RUGBY TEST DRAWN IN LAST MINUTE

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29911, 27 August 1962, Page 10

RUGBY TEST DRAWN IN LAST MINUTE

Disappointing Game In Wellington

(From Our Own Reporter)

WELLINGTON, August 26.

A crowd of little more than 30,000 went to Athletic Park on Saturday in the hope of seeing a match between New .Zealand and Australia which would embellish the game, but it saw a disappointing, 9-all draw, and only the timing of New Zealand’s last points enabled the All Blacks to save something of their rather tattered Rugby reputation.

If I). B. Clarke had failed with his last kick at goal with the clock showing time it would have been a bad day indeed for New Zealand Rugby. Clarke had missed easy shots at goal, but after his kick had travelled a fewyards there was never any doubt that it would succeed. The gate takings were £12,500.

The teams were: — Australia.— J. K. Lenehan; J S. Bovce. J S Douglas, B J EUwood. K. P. Walehsm; P F. Hawthorne; K V. McMullen; R J. Heming; E L J Heinrich. J. E. Thornett (caiptain). R. N. Thornett, G A. Chapman; J P. White, P. G. Johnsen. J E Freedman.

New Zealand.—D. B Clarke: T. R Heeps. P F Eittle. P J. Morrissey: R. C Mareton. T. N. Wolfe; D. M Connor; D J Graham; K. R Trema in. I N Mac Ewan. C E Meads. W J Nathan; W J Whineray 'captain). D Young. I. J Clarke. Mr C-J McAuley (Otago) was the referee. New Zealand looked the better side, and if it had won by six or so points no-one would have cavilled; but equally it must be Said that its play left much to be desired. New Zealand said before the game that it was going to attack by using its backs in addition to its forwards. The All Blacks certainly attacked. but the team as a whole was not up to the task, and except for the last 15 m.notes most of the movements fizzled out. Because Australia saw far less of the ball its task was often defensive, and there is little doubt that the young and partly untried side did a magnificent, disciplined deserving of the highest praise for its dedicated efficiency. The Australians did all -the usual things competently. and by playing efficiently within the accepted . limits of strategy and tactics they unsettled the potentially greater All Blacks for most of the. game N.Z. Pack Lifeless

The New Zealand forwards looked lifeless, without design or ambition There were none of those rousing rushes which the French last season so justly feared, and if one of the pack made a solitary dash the rest were usually too far away to i assist In the scrums and the lineouts New Zealand did its job well Young, who was always reliable. gave his backs seven, light head.-, and lost cniv one. and the line-nut experts. Meads. MacE.wan_ and Trema.n. fed Conner 35 times, which was almost 30 pet (tent more ball than the Australian backs received from line-cuts But it looked as if the forwards considered their task satisfactorily completed after these efforts, for until the last quarter of an hour the pack was hardly ever to be feared in the loose But what a transformation it was in the dying stages Nathan, who had been inconspicuous made two ferocious bursts, as did Graham and Tremain These were held —often only a yard or two from the line — and then the backs were fed Once Morrissey should have been over in the corner, bu'

the pass bounced off his chest. Thon Moreton made the best dribbling rush of the day. which took him about 35 yards. But as he dived for the ball over the line it was kicked from under him. over the dead-ball line.

There was an air of desperation about these attacks, and it says much for the defence that the goal-line was kept intact. But New Zealand received its reward when Clarke kicked the equalising points right on the whistle. Little Impressive By far the most impressive New Zealand back was the centre. Little, who more than any other back on either side, found the shortest distance between two points. He made three or four nice breaks, two or which might have led to tries but for dropped passes by Morrissey. Little certainly used his long legs when he had the chance, and Wolfe his shorter ones like over-worked pistons at first five-eighths. But Wolfe’s running was too often across field, crowding his outside backs. He also delayed his passes a fraction too long, and Moreton often had to kick hurriedly and unwisely. Neither five-eighths placed the ball well, but the rapidly closing defence had a lot to do with that. Moreton never tried much in his first test, and like the rest of the backs he was handicaoped bv a rock-like defence which refused to accept any form of trickery. Heeps is a wing who needs a clear yard on his marker, and on Saturday he did not get that advantage A« a result he never im oressed. Morrisey dropped two passes when tries looked imminent, but he scored his side’s try bv refusing to give up. He dashed through like a terrier after a loose bsl] and beat the Australians for it in a frenzied dive near the deadball line. Generally, he was -ound on attack, faster than his opposite. Douglas and a good tackler.

Clarke and Lenehan were imnressive full-backs, with the kicking honours goin? slightly to Lenehan Many of Lenehan® punts Kent 40 and 50 yards, and

until he tried for greater length he was extremely accurate. Clarke was abused by sections of the crowd when he was goal-kicking. It was an unfortunate aspect of the crowd's behaviour.

The half-back duel was interesting. McMullen threw some long passes, many longer than Connors, but they were not as well directed. His first fiveeighths. Hawthorne, achieved distinction by chasing Wolfe across field time and again, and the rest of the line, which, had little of the attacking play, carried on the good work by bringing down their opposites, generally ball and all. In the Australian pack. R. Thornett and J. Thornett. the locks, were industrious and hard as was J. White, the prop. The pack did extremely well in the loose, the flankers Heinrich and Chapman assisting in the disruption of the New Zealand backs. The Scoring Both sides missed early chances Lenehan took a drop kick at goal from a penalty, but missed, and then Whineray went over for New Zealand after a rush, but there was no try When Clarke made the extra man in the New Zealand backline Little broke through and passed to Morrissey, who dropped the ball when the way looked open. Soon afterwards Morrissey made a good break, but the defence was sound.

New Zealand had slightly the better of .the remainder of the spell, just before half-time Morrissey scored to give NewZealand a 3-0 lead at half-time. Soon after the resumption Clarke missed a fairly easy kick but eight minutes later Chapman, the Australian flanker, kicked a goal from 30 yards out and near the sideline.

Australia went into the lead when .Chapman kicked a goal from tb* sideline after D. B. tlarke nad been penalised for lying -ch the ball near the New Zealand goal-line. With 15 minutes remaining Clarke evening the scores with a good 40yd kick. Five minutes later Chap-

man kicked an easy goal after the New Zealand scrum had been penalised. New Zealand tried everything in the dying stages, and it saved the game when Clarke kicked a goal from straight in front after Australia had been penalised in a ruck.

Second Test Side INZ. Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 26. .The New Zealand t-sam for the second Rugby test against Australia in Dunedin on September 8 will be selected next Saturday