Rugby Football Union - New Zealand Maori win Churchill Cup in extra time

New Zealand Maori win Churchill Cup in extra time

by Dave Barton


	Hugh Vyvyan's side lost to New Zealand Maori photo by Getty

20 June 2004
HOSEA GEAR snatched the Churchill Cup from England with an extra-time try for the New Zealand Maori at Commonwealth Stadium tonight.

The winger scored with four minutes left to give the Maori victory and leave England’s players devastated after the scores had been level 19-19 at full-time.

Captain Hugh Vyvyan said: “We are very disappointed – it’s very hard to lose in extra-time. We were outstanding in the first half and played some great rugby. Maybe we took our foot off the gas in the second half but fair play to the Maori, it was a great game of rugby.”

Coach Jim Mallinder saluted his players, saying: “We are naturally disappointed because our aim was to win the Churchill Cup. But we will take the positives out of it. We said that we had to front up and improve 20 to 25 per cent and I think defensively and with our attacking play in the first half we did that.

“There are a lot of good players around and what this tournament gives them is a higher level of competition.”

England led 19-5 at half-time thanks to tries from Jamie Noon, converted by Dave Walder, who also kicked three penalties.

Noon’s try was a beautiful crossfield move involving the outstanding Dan Scarbrough with Henry Paul delivering a one-handed pass for Mark Cueto to feed inside to the Newcastle Falcon.

But they lost the injured Alex Brown at half-time and the dazed Andy Hazell soon after the break.

And the Maori hit back with two tries in as many minutes through Caleb Ralph and Glen Jackson, who intercepted Paul’s pass to race away and touch down for an easy conversion.

That leveled the scores at 19-19 until Walder’s 72nd minute penalty miss and he said: “I thought it went over but it wasn’t given and it’s one of those things and you have to get on with it.”

Jackson had his own chance to win the game in injury-time but missed, as did Walder with a drop-goal attempt in the first 10 minutes of extra-time.

England: Dan Scarbrough (Leeds Tykes (v New Zealand ); Mark Cueto (Sale Sharks), Jamie Noon (Newcastle Falcons), Henry Paul (Gloucester), Paul Sackey (London Irish); Dave Walder (Newcastle Falcons), Martyn Wood (Bath); Mike Worsley (NEC Harlequins), George Chuter (Leicester Tigers), Will Green (London Wasps), Louis Deacon (Leicester Tigers), Alex Brown (Gloucester), Will Johnson (Leicester Tigers), Andy Hazell (Gloucester), Hugh Vyvyan (Newcastle Falcons, capt). Reps used: Matt Cairns (Sale Sharks), Micky Ward (Newcastle Falcons), Richard Birkett (London Wasps), Pat Sanderson (NEC Harlequins), Peter Richards (London Wasps), Kevin Sorrell (Saracens).

Scorers: Try – Noon; Cons – Walder (4); Pen – Walder.

New Zealand Maori: Adrian Cashmore (Bay of Plenty), Hosea Gear (North Harbour), Justin Wilson (Wellington), Ryan Nicholas (Otago), (Wellington), Caleb Ralph (Canterbury); Glen Jackson (Bay of Plenty), Billy Fulton (North Harbour); Greg Feek (Canterbury), Corey Flynn (capt, Canterbury), Joe McDonnell (Wellington), Sean Hohneck (Waikato), Bryce Williams (Auckland), Warren Smith (Otago), Wayne McEntee (Waikato), Wayne Ormond (Bay of Plenty). Reps used: Scott Linklater (Waikato), Hoani Macdonald (Southland), Scott Waldrom (Wellington), David Hill (Waikato).

Sin-binned: Flynn 22-32 (tackling man without ball).

Scorers: Tries – Nicholas, Ralph, Gear, Jackson; Cons – Jackson (3).

Referee: Dave Pearson (Rugby Football Union).