Canterbury League Team Did Well On West Coast

Press, Volume C, Issue 29513, 13 May 1961, Page 5

Canterbury League Team Did Well On West Coast

fPHE Canterbury representative Rugby League team's excellent display against West Coast last Sunday should give it more confidence for today's game against Auckland at Auckland. It was generally agreed by those who saw the West Coast game that the win was largely .to the credit of the forwards.

In the past few seasons the West Coast forwards have been able to dictate the trend of the play, but this time the boot was on the other foot, with the Canterbury pack holding its own in the first spell and after half-time gradually gaining the ascendancy. Towards the end of the game it was almost in full charge. Every one of the six forwards pulled his full weight in all the tight play and their clean handling, speed and combination in the loose proved too big a burden for the West Coast defence,

especially over the late stages of the game. M. Mohi and E. Tavendale set the pattern, and the rest of the pack supported them splendidly. R. McLean, the loose forward, was always in the picture, and his sharp breaks frequently put the back line in an attacking position. The hard, clean tackling of K. Pearce upset many of the West Coast forwards’ attempts to break through. N. Diggs and D. Condick (a replacement for J. Fisher early in the game) were always up with the play and gave fine service

The inclusion of M. Cooke (who was not available for the West Coast game) will add greater strength to the pack for the Auckland game, and it will not be surprising if supremacy in the forwards is won by Canterbury. In the West Coast game, the Canterbury back line did not function as smoothly as expected, but the game should have been very beneficial and it should be a stronger proposition now. A welcome feature was the return to form of J. Bond, who played easily his best game of the season.

The value of a competent goal kicker was well illustrated in the West Coast game when A. Smith added 14 points to the score with three conversions and four penalties. Two other attempts could quite easily have gone over; one hit an upright, and another the cross bar. A. Amer proved his scoring ability, and it is to be hoped he receives the same opportunities in Auckland. R. Pounsford was a little disappointing at first five-eighths, but he has the ability to do much better. The Auckland side seems a strong one, but with anything like equal possession of the ball, Canterbury could go very close to winning on the form shown at Greymouth.