Eye-gouging mars Maori win

By CHRIS RATTUE

The New Zealand Maori took another "test" scalp in Rotorua last night in a match where international rugby's violent trend continued.

The Maori ended their season with a 43-24 win over Argentina, a fine effort in many parts, although they were not always as precise as they would have wanted to be.

Replacement Maori forward Kristian Ormsby was sent off by Australian referee Stuart Dickinson for kicking Argentine lock Mariano Sambucetti late in the match.

Ormsby later told his management that he had been eye-gouged and the Maori officials said two other players had received similar treatment.

"The same thing happened to the All Blacks in the test against Argentina, just ask them," Maori coach Matt Te Pou said. "Aggression and mongrel is good in rugby. Eye-gouging is not."

Ormsby was due to fly to Australia today to join the New Zealand Colts in the Southern Hemisphere tournament, but will instead front a judiciary hearing.

Many have hailed the new aggressive approach in international rugby as a good sign, believing the Super 12 is sanitised, but there have also been some ugly moments in the last few days on fields in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

Counties Manukau and Chiefs forward Ormsby was sent off on a report by Australian touch judge Andrew Cole as the Maori held off a late challenge by an Argentine side who were far more impressive than many, including those around their own camp, had predicted.

The Maori performance was epitomised by fullback Carlos Spencer, who mixed moments of brilliance with others less convincing.

Spencer hit some raking 55m touchfinders from penalties, sparked a wonderful try to Roger Randle with an overhead pass, and pulled off a crucial try-saving tackle on captain and centre Lisandro Arbizu, who was playing his 94th game for Argentina, thus breaking Hugo Porta's record.

But Spencer also had some shaky moments on defence and some of his general kicking was wobbly.

That typified the Maori game.

"Any international win will do me," Te Pou said. "But some of our basic skills, passing and catching, let us down. If we as a team want to go on with this we have to improve in areas.

"The Argentines were also very committed in the forwards and I take my hat off to them. They got so much quality ball."

The match opened with a bizarre but brilliant try when flanker Hare Makiri chip-kicked over the Argentine line and hooker Norm Hewitt, looking like a runaway barrel, beat the chasers to the touchdown with a sparkling run up the right-hand touchline.

With the Maori leading 17-3 late in the half, tension built as lock Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe was sinbinned for smashing Deon Muir out of a ruck. Arbizu had to push his players away from arguing with the referee.

The match burst into life early in the second spell with each side scoring two tries in the opening 12 minutes.

Argentina, who put out largely a second-string side, closed the gap to 24-36 by the 67th minute. But the Maori finished the game off with a try to Bruce Reihana, his second of the match, after strong work from Matua Parkinson.

Earlier, Te Pou scoffed at Argentine complaints over the scheduling of last night's match so soon after the tourists' test against the All Blacks last Saturday.



Te Pou, at the helm when New Zealand Maori beat Argentina 39-17 in Napier in 1997, said the tourists' complaints did not wash.

"They're an international team and have come to New Zealand carrying a squad of more than 30 players."

New Zealand Maori 43 (Roger Randle 2, Bruce Reihana 2, Norm Hewitt, Rhys Duggan tries; Carlos Spencer 5 con, pen) Argentina 24 (Jose Nunez Piossek, Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe tries; Gonzalo Quesada con, 4 pen). Halftime: 17-6.