Canterbury’s goal-kicker shows mettle

Press, 30 August 1989, Page 72

Canterbury’s goal-kicker shows mettle

Special correspondent

A former All Black fullback, Robbie Deans, kicked six out of six attempts at goal from the mud and slush at New Plymouth’s Rugby Park to guide Canterbury to a 24-14 win over Taranaki in a national first division rugby match yesterday.

Deans’ superb goalkicking was the difference between the two sides. Admittedly, his first four attempts in the first spell were from relatively handy positions, but such was his timing and accuracy, the ball sailed through between the uprights on each occasion.

His fifth attempt, after a flanker, Andy Earl, crashed over near the posts gave his side a 21-4 lead and his sixth, late in the game when the ball was very heavy, came from 40m out and into the

wind. The Canterbury coach, Frank Jack, was delighted with Deans’ form. “He’s getting back to the form he displayed in 1984 before his leg injury.” Canterbury’s decision to play with the elements in the first spell also proved correct. At 15-4 at the break, Canterbury quickly added a converted try then weathered sustained pressure from the home side for the rest of the

match. “It was a good toss to win,” said Mr Jack. Taranaki scored three tries to Canterbury’s two, and had the normally reli-

able goal-kicker, Kieran Crowley, been on target the score may well have been a lot closer. Crowley missed two easy penalty attempts in the first spell and finished with only one success from five attempts. While it was Deans that bagged most of the glory for Canterbury, it was the

pack that laid the foundation for the win. The big men, Earl, Albert Anderson and John Jackson, cleaned Taranaki out in the lineouts while Canterbury relentlessly rolled Taranaki back at rucks

and mauls. Phil Cropper, Earl and the hooker, John Buchan, were key members in the Canterbury mauling department. The Bachop brothers, Stephen at first fiveeighth, and Graeme at halfback, also proved a handful for Taranaki. Stephen’s kicking in the first spell kept Taranaki pinned in its own half, while in the second spell he was able to relieve the pressure with angled

kicks into the wind. Graeme’s handling of the slippery ball was almost without fault. Canterbury’s first try

came after the Canterbury forwards marched Taranaki 20m in a rolling, twisting maul. Quick hands allowed the second five-eighths, Kieran Flynn, room to move and he beat Crowley’s tackle to go over by the posts. The second try also followed a strong build-up by the forwards with

Taranaki finally cracking after five minutes of concerted pressure, Earl being rewarded with the try. Taranaki’s first try was the highlight of the match. The home side

forced a 5m scrum late in the first half and surprised Canterbury with the backs joining in for a 13-man scrum. With Canterbury slow to react, Taranaki pushed over the line with Crowley being awarded the try. Robbie Deans took his points total for Canterbury A this season to 213. For Canterbury, Kieran Flynn and Andy Earl scored tries; Robbie Deans kicked two conversions and four penalty goals.

For Taranaki; Kieran Crowley (2) and Wayne Dombroski scored tries, one of which was converted by Crowley.