RUGBY Writer Warns Wallabies

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30095, 1 April 1963, Page 6

RUGBY Writer Warns Wallabies

(NJEf Jl.-R«ut*r—Copyright)

JOHANNTSBUiRG, March 31. The Australian Rugby Union team to tour South Africa should realise that no country in the world could expect to beat South Africa at forward play alone on its hard home ground*. This is the advice of the Reuters Rugby Union correspondent in South Africa, Pieter Coetzee. He aaid the All Blacks tried it in South Africa in 1900, and failed. So did the British Lions a season ago. The Australians should heed the lesson, he said. k Coetzee said emphasis was on forward play during the test matches in both the New Zealand and British tours. “But so much did the touring teem* concentrate on this department of the game, that the Sprinkbok three-quarters, with plenty of assistance from the half-backs proved to be the winner factor,*' he said. “In 1961, when Australia played six matches here and lost only the two tests, the manager, B. Jarne Haivfirson. mad* the game mistake to a leaser degree,’’ he aaid. “In that year Australian backs like Harry Roberts, Beres Hhrood, Bod Phelps and Mik* Cleary may have had the edge over their

Springbok counterpart* had they been given to understand that they, and not the forward*, were the men to beat the Springboks,” Coetzee said. The Wallabies should remember their team of 1953, captained by John Solomon, Coetzee said. This team, realising their forwards were not in the same class as the Springbok pack, decided to run with the backs and won the Newland* test match, 18-14. Australians could be sure the Springbok* would spend as much time on the backs as they would on the forwards in preparing for the four internationals. Coetzee wrote. “The probable Springbok captain this year is Keith Oxlee—end coming from Natal where open Rugby is played more than in most of the other provinces, he is sure to demand the same

•tyle at play from his fellow “As in the past, the Springbok forwards will again be experienced,. tough and mobile. So, if Australian officials are thinking in terms of winning the test series, they should make sure their forwards and backs are equally prepared for the task.”