Professional attitude behind Manawatu's intercentre win

There was a huge gap between the winning Manawatu team at Sunday's intercentre quadrangular and Gisborne-East Coast, Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay.

That gap can be summed up in one word – professionalism.

The team abounds with confidence and has a hard-nosed selector who has been part of Manawatu bowls for almost 50 years – Eric Watson.

When the fours are skipped by a former New Zealand representative in Philip Skoglund, and with a vastly experienced Pat Horgan and Chris Barrett in the pairs and a determined Ross Ellery in the singles, it will take a talented group to stop them winning another national title, again on home greens at Palmerston North on March 27-28.

Terry Johnson leads the four, with newcomer Brian Looker at two, while Steve Toms is no stranger to the heat of the battle as Skoglund's understudy.

For the bowling purists there is no better sight than a tense singles match, which Ellery and Gisborne's Robin Jefferson turned on on Sunday.

Jefferson has long been one of the country's most competitive bowlers.

He won a New Zealand pairs title with Peter Belliss, but is happy to remain tucked away in Gisborne.

Originally in the pairs with Steve Goldsbury, Jefferson switched to the singles for the final two games after another former New Zealand bowler, David File, had a back problem.

He used his game against Wairarapa's Ian Monaghan to get into the swing of things and then produced top bowls to topple Ellery, 21-20.

Playing in home territory is usually worth a win-and-a-half and that one win saw Manawatu home over Hawke's Bay.

In a light-hearted way, Manawatu have generally regarded the Gisborne-East Coast team as their "12th man", having often proved the giant-killers to Manawatu's benefit.

It was again on Sunday when Vern Marshall led his troops to down Tony Terry's Hawke's Bay four and seal victory for Manawatu.

With the lead and a healthy points differential going into the last round, Hawke's Bay were like their Heretaunga compatriots in the interclub on Saturday – they couldn't finish.

In the interclub, Heretaunga looked home going into the last round, but all three disciplines capitulated and Kahutia (Gisborne) caused the biggest upset by beating Patrick Golder's feared foursome and were cheered on by the Palmerston North seven.

With Manawatu selector Watson leading for Horgan, and Ellery quickly dealing to Murray Glassey, their experience was too much for stronger teams than Heretaunga to combat.

Women's selector Lyn Elphick has no intention of changing her team after they won through to the national finals.

The group had five-and-a-half wins, enough to head Gisborne East-Coast by one point.

- © Fairfax NZ News