All Blacks II, Eastern Transvaal 6

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29271, 1 August 1960, Page 12

All Blacks II, Eastern Transvaal 6

irrom JtNKMs. Slag Cornsponaent ,

SPRINGS, July 30. Pam Brink Stadium, Springs, provided the hardest pitch and the least grass of the tour to date when the All Blacks played their eighteenth match against Eastern Transvaal on Saturday. The field was set in the middle of a full cricket oval, the nearest spectators being 40 yards from the touch* lines. The teams were:— AU Blacks: D. B. Clarke; R. W. Caulton. K. F. Laidlaw, D. H. Cameron; S. G. Bremner, A H. Clarke; K. C. Briscoe; W. D. Gillespie; D. J. Graham, L MacEwan, C. E. Meads, K. R. Tremain; W. J. Whineray, R. J. Boon, L J. Clarke. Faster* Transvaal: W. Cilliers; G. Liebenberg, J. Van Niekerk, L Botha. M. Lubbe; D Mulder, D Watt; L. Maree; W. Nel. H. Nel, A. Muller. A. Dercksen; T. Lombard. J. Grobler, H. Dinkleman. D. B. Clarke missed with a penalty kick after two minutes, and one five minutes later from SO yards. The New Zealanders stayed around the opposition twenty-five, and it was not until 10 minutes had passed that the home team was able to get back over halfway. In the fifteenth minute. Caulton ran to take a nicely-placed kick by Adrian Clarke, but he was cleverly obstructed. out of the view of the referee. The early play was very scrappy.

the *P* U had gone when the first score came. A scrum went S? wn . *h midfield and Briscoe got the ball away to Adrian Clarke. P®yke and then Bremner missed taking the ball cleanly. The opposition foiwards pounced on the f ? r Botha to pass to the centre. XS. v Nleker h: who eaught full-back Clarke on the wrong foot to cross ££ a g o°d Mulder failed to convert Eastern Transvaal 3. AU clacks 0.

Three minutes later it was 6-0 against the tourists. The All Blacks an attacking position when Adrian Clarke kicked for touch. He failed to find it and play swept to the other end. where Don Clarke was caught with the ball. East Transvaal won the five-yard scrum for H. Nel to score near the posts. Mulder missed the conversion. Eastern Transvaal 6. All Blacks 0. The All Black forwards started moving better. Don Clarke had two more chances of kicking penalties until he finally landed one with his fourth attempt, taken from five yards short of halfway and 10 yards from touch. This kick was the first that Clarke took which was not hooted by the crowd. The All Blacks kept on trying, but they eould make no headway. Half-time: Eastern Transvaal 6, All Blacks 3. Three minutes tn the second half Eastern Transvaal was awarded a penalty Just outside the New Zealand twenty-five, but Cilliers’s kick fell just short. Play was confined to a large extent to the forwards, and with the number of scrums that were ordered it was not altogether surprising that tempers became a little worn. The referee had. to hold a small discussion with both packs. What little

back play there had been was not of a very high quality, especially by the tourists, with Adrian Clarke in his most uncertain form of the tour Midway through the half. Tremain lea the AD Blacks on a rush, putting up a good up-and-under which was taken, however, by Mulder, whose kick put the New Zealanders back to halfway once again. Bremner made a fine break,, sold the dummy nicely, and sent Caulton away on the right wing. Caulton put up a well-judged centring kick to his forwards, but they could not break through. This was the signal tor a renewed attack from the AU Blacks. Cameron had three chances to go over on the left wing, but be missed each one.

The All Blacks attacked briefly, but it was now Eastern Transvaal all the way—until five minutes from the end when Meads made a brilliant break from a line-out not far outside his own twenty-five. He ran to the opposition twenty-five before putting in a centre kick, which landed lit the opposition goalmouth. Cilliers kicked the ball over the line, and a five-yard scrum went down. The AU Blacks held it in the back row before releasing it, with first Gillespie and then Meads trying to go over. The ball rolled loose for Tremain to pick it up and dive for a try. Clarke converted, and the AU Blacks led 8-6. Within a minute the AU Blacks had scored again. Don Clarke kicking a 46-yard dropped goal. There was still time for the home side to score the equalising points, and they tore once more into the attack, but the AU Black line held. Final score: AU Blacks 11, Eastern Transvaal 6. Mr R- Napier was the referee.