RUGBY VICTORY FOR SOUTH ISLAND

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29301, 5 September 1960, Page 14

RUGBY VICTORY FOR SOUTH ISLAND

Spectacular Game At Lancaster Park

If the margin of 15 points was somewhat flattering, there was no mistaking the merit of the South Island’s win over the North Island at Lancaster Park on Saturday. In a game which gave intense pleasure to a crowd estimated officially at 20,000, South scored six tries to two, and won by 26 points to 11. The startling pace and zest of the match frequently forced players into errors, and the opportunists had their day; at times play swung up and down the field so far and so fast that it all suggested a sort of relay race. It was a refreshing change from Rugby based entirely on blackboard planning. It was a game full of running and passing, but with it went some very sold forward play, particularly by the South. This was South’s first win since 1956, its first at Christchurch for 28 years, and it will be remembered as one of those occasional matches outstanding for their colour and character.

Both teams had been instructed to open up play as much as possible. The touch-line was used infrequently, and only when it was -necessary for the ball to be put out of play. This in itself would have made the match remarkable, but in 80 minutes of swift attack and counter-attack, there were many splendid individual performances, and some brilliantly spectacular and exhilarating movements; South’s last try came from a 90-yard run by the Southland wing, J. G. Allison, but there were many other memorable moments. South contributed rather more to the shape of the game than North, for even on defence, the backs adopted an attacking or semi-attacking formation. The North backs, however, usually stood straight up when South had the loose head, or were in an attacking position. In such circumstances, the North first fiveeighths, J. McCullough, had much more freedom than his opposite, R. D. Hoskin, and the North back line was much more often moving at speed than South’s. Moreover, McCullough was not as closely covered by the South flankers from the scrums, nor by the last man in the line-out, as Hoskin, who had to withstand the crashing tackles of W. Nathan time and again. Some Flaws A game as spectacular as this inevitably had its flaws. There was some poor handling among the backs at times; by the South in the first spell, mainly by the North in the second. And the tackling of some South Island backs was quite frequently weak. But the game showed that even in the fastest and most open Rugby, fitness in the forwards can carry the day. On a hard ground, in hot sunshine, the pace was exhausting, but at the end the South forwards, driving in together superbly, had mastered the North pack, which, almost traditionally, played a looser type of football. The score was 8-all at halftime, and that represented accurately the run of the play; but even then it seemed that South might have taken more advantage of North's winging tactics, by driving through from the lineouts or holding the ball in the scrums to draw in the opposition, insteed of presenting M. F. Whitta end Hoskin with a succession of difficult problems. The teams were:— North Island: M. Walters; T>. McKay, J. Moeke, W. S. Freebairn; E. J. Thompson, J. McCullough; D. Connor; L. Rhssell; W. Nathan, S. J. Meads, D. G. Harker, R. H. Graham; I. M. Vodanovich, W. Wordley, I. Flavell. South Island: W. F. McCormick; J. G. Allison, J, Hotop, B. E. McPhail; B. A. Watt, R. D. Hoskin; M. F. Whitta; D. W. Clark; T. D. Coughlan, S. F. Hill, L M. Miller, M. R. Dunne; M. W. Allen, J. N. Creighton, J. M. Le Lievre. After half an hour, Clark was

