ALL BLACKS WIN LAST MATCH

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29301, 5 September 1960, Page 12

ALL BLACKS WIN LAST MATCH

Tour Ends With 9-3 Victory To Tired Team

I from GRAEME JENKINS. N-Z.P.A Staff Corrcsaondent I JOHANNESBURG, September 3. The 1960 New Zealand Rugby tour of South Africa—one of the most controversial but yet one of the happiest ever between the two countries—is over. A tired looking All Black team hardly covered itself in glory in its last match, against a Transvaal XV at Ellis Park, Johannesburg, on Saturday in winning by 9 points to 3. This was the 26th match in South Africa and the 20th win, other matches resulting in four losses and two draws.

On the whole tour of Australia and South Africa the team’s record was: played 31, won 25, lost four, drew two; points for, 625; points against, 179. Although the team failed by 10 points to become the highest scoring team in South Africa, it is appropriate that the man who had done so much to success on the field, the full-back, D. B. Clarke, should have kicked the penalty to give him a total of 210 points for the tour which is a record for a tour of South Africa or New Zealand that could stand even longer than the previous record of 209, which existed for 23 years. The previous record had been set by the South African, G. Brand, on the 1937 Springbok tour of Australia and New Zealand.

The match was played in perfect weather and was watched by a crowd of about 22,000. At the end of the match several hundred spectators, mostly schoolchildren, ran on the field to swamp the players, but there was no real farewell demonstration.

Seven All Blacks not engaged in the main match filled out an invitation team of the Quaggas Club in a light-hearted curtainraiser against another Johannesburg combination. The All Black captain, W. J. Whineray, was to have led the Quaggas in this match, but he withdrew after twisting a knee in the Barbarians match at Durban on Thursday. CHANGE IN TEAM There was one late change in the All Black side. W. A. Davies coming in in place of K. F. Laidlaw at second five-eighths. Laidlaw was slightly injured in playing for the Barbarians. The teams were:— All Blacks: D. B. Clarke; R. W. Caulton, R. F. McMullen, J. R. Watt; W. A. Davies, S. R. Nesbit ;R. J. Urbahn; H. C. Bury; W. D. Gillespie, E. A. R. Pickering, C. E. Meads (captain), D. J. Graham; M. W. Irwin, R. C. Hemi, 1 J. Clarke.

Transvaal XV: P. Pretorius; D. Dippenaar, Piet Pretorius, N. Lubbe, K. Boonzaaier; J. Ferreira, C. Landsberg: I. Grant; G. Oosthuizen, G. Killian, G. Meyer, D. Oberholzer, O. K. Oosthuizen, T. Jonck, H. Pienaar. The referee was Mr J. Odendaal.

Scorers for the All Blacks were Caulton (a try), Davies (a field goal), and D. B. Clarke (a penalty). Ferreira kicked a penalty for his team.

After the fourth test last week, it was expected this match would be something of an anti-climax to the tour and so it proved to be. The New Zealanders, jaded at the end of their tour and somewhat lethargic after a week of relaxation, sparked up a little at times but generally it was a fairly dreary note on which to end the tour. MUCH MISHANDLING

The forwards went in fits and starts against a lively opposition pack and the backs also ran well at times but there was far too much mishandling, which cost points in each half. At half-time the New Zealanders led 6-3 but it was not until a few minutes from the end that they were able to score their only try of the match to increase their lead.

While most of the forwards seemed to be running up and down on nearly the same spot towards the end of the match, at least a few of them, notably the captain, C. E. Meads, and the other lock, E. A. R. Pickering, were still full of life at the end. Meads, who has been the outstanding forward of the tour, dominated the line-outs at first, but after making one fine break from a line-out in the first half, he was closely watched and could pot break away again. Had Pickering been a little surer in his handling he could have scored at least two tries but he knocked on each time. M. W. Irwin also did good work near the front of the line-outs, although he, like other members of the front row, faded towards the end of play. Another who had a good match until the latter stages was the number eight, H. C. Burry, who was able to play only a restricted part in the tour because of injury.

URBAHN ERRATIC At half-back, R. J. Urbahn threw out a variety of passes, which on the whole were taken very well by the first five-eighths, S. R. Nesbit, who was playing with a partially dislocated thumb. Where Urbahn shone was in his sharp kicks over the line-outs and scrums, gaining some valuable territory with such tactics. W. A. Davies, who was brought in at second five-eighths, kicked the field goal but spoiled his performance somewhat by constantly standing ahead of his inside man. At centre, R. F. McMullen did some things, like cutting through, very well, but others, like passing, very badly. A couple of his passes went over his wingers’ heads and others were at ankle level.

R. W. Caulton, on the left wing, who scored the try, had a much better match than some on the tour, showing much more determination in his running, J. R Watt, the other wing, also had a fair game especially, considering that he was having his 19th match in South Africa and was entitled to be jaded. His covering work was again first-class and he also did good work cm attack, one of his breaks late in the match almost ending in a try. CLARKE NOT AT BEST At full-back, D. B. Clarke was far from top form with either his general play or goal kicking. Altogether he missed four shots at goal and also failed to find touch on some vital occasions. The best of the Transvaal side were the halves, C. Lansberg and J. Ferreira, both accurate kickers, although it appeared they would have done much better had they sent the ball more frequently along the line which moved well when it had the opportunity. There were also some lively men in the forwards, who gave Urbahn some anxious moment, although it did appear they were beating the gun at many times. The Transvaal XV, which was largely an untried combination, although there were several who had played for the full provincial side in other seasons, put up a better showing than did the full Transvaal team in many respects, although again it is to be remembered the All Blacks were in much better form in that match than they were on Saturday.