London Comment On French Tour

Press, Volume C, Issue 29588, 10 August 1961, Page 5

London Comment On French Tour

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LONDON, August 9. The five losses already suffered by the French Rugby team in New Zealand represents either a falling off in their potential or a continuation of New Zealand’s dominance _t home a "Daily Telegraph” special correspondent wrote today. France had had to leave behind several leading players, including the “iron man” prop-forward, A. Roques, he said. Soon after arrival, it had suffered from injuries to key players, which had robbed the team at different times of J Boquest, G Boniface, and A. Calvo, among the backs, and the secondrow forward. M. Cassiede. This had not helped the Frenchmen in their efforts to combat the high standard of forward play in New Zealand. “They have been feted off the field, but the rather vigorous approach of the local players, and the differences in interpretation of the laws of the game, have also served to disturb their equilibrium,” the correspondent said. The exuberant Frenchmen had been tied down by the spoiling activities, and allembracing covering, of the New Zealand loose forwards “In fact, they attribute their failure to three factors.” the correspondent said. “The foremost of these has been the containing of their three back-row men, Moncla, Celaya, and Crauste. who normally dominate the side's attacking play in mid-field “Their probing, wheeling manoeuvres have been stifled at birth, and further handicapped by the determined play of the New Zealand tight forwards, who have forced the Frenchmen into solid scrummaging and vigorous rucking. “The French have im-

proved in the set-pieces gradually since their first match, but only through the sacrifice of much of their mobility. "Again, at the line-out, where their recent methods have bemused British opponents, the French have found the New Zealand forwards well versed and practised in the art of defence,” the correspondent said. “The Frenchmen have not been able to win enough of the ball in the loose to set up their own counter-attacks.”