injured and replaced by M. J. Surgenor; after 16 minutes in the second spell, Hotop was replaced by J. Ellery, and a minute later B. Cull replaced Connor. Possession Possession was shared very evenly from the line-outs, but Creighton took three tight heads from Wordley, all in the first spell. Until half-time. North had dominated the line-outs, but the recovery effected by Hill and Dunne, in particular, was of vital importance to South’s ultimate victory. There were gratifyingly few penalties—six to North, five to South. In the pre-match discussions, no player had excited more comment than the Maori centre from the Bay of Plenty, Moeke. Hardly anyone had heard of him. But they have now, and they will, again. Fast, resolute, a deceptive runner, Moeke also tackled most effectively, and covered a tremendous amount of ground on attack and defence. But for nearly three-quarters of the match he was opposed by Hotop, also an extremely sound tackler, and it was Thompson’s jinking, weaving runs which caught the eye most often. He beat Watt several times, ouite clearly. Inside these two, McCullough was efficient, if unspectacular. Enjoying remarkable freedom of movement, he sent his line away swiftly, and his defence was good. The half-back, Connor, started erratically, but after a Quarter of an hour he was recalling his splendid play for the Australians at Lancaster Park a few seasons ago. Perhaps his passes on Saturday were not quite as long as they were before, but there was no need for them to cover such vast distances. Good Impression The Auckland wing, McKav, made a very good impression. He is extremely fast and resolute and his try, after a break by Thompson, was a particularly fine effort. Freebairn had fewer chances, but also played well and the fullback, Walters, met every demand made of him. Once or twice he failed to take the ball cleanly, but he tackled well. His kicking under pressure was better than McCormick’s. and Walters showed he is a strong running full-back. The remote view the North loose forwards often had of the rucks put tremendous pressure on the others, but it was a good pack. The well-known Wellington player, Vodanovich, swung into view briefly and occasionally before burying himself in the tight again, and if Harker enjoyed surprisingly, little success in the line-outs, he was in the thick of the play too. Meads, a fine all-round forward, was the dominant figure in the line-outs until the interval. Later Graham, who bears a close resemblance to his All Black brother, made several clean takes at number seven in the line, but at that stage the South was winning two line-outs out of three. Graham achieved nothing startling personally, but he was with the ball from first to last Nathan was perhaps the most impressive personality in the game. A shattering tackler, swift off the mark, his assaults from the flank scrum position or as a deep number eight in the lineouts were most disruptive and damaging. Perhaps the South should not have given him so much scope, but Nathan’s activities were not confined to smashing the South’s back attacks; he has speed and resource, and was often on hand when needed on attack. Played Splendidly No occasion seems too big for McCormick, who played splendidly at full-back for South. Always a reliable, hard tackler, his handling was faultless, his positional play without blemish, and if his line-kicking again lacked length—with one notable exception—that will be forgotten long before his determined running, and his remarkable try. Moving in and taking a high clearing kick, McCormick called for a mark, was not given it, so set off for the line, beating three or four defenders before going over. McPhail’s extraordinary speed brought him a beautiful try, and he made several other tremendous runs. His defence was certainly suspect, but he did well enough for the more partisan spectators to recall that he was playing for Canterbury last season, and was therefore to be joined to the 10 Canterbury men already in the South team. Hotop, who received a very hard knock after 16 minutes of the second spell, also scored a good try, after Hoskin had moved to the blind side, McCullough had followed him and Allison, coming in from the shortside wing, had run swiftly through a vast gap. Hotop has made an astonishing come-back to top Rugby, and although Moeke kept him busy, and although he did nothing spectacular, he played soundly, showing little loss of pace from his earlier days with Canterbury. Allison was another who did not always tackle well, but he is a wing of speed and resource,

and scored the try of the match, three minutes from the end. Watt on two or three occasions broke past two or three opponents with his lovely foot-work, but by and large he had an unsatisfactory match. He shared Hoskin’s difficulties, but his handling was uncertain and his tackling often ineffective. No Latitude The sturdy Hoskin came through a gruelling match quite well. He was given no latitude by the North forwards, or by McCullough, but from broken play he contrived two or three brilliant breaks. Hoskin’s forte is certainly not tactical kicking or line-finding, and he tried hard to get his outside men running, notwithstanding the pressure to which he was constantly subjected. Whitta did very well indeed. His service was good—although he might well have tried to run, himself, a few times—and his defensive kicking was quite authoritative. It was a great pity that Clark was lost to the South after half an hour. This strongly-built Otago, number eight impressed everyone with his presence, as well as with his power and determination. , Coughlan, an honest forward if evar there was one, achieved much Tn cover defence, as well as in attacking movements. Dunne played a much tighter game than the North Island flankers and Coughlan did too—and this gave the North backs some freedom, but Dunne was in magnificent form. As the tempo of the match increased, so did Dunne step up his level of performance. He always seemed to be where he was most needed—driving through at the head of the forwards, ranging up for a pass, producing some copybook tackles. Hill, as ever, was a superb leader. He and Dunne were proficient in the line-outs, and in the second spell, particularly, Hill produced some of his best football. It was startling to see the North three-quarters flying down the left flank, with Hill loping along beside them, and so being on hand to take a North pass and swing the ball into touch. Le Lievre had another good game and Creighton thoroughly earned his selection in the “Rest of New Zealand” team. Always a quick striker, he has developed his general play to a high plane.