RUGBY N.Z. WINS LAST TEST

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28697, 22 September 1958, Page 13

RUGBY N.Z. WINS LAST TEST

Penalty Goals Give Winning Margin

The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND, September 21. The mighty kick of the full-back, D. B. Clarke, won the third Rugby test and the rubber for New Zealand against the touring Australian team at the Epsom Showgrounds on Saturday. New Zealand won by 17 points (a converted try and four penalty goals) 1 to eight (a converted try and a penalty goal); and Clarke was responsible for all but the try. ■nr t° resto f e their Rugby prestige after the Wallabies second test win, the All Blacks relied largely on a steamroller pack of eight big, fit men. Any pre-match doubts about the pack’s mobility were soon dispelled, and on the granite-hard ground the crowd of 25,000 saw some forward play which was up to the best New Zealand traditions. _ better than the Canterbury forwards, P? Young and S. F. Hill. Young delighted with his fast, clean heeling from the scrums—he won 16 to Australia s 10—and worked well in the tight. Hill more than justified his re-entry into the team. His lineout work was splendid and he was never far from the ball.

The teams were:— Australia.— T. Curley; A. Morton, T. Baxter, R. Phelps, B. Elwood; A. Summons; D. Connor; K. Ryan, C. Wilson (captain), J. White, J. Carroll, J. Thornett, K. Ellis, R. Meadow's, P. Dunn. New Zealand.— D. B. Clarke; P. T. Walsh, T. R. Lineen, R. F. McMullen; R. H. Brown, A. Clarke; K. R. Davis; P. F. Jones, W. D. Gillespie, L N. Mac Ewan, S. F. Hill, C. E. Meads, L J. Clarke, D. A. Young, W. J. Whineray (captain). The game was bright, but never brilliant, and New Zealand cannot be wholly satisfied with the manner, of its victory. Surging forward rushes and fiery work in the tight carried play deep into Australia’s territory and put Clake within striking range for his penalties, but the backs all too often adopted safety-first tactics. McMullen, on the left wing, and Lineen at centre, were itching for opportunities but their inside backs, A. Clarke and Brown preferred to kick, and their kicking was too frequently indiscriminate. The Wallabies lost courageously. During a large part of the game they were on the defensive, yet they never hesitated to start movements from any part of the

ground and their willingness to throw the ball about during the last 10 minutes will probably be remembered long after the result of the test is forgotten. Full-backs’ Duel Curley and D. B. Clarke had some terriffic punting duels and both ate up some big slices of territory. Clarke’s dramatic return to goalkicking form apart, there was little to choose between the full-backs on the day. Clarke’s general play was sound, but at least once he was guilty, of waiting for the bounce. Clarke had to contend with a tricky cross-field breeze which made his five successful attempts at goal out of seven all the more meritorious. The kicks were all from near the touchline. The young’ Auckland first fiveeighths Adrian Clarke made a reasonably workmaplike but far from brilliant entry into international Rugby. Many of the passes he received from Davis were low, with the result that •he had to take them flat-footed and was forced to kick in the face of marauding Wallaby forwards instead of using his known thrust to get his outside backs away. When the All Bluc£ c backline did swing into acticn it showed

that the potential was there for a brilliant attacking force. McMullen, on the left wing, has plenty of speed and it was pleasing to see him use that speed to make his own opportunities. At least three times during the first half he came over like lightning from the left to make an erztra man in the line when play had swung out toward the right wing and three times Walsh was just pushed out as he hurtled for the corner flag. Individual Bursts

This sort of play had the crowd on its toes, but it was short-lived and thereafter the New Zealand back sallies were mainly confined to individual bursts either by Brown or Lineen. From the outset, the well-drilled All Black pack set out to subdue the Australian. The Australians were not subdued—in fact, their lighter forwards held New Zealand to a remarkable degree. But the cohesion and sustained fire of the New Zealand assault won the day. The ball was kept fairly close to the scrum, with the result that there were few loose sallies by Jones at number eight or the flanker Gillespie. Both, however, did their full share of the tight work and with Whineray directing operations in a masterly fashion the pack worked well as a unit.

frequently made things dangerous midway through the first half with jinking runs and in passes to their forwards, but half-time came with the score New Zealand 6, Australia 0.

Curley and Clarke both missed with penalty attempts from near half-way and the first try of the match came when Meads gained possession from a ruck and crashed over in the corner after a 10-yard burst. Clarke converted, to give the All Blacks an 11-point lead after a quarter of an hour in tho second half. Four minutes later, Clarke added another three points with a 30-yard penalty goal.

Australia’s first score came when Curley kicked a penalty goal from 40 yards out. Twenty-five minutes of the game were left, and the Australians opened up the game. For five minutes they threw everything they had into the attack, and were unfortunate not to score when Phelps was bundled out on the corner flag in a movement started by Summons. Brown relieved the pressure for New Zealand with a long kick, and a quarter of an hour from time Clarke kicked his fourth long penalty goal.

Meads was probably the best opportunist forward. McEwan incurred some penalties for barging in the line-outs, but he and Hill were the pick of the All Black forwards in this department and between them won 39 of the line-outs to the Australians’ 27, with -15 indecisive. New Zealand opened the scoring after 14 minutes of play when Clarke was successful with his second penalty attempt from the touchline. Minutes later he scored with another Beautiful kick from about 40 yards out to put New. Zealand six points up. Summons, Elwood and Baxter

Fourteen points down and with nothing to lose, the Wallabies were enterprising to the last. Their dazzling passing showed some grave weaknesses in the New Zealand tackling and finally their adventurous spirit was re-

warded when Carroll went over near the posts after a movement which covered three-quarters of the length of the ground. Curley converted to make the score New Zealand 17, Australia 8. New Zealand was attacking whf'n the game ended. The Australians lost the test and the rubber, but they will leave behind memories of a fast and fit fifteen which tried to play Rugby as it should be played. The referee was Mr R. Forsyth, of Taranaki.