Canterbury quick on the draw in ITM Cup

IAIN McGREGOR/The Press

DIVING IN: Sean Maitland will line up in Friday night's final against three of his former Hamilton BHS team-mates.

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At least they didn't lose.

Having coughed up their opening match in each of the last two seasons, before going on to win the championship, Canterbury drew 23-all with Hawke's Bay at AMI Stadium in Christchurch last night.

Perhaps worried about breaking a successful trend, the hosts did their best to lose again last night, but looked like they'd get home courtesy of a 78th minute penalty by first five-eighth Colin Slade.

But referee Matt Stannish, who had been the star of the show, had other ideas and awarded the visitors yet another penalty. Andrew Horrell gleefully guided it between the posts to end the match at a stalemate.

Canterbury played all the footy in the first half, which has been a feature of their recent matches against the Magpies. But, like it often has, that looked more naive than positive.

Possession is gold and going to ground with the ball can be worth a good deal more than a miracle pass can yield.

Hawke's Bay were content to bide their time, keep Canterbury in their own half and wait for Stannish to blow them a penalty. Why Canterbury can't try that tactic themselves is anyone's guess.

Three successful kicks at goal by first five-eighth Daniel Kirkpatrick, and a fourth by his replacement Horrell enabled Hawke's Bay to take control of a match they had contributed very little to.

There's no doubt Canterbury did look slick at times, with Sean Maitland's sixth-minute try coming from a nice set move. But for all the nice stuff they did, it took a charge-down and try by Tu Umaga-Marshall straight after the break to get over the line again.

Slade's conversion put them in front 20-17, but Stannish was still playing a decisive hand, flogging the home team at the breakdowns. At least after another Horrell penalty had levelled the scores at 20-all, the red-and-blacks realised that playing for a bit of field position wouldn't go amiss.

The injury-enforced coupling of Slade and Stephen Brett in the five-eighths didn't really work. Hopefully, the first-half ankle injury suffered by Ryan Crotty isn't too serious and he can return to his rightful spot at 12, perhaps with Sonny Bill Williams outside him, once he's fit.

Slade was generally pretty good at 10 but having Brett outside him seemed a wee bit like having too many chiefs and not enough Indians.

But the over-riding impression was of a game that never quite got started because the whistle went too much. Provincial rugby needs all the promotion it can get and AMI Stadium isn't going to get any more than half-full this season while referees blow it the way Stannish did.

SCORERS

Canterbury 23 (Sean Maitland, Tu Umaga-Marshall tries; Colin Slade 3 pen, 2 con) Hawke's Bay 23 (Hika Elliot try; Daniel Kirkpatrick 3 pen, Andrew Horrell 3 pen). Halftime: 13-17

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