Lions Beat Waikato Rugby Side, 14—Nil

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28981, 24 August 1959, Page 14

Lions Beat Waikato Rugby Side, 14—Nil

(New ietuTia Press Association)

HAMILTON, August 23.

•The failure of D. B. Clarke as a goal kicker, a late match rally by the British Isles forwards and a penalty try to the Lions, the second in successive matches, were highlights of the 18th match of the Lions in New Zealand at Hamilton on Saturday. Leading by three points to nil at half-time, the Lions came ahead in the second half to beat Waikato by 14 points (two tries, a conversion and two goals from penalties) to nil.

Clarke, who in the first two tests had beaten the Lions with his kicking, had sqyen shots at goal for seven misses, most of them from around the 40-yard mark. Played oh a softish field the match was mainly fought out in the forwards. The Waikato forwards played magnificently against a taller and heavier opposition and it was not until the last quarter of the match that the Lions forwards were on top to any degree. The crowd was between 25,000 and 30,000. The Lions’ points came from tries by Young and Morgan and a conversion and two penalties by Faull.

Although it was down by three points at half-time the honours of the first half belonged to the home team. The Waikato back line tried to open up play and went close to breaking through the Lions’ defences on several occasions.

Rarely in the match did the Lions swing into action properly. The forwards were winning the ball, but the inside backs seemed more intent on working the touchline than on playing the runningpassing type of game that made them such a delight to watch earlier in the tour. With 20 minutes of the second half gone, the Lions had increased their lead to 6-0 with a second penalty by Faull. It began to look as if the Waikato team had a chance of repeating its success of three years ago against the South Africans and become the first North Island provincial side to down the Lions. Pulled Player Back Then the blow fell. The Welsh breakaway, Morgan, was racing for the ball which had been kicked just over the Waikato line, and was about to pounce on it for a score when full-back Clarke reached forward and pulled Morgan back by the collar of his jersey. Morgan might not have got there, but the decision of the referee, Mr J. P. Murphy, in awarding a penalty try, was the only one that could be given. Faull converted the try to make the score, 11-0. Clarke had earlier been guilty of obstruction in front of his own goal and it was from this infringement that Faull had kicked his second penalty goal. Apart from his kicking failures, Clarke had a fair match and won long stretches of territory with his boot. He was also the originator of two fine Waikato back movements which swept the length of the field. Clarke’s opposite number. Thomas, also had a good day and after some early misses in handling settled down. Long touchfinders were a feature of his game.

If it had not been for the scrum half. Jeeps, the Lions would have been well at sea.

Jeeps was the true director of operations for the Lions although their captain, A. R. Dawson, was on the field. The Waikato forwards poured through on Jeeps throughout, but he provided his outside half, Waddell, with plenty of opportunities. Waddell did not appear greatly interested in sending the line away, preferring to kick for the touch line. D. R. Wood at first five-eighths was the pick of the Waikato backs. Had he got the ball just a little more quickly from Cathro he could have been an even greater force for Waikato. Although he was too inclined to kick for the gap, Wood was better than Waddell. The second five-eighths.

Raureti, and the centre, Fausett, also did good work. Bustling Tactics

The two packs were evenly matched. The bustling tactics of Waikato paid good dividends early in the match. The Lions’ forwards were winning the ball in the line outs but as soon as it went to ground the Waikato men more often than not were able to win it for themselves.

R. R. Evans, J. Faull and W. A. Mulcahy took the ball cleanly for the Lions. Witters and Pickering were the main takers for Waikato.

Pickering played well, but the best Waikato forward was Hayes. He never let up throughout the game. I. J. Clarke did valuable work in the loose and in the tighter play. Morgan and Smith were usually first up on broken play for the Lions. The teams were:

British Isles:—M. C. Thomas, J. R. C. Young. W. M. J. Patterson, M. J. Price, P. B. Jackson, G, H. Waddell, R. E. G Jeeps, J. Faull, H. J. Morgan, W. R. Evans, W. A Mulcahy, G. K. Smith, B. G. M. Wood, A. R. H. F. McLeod. Waikato:— D. B. Clarke, M. J. McDonald, R. Fausett, W. Parker, M, H. Raureti, D. R. Wood, I. H. Cathro, A. Hayes, E. A. R. Pickering, G. D. Witters, M. Davis, J. H. Strang, I. J. Clarke, P. T. Hogan, D. S. O’Kane. Run of the Play

The Lions kicked off, but Waikato attacked first. McDonald came in an extra man and then sent a good kick over for Parker on the right wing. Young managed to get back and save although he carried the ball over, finishing in a pile of mud. In the third minute Faull was caught off-side. Clarke's shot at goal missed and so, too, did one awarded at the five-minute mark when Morgan was caught off-side from a lineout.

The Lions were away then and had Clarke running for the ball. He took it, side-stepped two Lions' players, and then sent his backs away in a sparkling movement which finished five yards short of the line when McDonald was brought down. Clarke tried a 50yard drop kick, but missed. Twelve minutes had gone when Faull had a shot at goal from a penalty. That one missed, but four minutes later he placed a good one to make the score: British Isles 3. Waikato 0. Clarke had another three chances of pkeing goals before half-time, but at the interval the tourists still had their tnree-point lead. Waikato played the first few minutes after the interval with 14 inen Parker being off with an injured leg One of the few rulings of the referee with which there was any disagreement, came in the first minutes of the half. Wood and Fausett had broken clear for Waikato and had only the full-back to beat. A try looked likely, but the referee called play back to just outside the 25 line where he awarded Waikato a penalty. Clarke again missed the kick

Faull kicked his second penalty in the eleventh minute of the half after an obstruction by Clarke.

Ten minutes later the Lions went into an 11-6 lead when a penalty try by Morgan was converted bv Faull. Two minutes before full-time the Lions’ backs swung into action, the movement being finished by Young with a try in the corner. The final pass between Price and Young appeared to be a forward one. but the referee passed it. In the final minute Clarke had his last shot <>at goal, but that, too. missed