Rugby youth Shirley school to lose Ippei Onishi

Press, 5 July 1983, Page 22

Rugby youth Shirley school to lose Ippei Onishi

The Japanese connection with Shirley Boys’ High School’s first XV rugby team has served the side well this season, but the link with Ippei Onishi will be broken later this week. Onishi, an exchange student, returns to Japan on Friday after several weeks demonstrating his prowess as a No. 8 forward, one who is strong on the burst and who has scored several tries for his adopted school this season. Shirley B.H.S. has been going through a lean patch recently, and Onishi’s absence will make it more difficult for the side to regain lost pride. In a recent mid-week game, Shirley played well but was edged out, 10-9, by Christ’s College. The side found it difficult to lift its game again in a short space of time, and on the Saturday lost by three points to the rising Xavier College XV. Then last Saturday came Burnside High, and a grim encounter played mostly ankle-deep in mud, on Shirley’s low-lying home field. Burnside handled the conditions more effectively, winning, 7-0, with a first-half try to Brian Harbott and a penalty goal after the interval by Shayne Philpott. Shirley has some ground to make up in the latter part of the season. Much will depend on the talented half-back, Gary Watson, who is only 15. He has shown excellence in several

sports. Alan Thompson has been consistently good off the side of the scrum while Steve Muir has proved a reliable goal-kicker. Shirley has an extra match on its already crowded programme this season, meeting a touring English school XV, Cranleigh College, on Wednesday, August 3. Burnside High’s cause on Saturday was helped in large measure by its captain, Mike Weatherall, a prop who is adept at controlling secondphase possession. The inside back pairing of Grant Rogers and Philpott, and the full-back, Gary Barber, were also key players in the side’s win. Rogers was chosen as this season’s half-back because of his long, swift clearances, but he showed another dimension to his game on Saturday, keeping the ball usefully in front of the pack. Barber was the half-back last year and has adapted well to his new position. On Saturday he was sound under the high ball and cleared it effectively.

Burnside has an extra challenge coming up shortly, with its annual match against Kuranui College, of Greytown. Xavier’s three-match winning run has been a great boost to the side in its promotion to the top schools’ level. The half-back, Jamie Flynn, made an important contribution to Xavier’s 7-4 win

over St Andrew’s College on Saturday, his little chip-kicks in front of the pack keeping St Andrew’s on the back foot. All of Xavier’s forwards played well, appreciating Flynn’s tactics, with Paul Wisbey, the blind-side flanker, and Roland Ah Kuoi, a prop, leading the way. The St Andrew’s half-back, Tim Johnston, had a good, steady game and the centre, Louis Cieceli, looked useful. In the forwards, the vice-captain, Nick Murray, gave a solid performance. Standings in the schools’ first XV championship at present are: Christchurch Boys’ High School, 12 points from 6 games, Burnside High School 8 (5), Christ’s College 8 (6), St Bede’s College 6 (4), Xavier College 6 (6), St Thomas's College 4 (4), St Andrew’s College 4 (6), Shirley Boys’ High School 4 (6), Linwood High School 2 (5), and Cashmere High School 0 (6). This Saturday, Burnside High School meets St Bede’s at Burnside, and Linwood High School meets Xavier at Linwood. The other school match drawn for this round is that between Christchurch Boys' High School and Christ’s College. Traditionally a mid-week fixture, this year’s match will be played next Tuesday, July 12, again assuming an important place on Christchurch’s sporting and social calendar.