Skipper equals try-scoring record

Press, 23 October 1989, Page 32

Skipper equals try-scoring record

The Kiwi skipper, Hugh McGahan, equalled the New Zealand test try-scoring record in yesterday’s epic 24-16 win over Britain at Old Trafford. When McGahan charged over out wide in the twenty-fifth minute to complete a move begun by the standoff, Kelly Shelford, at the other end of the field it was his fifteenth try in a career spanning 24 tests since 1982. McGahan dummied and cut inside for the try which took him

into the record books with a 1950 s wing, Tommy Hadfield, and a 1970 s wing, Phil Orchard. McGahan grinned when asked whether he realised at the time he had equalled the record. “That’s why I dummied! Hey, don’t write that down,” McGahan laughed.

“Yeah I sort of had an idea but I didn’t really think about it at the time. You win the game first.”

McGahan was happier about

the way the Kiwi game plan had unfolded than he was with his try. It was one of those afternoons when the best s laid plans did not go astray. “It was a great performance. It’s even better when you win with the game plan you had in mind,” he said. “I won’t say it worked perfectly but it worked. Our defence was really good in the first half. “In the second half they kept trying to move the bail wide to

Offiah. It took us too long to counter them. By then they had scored two tries. We had them all packaged up. We let them back in.

“A lot of people outside the team thought we couldn’t play that well. We had a good week training. We thought it was just a matter of taking it from training on to the field.

“Thank goodness we did. It feels so much better to win.”