WEST COAST RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION - 1965

 

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1965 Season

WEST COAST COLOURS: RED AND WHITE HOOPS
(Founded, 1890; Affiliated, 1893)
Selector: Mr.R.R.King

Not a happy season at all, culminating in a heavy defeat by a Canterbury XV., after having earlier suffered a loss to a similar side at Lancaster Park. Lack of forward strength was the prime cause, and as a result the backs, some of them quite promising and enterprising, lacked many opportunities, their role being more often a defensive one.

The team was led by Wright, a good forward and side-ranker who also played for New Zealand Combined Services during season. A great loss was the inability of Rogers to make more than one appearance owing to an operation that put him out of action. R.W.Baty, and later V.K.Baty as well, and MacRae were the usual locks, with Caldwell on one side.

Maughan was an excellent No.8, and the front row comprised McMillan and Veale as props, a new player, Olson, being hooker. Johnson is a promising young half-back and it was disappointing that so few opportunities came his way. Another promising new player at first five-eighth, 19 year old Beams, suffered from the same cause. McAra was a valuable second five-eighth, versatile and sound. Michael A.Gray was a useful winger, and another young newcomer, Maurice Gray, 19 years old proved himself a sound fullback - a good line kick, fielder of the ball, and tackler.

No West Coast players were called to the New Zealand Trials ,Those who were members of the combined West Coast-Buller team were McAra, Toomey, Caldwell, Johnson, Maughan, James, MacRae, and Veale.

The Selector called upon thirty players altogether, ten being new. Goodall and Veale had last played for the Coast in 1962, and MacRae in 1963.

1965 Squad
A.G.King (Greymouth Star)
Maurice Gray (Greymouth Marists)
A.D.Henderson (Hokitika Kiwi)
R.J.Woolhouse (Harihari)
Kenneth McNee (Blaketown)
Michael A.Gray (Hokitika Kiwi}
W.A.R.James (St.Mary’s Old Boys)
R.F.Eathorne (Greymouth Marists)
J.T.Toomey (Harihari)
T.E.McLean (Greymouth Star)
T.N.McAra (Greymouth Marists)
K.J.Beams (Greymouth Marists)
J.A.Davies (Blaketown)
B.J.Conradson (Greymouth Marists)
M.J.Wyatt (Harihari)
A.J.Goodall (Blaketown)
B.W.Johnson (Hokitika Excelsior)
P.W.Veale (Harihari)
J.A.L.Wright (Hokitika Excelsior)
T.E.Rogers (Hokitika Kiwi)
R.W.Baty (Hokitika Kiwi)
W.W.Blair (Greymouth United)
W.M.Garth (Greymouth Marists)
N.R.McMillan (Greymouth Marists)
B.E.Caldwell (Greymouth Marists)
J.B.Maughan (Greymouth Marists)
M.S.MacRae (Harihari)
J.W.Olson (Hokitika Excelsior)
W.A.Kennedy (Greymouth Marists)
V.K.Baty (Hokitika Excelsior)

MATCH RECORD
Played 7 ; Won 2 ; Lost 5 ; Points: For 38 ; Against 99

May 15 v BULLER at Rugby Park, Greymouth Lost 6 to 17
P.W.Veale and K.J.J.Beams, tries
Referee: Mr.E.T.O’Connor (Buller)

June 12 v BULLER at Westport Won 14 to 9
Michael A.Gray (2) and J.A.L.Wright, tries
Maurice Gray, penalty goal and conversion

July 17 v MARLBOROUGH (Seddon Shield) at Blenheim Lost 0 to 9

August 14 v A CANTERBURY XV at Christchurch Lost 3 to 8
Maurice Gray, penalty goal

August 21 v GOLDEN BAY-MOTUEKA at Rugby Park, Greymouth Won 9 to 6
J.A.Davies and J.W.Olson, tries
Maurice Gray, penalty goal
Referee: Mr.R.G.Condliffe (West Coast)

August 30 v AUCKLAND at Cass Square, Hokitika Lost 6 to 21
T.E.McLean and P.W.Veale, tries
Referee: Mr.J.C.Reynish (West Coast)

September 18 v A CANTERBURY XV at Rugby Park, Greymouth Lost 0 to 29
Referee: Mr.J.J.Walton (West Coast)

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WEST COAST - BULLER
At Rugby Park, Greymouth, July 27 Won by South Africa 11 to 0
Referee: Mr. R. J. Watson (Wanganui)

J.C.Smith (Buller)
B.P.Roche (Buller)
P.W.Veale (West Coast)
G.R.Wood (Buller)
B.E.Caldwell (West Coast)
O.H.Nahr (Buller)
M.S.MacRae (West Coast)
J.B.Maughan (West Coast)
B.W.Johnson (West Coast)
L.B.Halsall (Buller)
T.N.McAra (West Coast)
W.A.R.James (West Coast)
W.N.Forsyth (Capt.) (Buller)
Brian Stack (Buller)
R. T. Dawe (Buller)

WEST COAST-BULLER
S.H.Nomis retired injured at half-time, W.J.Mans moving into the centre position, for L.J.Slabber to take the vacant wing and D.J.Hopwood the side previously occupied by L.J.Slabber