WEST COAST RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION – 1957
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1957 Season
WEST COAST COLOURS: RED AND WHITE HOOPS
(Founded, 1890; Affiliated, 1893)
Selector: Mr.B.Watkin
Although managing to stave off the first three challenges for the Seddon Shield, West Coast never looked impressive, and were finally relieved of the trophy by Buller. An uncertainty in the selection of the best team, plus the non-availability at times of several of the top men, resulted in no fewer the 34 players being required for the ten matches, and the backs particularly were seldom at full strength. This was a pity quite a deal of talent was available, and several who appease but seldom, for example Negri, Hendry and Thorpe, would seem worthy of more frequent selection. Gugich was a robust winger of pace, but who had not improved as much as expected, whilst Patrick was a neat and lively player; Williams handled and ran well, and Tiller showed up in his first year as a young second five-eighth of promise, his handling being first-class.
Experienced forwards were regularly available in the captain McPherson, an excellent prop, who had with him in the front row two youngsters in K.Mettrick, 18 year old brother to the ex-hooker, Basil Mettrick, and Kelcher, the other prop. Egerton and Punch were the locks, Inkster, Ross, Gardiner, and a new rep., Slaughter, being the loose forwards. Although often out weighted, the Coast forwards were tough and tireless in the loose. Twenty-two of the players had appeared the previous season, Breeze last playing in 1954, and Richards in 1955, there being ten newcomers. Gugich and Egerton played in the South Island Trial, the latter going on to the New Zealand Trials. Babbington won selection for Te Waipounamu in the Prince of Wales Cup match.
1957 Squad
A.A.McNabb (Hokitika Excelsior)
D.P.Hendry (Greymouth United)
F.W.Gugich (Hokitika Excelsior)
J.M.Patrick (Greymouth United)
A.J.Lindbom (Cobden)
A.J.McEnaney (Blaketown)
C.W.Thorpe (Hokitika Excelsior)
N.K.Williams (Greymouth United)
N.T.Tiller (Greymouth M.B.O.B.)
R.K.Breeze (Hokitika St.Mary’s O.B.)
A.W.Negri (Blaketown)
A.G.Dawson (Blaketown)
L.W.Champion (Greymouth M.B.O.B.)
Barry Williams (Cobden)
N.J.S.Babbington (Hokitika St.Mary’s O.B.)
G.S.Coleman (Hokitika Excelsior)
Harry Griggs (Blaketown)
L.E.Colville (Cobden)
S.J.Kermode (Hokitika Excelsior)
R.R.Gardiner (Greymouth M.B.0.B.)
K.C.Foster (Hokitika St.Mary’s 0.B.)
T.I.Egerton (Cobden)
G.A.Fyall (Blaketown)
R.N.Inkster (Blaketown)
B.L.Ross (Hokitika Excelsior)
K.M.Mettrick (Cobden)
C.J.P.McPherson (Greymouth United)
M.J.Kelcher (Greymouth M.B.O.B.)
S.M.Richards (Greymouth Star)
D.W.Bergman (Hokitika St.Mary’s O.B.)
A.J.Krakosky (Cobden)
P.J.Punch (Hokitika St.Mary’s O.B.)
W.N.Slaughter (Hokitika Excelsior)
T.A.Bird (Blaketown)
MATCH RECORD
Played 9 ; Won 3 ; Drew 1 ; Lost 5 ; Points: For 115 ; Against 132
April 13 v BULLER at Cass Square, Hokitika Lost 12 to 16
F.W.Gugich, A.W.Negri and T.I.Egerton, tries
A.A.McNabb, penalty goal
Referee: Mr.Alan Mosley (Buller)
June 3 v CANTERBURY at Rugby Park, Greymouth Lost 8 to 9
A.J.Lindbom, try
A.A.McNabb, penalty goal and conversion
Referee: Mr.A.R.Lindbom (West Coast)
July 6 v BULLER at Westport Won 19 to 8
T.I.Egerton, F.W.Gugich, A.A.McNabb and N.T.Tiller, tries
A.A.McNabb, penalty goal and 2 conversions
July 27 v NELSON (Seddon Shield) at Rugby Park, Greymouth Won 11 to 6
J.M.Patrick, A.J.Lindbom and F.W.Gugich, tries
A.A.McNabb, conversion
Referee: Mr.Ed Lucre (Golden Bay-Motueka)
August 10 v MARLBOROUGH (Seddon Shield) at Rugby Park, Greymouth Won 13 to 5
L.E.Colville and P.J.Punch, tries
A.A.McNabb, penalty goal and 2 conversions
Referee: Mr.I.W.Webby (Nelson)
August 17 v FIJI at Rugby Park, Greymouth Lost 17 to 23
J.M.Patrick, R.R.Gardiner and N.T.Tiller, tries
A.A.McNabb, 2 penalty goals and conversion
Referee: Mr.R.J.Little (Otago)
August 24 v GOLDEN BAY-MOTUEKA (Seddon Shield) at Rugby Park, Greymouth Drew 6 to 6
A.A.McNabb and L.E.Colville, tries
Referee: Mr.J.B.Hughes (Buller)
September 14 v BULLER (Seddon Shield) at Rugby Park, Greymouth Lost 11 to 22
B.L.Ross and N.T.Tiller, tries
A.A.McNabb, penalty goal and conversion
Referee: Mr.V.J.Jackson (Marlborough)
September 21 v CANTERBURY at Christchurch Lost 18 to 37
J.M.Patrick (2), A.W.Negri and R.R.Gardiner, tries
D.P.Hendry, 3 conversions