West Coast Wins Rugby League Final, 20-11

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31084, 13 June 1966, Page 15

West Coast Wins Rugby League Final, 20-11

West Coast won the right to play Wellington in the New Zealand semi-final of the Rothmans Rugby League inter-pro-vincial tournament by winning the southern zone tournament at the Show Grounds over the week-end.

In the final, West Coast beat Canterbury, 20-11. Otago took third place by defeating Manawatu, 20-17.

West Coast and Canterbury encountered little opposition in the first round, scoring wins over Otago and Manawatu by 50-6, and 68-7 respectively. To defeat Canterbury the West Coast lifted its standard tremendously in comparision with its rather unimpressive showing against Otago. Its team was strengthened by the inclusion of B. J. Mann, L. Mahuika, J. D. O’Connell, and J. L. Weir, but It was without the injured Kiwi prop, R. O. Scholefield. Fine Leadership The West Coast win was inspired by the outstanding leadership and position play of its captain and stand-off half, G. M. Kennedy, who completely disrupted Canterbury’s defensive tactics. For West Coast, F. Kennedy (his first in three years and 11 matches for West Coast), Weir, B. Sweetman and R. J. Rochford scored tries, G. M. Kennedy kicked four goals. M. H. Mohi scored his fourth try for Canterbury in as many matches this season and I. T. Drayton kicked four goals. The teams were:—

WEST COAST: B. J. Mann; R. J. Rochford, J. D. O’Connell, W. Johnsen, M. P. Brereton; G. M Kennedy (captain), B. Sweetman; A. P. Dennehy: J. K. Dixon, J. F. Hibbs; L. Mahuika, F. Kennedy. J. L. Weir. CANTERBURY: 1. T. Drayton; P. M. V. White (captain), B. W. Langton, A. N. Amer, E. Kereopa; R. A. Neiman, C. H. Clarke;

J. L. White; M. H. Mohi, G. J. Rcsanowski; W. E. Butterfield, W. P. Noonan, J. H. Fisher. Neiman Outclassed

Canterbury made its first serious mistake even before the match started. Neiman was brought into the team to mark Kennedy in preference to P. V. Smith, the province's most compent back on defence.

Neiman was completely outclassed and Ms defence bore no relation to the fine work done by Smith a week earlier against Auckland. On one occasion, in particular, Dennehy nearly scored as Neiman stood by, waiting for another player to do the work. Whereas West Coast threw the ball around Canterbury kept it in the forwards and only when a blind side play was used did either wing receive the ball from the scrum.

The match was an extremely enjoyable one but it was spoiled to some extent by the awarding of 31 penalties, 17 against West Coast. Had the kickers been in form the scores would have been higher: Kennedy missed six attempts, Mann missed two and Drayton three. Sweetman's Try

The influence that Kennedy had on the match could not be better emphasised than when Sweetman scored. West Coast led by only three points when Kennedy put Sweetman through a gaps and the stocky little scrum-half out-ran Clarke to score in Drayton's tackle. Mann was very solid at fullback but he was Inclined to hold on too long when he joined in the attack. Rochford scored a nice try in the corner and ran determinedly but little play went towards Brereton’s wing. Johnsen made one or two runs In the centre and O’Connell ran strongly and straight. Sweetman was evasive and completely bottled up Clarke, the first player to do so this season. The strong-running forwards, Dixon and Dennehy, played extremely well and both made several piercing runs through the defence. Hibbs was sound and Mahuika set Rochford up for his try after a 40-yard run. Although not as prominent as in the earlier match against

Canterbury, Weir again backed up well and scored a try from the dummy half position. Scrums Shared Although never an outstanding player, F. Kennedy did his job well. He kept backing up all the time and from one such move he took a pass from Dixon to score near the posts. As in Greymouth, he shared the scrums with W. P. Noonan, 14-14 after Noonan had led, 10-6, at half-time. Drayton ran strongly from full-back again for Canterbury and his line-kicking was improved. He missed finding touch only twice but this could not compare with Kennedy’s uneering accuracy for West Coast. The other backs were seldom seen and it was the forwards who were left to carry the work. Fisher was the most positive runner and never gave up tackling the strong-running West Coast players as they came through from the rucks. Mohi scored a good try from dummy half late in the game and Noonan and J. L. White were again prominent on defence. Butterfield and Rosanowski missed tackles by going around the neck and were generally out-played. Late Try to Win A try by the centre, G. Lucas, with only five minutes remaining enabled Otago to defeat Manawatu, 20-17, and win third place. For Otago, C. Dhyrberg, L. Maxwell, Lucas and C. Giess scored tries and Dyhrberg kicked four goals. R. Gosling. R. Symonds and D. Eru scored Manawatu’s tries and A. Thompson kicked four goals. First round results were:—

West Coast 50 (M. P. Brereton three, B. Sweetman two. W. Johnsen two, R. J. Rochford two, G. M. Kennedy, J. K. Dixon, R. O. Scholefield tries; Kennedy seven goals), beat Otago 6 (Dhyrberg three goa)s). Canterbury 68 (P. M. V. White three, J. L. White two, G. H. Clarke two, M. H. Mohi two, E. Kereopa two, J. H. Fisher, A. N. Amer, B. W. Langton tries; I T. Drayton 13 goals), beat Manawatu 7 (Eru try; Thompson. A. Rewi goals).