N.Z. Slightly Flattered

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29269, 29 July 1960, Page 7

N.Z. Slightly Flattered

[From GRAEME JENKINS. N.Z.P.A. staff correspondent]

EAST LONDON, July 28. Fizzy, just like all champagne, the match between the All Blacks and Central Universities at East London could easily have turned sour for the New Zealanders. They won eventually by 21 points to 12, but had the tourists not taken full advantage of a spell in the second half in which they were well on top, they could have gone down for the third time on the tour. As it was, the All Blacks were slightly flattered to win by 21 points to 12. This fixture, the seventeenth in South Africa, far from being the “picnic’’ expected by some, turned into one of the sternest trials for the New Zealanders, and it was not until they had scored three tries and two conversions within a 10-minute period in the second half that they could feel at aU confident. The trump of the New Zealand team was the second fiveeighths, T. R. Lineen, who was in top shape, notwithstanding the fact that he was playing his twelfth match in South Africa and that he is still acutely aware of the shoulder injury which made him slightly below par in the second test. With nine tries to his credit in the dozen matches he has played, Lineen is the top try-scorer in South Africa to date.

Another not far below him was the right wing, J. R. Watt, who scored one of the finest tries of the tour. Watt was in full cry when he took a pass from R. J.

Conway to beat two men with barely a yard in which to move and to tun round behind the posts and score. Apart from scoring the try. Watt was full value with his backing up and hurt himself when he deserted his own wing to stem a dangerous looking opposition move on the other flank; Of the other New Zealand backs, only the last link; W. A. Davies, showed good form. He missed two shots at goal from penalties, but they were about the only times he put a foot wrong. E. A. R. Pickering, H. C. Burry and R. J. Coriway went well in the loose. M. W. Irwin had his best match for some time, showing plenty ot fire. All Blacks, tries by R. W, Caulton (2), Lineen and Watt, three conversions and a penalty by Davies, beat Central Universities, .tries by N. Flemmer, H. Meyer, A. Du Plessis and D. van Niekerk, 21-12. The teams were: All Blacks: W. A Davies; R, W. Caulton, K. F. Laidlaw, J. R. Watt; T. R. Lineen, S. GJ Bremner; R. J. Urbahn; H. C. Burry; E. A. R. Pickering, R. H. Horsley, P. F. H. Jones, R. J. Conway; E. J. Anderson, R. C. Heml, M. W. Irwin. Central Universities: J. Van Wyk; E. Villiers, D. Van Niekerk, E. Marais, A. Du Plessis; J. Jacobsz; G'. Williamson; H. Meyer; J, Jordaan, N. Goossen, C. J. De Nysschen, N. Flemmer, P. Pretorious, J. Wessels, J. Van ZyL