 28-15. Canterbury had the accurate boot of fullback Richard Connell to thank for 22 points. However, its only penetrative backs were the five-eighths, Wayne Smith,

and Kose Seinafo who blasted over from a run from half-way through shoddy tackling. The flanker, Stephen Dodds, won a surprising amount of lineout ball. He and Dallas Seymour maintained the forwards momentum, the backs engineered overlaps, but a lack of pace from the wings even allowed Manawatu’s loose forwards to cover. National championship results, page 26