New Springboks Not Force Of Past XVs?

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30725, 14 April 1965, Page 19

New Springboks Not Force Of Past XVs?

(N.Z.P.A.- Reuter—Copyright)

LONDON, April 13.

The form of Avril Malan’s South African side at present on a five-match tour of Ireland and Scotland must have come as a considerable surprise to the Rugby world. “What has gone wrong?” is the general question. The explanation is not hard to seek.

It has been urged the Springboks are labouring under a handicap because, before their domestic season has started, they face players with a whole winter’s playing experience behind them.

This is true enough, but the plain fact is that this side in no way compares with its predecessors. Those who saw them in action recall with admiration Basil Kenyon’s team of 1951-52, who included among their feats the total demolition of Scotland, 44-0. Powerful Scrummaging

One of the strongest points in their play was the work of their forwards. Not only were they powerful in scrummaging, but they were lineout experts and, what was more, they played a devastating attacking game in the loose. Their forwards were as adept in handling as any of the backs and their short passing bouts, carried out at speed with intensive backingup, swept aside many a startled defence unused to such tactics.

Only the scrummaging ability is in evidence with the present South African pack. The forwards are sluggish by comparison, with the marked exception of T. Bedford, who is going to Oxford next season and who, as deputy No. 8 for D. Hopwood against Ireland last Saturday, added laurels to his reputation. Attacks Stifled R. McLoughlin, the Ireland captain, had put a vast amount of thought into his preparations for the international and the results were fully communicated to his team and assimilated by them. So the main Sprinkbok method of attack, the men peeling off from the line-out, was well and truly stifled and nobody seemed to have the initiative to think of a change of tactics. The absence of K. Oxlee was a blow. At fly-half, D. Stewart, good utility player though he normally is, could

devise no other means of attack against Ireland except the short punt ahead, either straight or diagonal. As he rarely attempted any variation, the safe hands of the Irish defence saw to it that this method came to nought. It cannot be said that the backs are impressive. They possess little idea of combination, and when they do essay handling, it is of purely orthodox character, and so far L. Wilson, impressive on his previous visit here four years ago, has not reached the same level in his play at full-back. The morale of the team was not unduly shaken by the draw with Combined Provinces or even by the defeat by Irish Universities at Limerick.

These, it seemed, were regarded as part of the build-ing-up process for the test. But the first international defeat in the British Isles since Scotland beat Paul Roos’s team, by two tries to nothing, in 1906 cannot fail to have proved both disappointing and chastening. One would not be unduly amazed if they go down again to Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday. Although the Scots finished at the foot of this season’s international championship table, their football this winter has not been so bad as that might suggest. South Africa must indeed be short of genuine football talent if they cannot find a better team to send to New Zealand.