No excuses for loss — Manawatu

Press, 10 April 1979, Page 24

No excuses for loss — Manawatu

NZPA Hong Kong There was no glory for the Manawatu seven-a-side rugby team after a day’s hard competition in the annual Hong Kong international tournament on Sunday. After the top seed, Fiji, had been knocked out in the first round of post-section play the tournament favourite became the winner of the Manawatu-Australia semifinal clash. Last year the New Zealand provincial sevens champions downed the Australians to play Fiji in the final, but on Sunday it was Australia’s turn. It outgunned Manawatu from the opening whistle and with sure tackling and tight mauling preserved a half time lead of 9-0 through to the end of the game. Man atu had no excuses for its loss. ‘‘The Australians hit us hard right from the start and took their chances,” said the team’s coach, Mr Graham Hamer, after the match. Mr Hamer ; d he thought three early penalties against Manawatu for holding the ball in mauls hurt his team’s chances, saying that there appeared to be some difference in rule interpretations. An early hand injury to a for Terry Clare, had also set F 'k the team: ‘‘But the Australians played well and took the chances that went their way.” Clare stayed in the game to the end but at no time did he and his colleagues look like shaking off the early Australian dominance. The Australians tackled fiercely and prevented Manawatu’s Ken Maharey from developing bullocking runs close to rucks and mauls, ana the half-back,

i John Gilmer, from openic; r up their defence with nrealj from the scrum. B At no stage was Manas watu’s captain and winger, Hugh Blair, given . room to move on the wing, and in ' the absence of Blair’s fellow winger, Ken Granger, rio , other New Zealand back e looked capable of making a i sudden break. Both sides fought hard to maintain possession. In light - drizzly rain which muddied up an already soft ground . surface the two teami . swarmed “sacks on the mill" . style around each tackled , player. ' The result was a stilted match, frequently interupted i by calls for scrums because ; o f held ball j An early break could have , seen the game go Mana- , watu’s way but the Australian seven dominated be. 5 cause its hard tackling did not let Manawatu gel 5 rhythm in its game. t The day ended on a trium. 1 phant note for the Austra. . lians when in the final game they thrashed Western j Samoa 39-3. t The Western Samoans . made the '"■’tl by beating j South Korea in the second > semi-final match, 14-10, after extra time. But the South Koreans 1 had become the “glamour’ 1 1 boys of the tournament by ■ knocking out the favourite, [ Fiji, 10-6, in the first round t of post-section play. The crowd gave the Ko- > reans a standing ovation J after the match while the ■ Fijians, winners of the tour- . nament in each of the last two years, wandered dejecI tedly back to their dressing I room. • The Manawatu players : will visit Australia with the I full provincial squad before , returning to New Zealand.