Tackling Weakest Point In All Blacks’ Win

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30289, 15 November 1963, Page 20

Tackling Weakest Point In All Blacks’ Win

[From T. P. AIcLEAN, Sports Editor of the “New Zealand HSrald”] “ CAMBRIDGE, November 14. It ought to be back to school to learn how to tackle for the All Blades after their effort in defeating Cambridge Uni* versity by 20 points to 6 yesterday. The tourists did some specially fine counter-attacking and the 8 points scored from two tries in the last three minutes were beautiful examples of watchful resilience and the kind of backing up which made the outing at Twickenham last Saturday one of the events of modern Rugby times.

But there were many more moments when Cambridge attackers skipped past embraces as coy as the efforts of a young lover. In fact, the licence allowed the man of the match, the 20-year-old fly-half from Belfast, M. Gibson, was positively hair-raising.

Kirton at last caught him with one very heavy tackle which shook him hard, and he finished the match in distress aftei’ two heavy charges had affected a leg. But in between times his superb side-step fooled an extraordinary number of All Black defenders. Rosser, one of the Cambridge centres, and Hewett, a wing from Johannesburg, each ran against the stream of defenders two or three times apiece with startling side-steps which looked all the most effective because scarcely a tackler attempted to leave his feet.

Because of the encouragement given by this regrettably lax defence Cambridge so admirably recovered spirit after lagging 3-12 soon after halftime that for most of the next 30 minutes the students were decidedly the better side. In this spell they confirmed what has been suspected since the beginning of the tour—that the Al] Blacks can be agonisingly insecure in both attack and defence in midfield. Macßae’s Sius Everyone, even including Watt, who was the soundest in the midfield, shared in the disasters of the tackle. On attack the most unfortunate player was Macßae, who two or three times committed cardinal sins. He missed completely the pass from D. B Clarke which Frankcqm, a Cambridge centre, seized ana turned into a try with a 60-yard run. More damagingly, for Clarke's pass may have been knocked up a bit, Macßae held on to a pass to Dick just long enough to put the latter up against Hewett with the line looming up. Dick would have had the try had Macßae taken the right moment to pass. Alternatively, Macßae might almost certainly have scored himself with a dummy and a cut.

Harried Pair Kirton did some fine kicking, but his partnership with Briscoe was not Ideal. Both were mercilessly harried by the fringing defence, formed of the loose forwards. James Phillips and Greenwood, and the inside backs. Clarke end Gibson. Occasionally they tended to concentrate upon penetrating runs close to the scrum rather than attempt the bieak further afield. Briscoe’s passes were sometimes made so enthusiastically that Kirton had difficulty reaching them, apd this, too, affected the partnership. Just as Significant to' the result—for the Cambridge raiding grew more and more spirited and defence was n«t only extremely' quick but extremely reliable—was the fac' that the AU Black loose forwards were collectively ’too slow to'get within range of Gibson at the times that mattered Whineray Excels The heavy brigade among the All Blacks, however, were wonderful. Whineray was magnificent; he was ferociously energetic in the midst of the hard stuff and be often broke away in the second half like a track sprinter. Dick’s try was a classic instance.

Whineray, running for his life 15 yards from the lefthand touch, placed a great long kick far out to the right for Dick to chase; and get to just short of the goal-line. This sort of brilliance was typical of the captain on the day. But Stewart and Horsley were also uncommonly good, especially in breaking from the line-out, and Horsley’s yell of “Come with me, come v ith me” was as good as a battle cry.

It was good, too, to see Tremain fighting back to something like his best form and his two tries were a suitable reward for much fine effort. But neither Loehore nor Nelson was really sharp or nimble of movement, and this was a handicap to the All Blacks, Complication A solution to this problem of pace at the back may be to play Whineray there at odd times but the need to keep him up to scratch for the big battle in the front row is Of course a complication. Le Lievre did fine things and Major battled hard, even though he, like Loehore, became a wounded warrior from a couple of very heavy clouts on the head. The back play was made

impressive when Dick and Caulton were in possession. They were both brilliant and Caulton had by far his best game of the .tour. He weaved and ran like the boy who startled the Rugby ' world against the Lions four years ago and his 70-yard break on the blind from a pass from Briscoe was magnificence unqualified. On this form he could soon return to compete with Smith for the first place on the left wing. D. B- Clarke kicked mightily but once more was back to his bad habit of failing to find touch and this affected the forwards during the more hectic phases of the second half. Great Talent Cambridge fielded many fine players. Gibson looked to have enormous talent, and Rosser and Clarke, the scrumhalf, were fine, too. There was any amount of nip about the loose forwards and in the middle of things the locks. Dutson and McMorris, one Welsh and the other Scottish, battled very well. On this form Cambridge should win the university match with Oxford next month. On this form, too, the All Blacks are once more faced with a big task in welding their component pieces to produce consistently fine teams. But tackling must come first.