GAINSFORD TRY WINS MATCH

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30827, 12 August 1965, Page 15

GAINSFORD TRY WINS MATCH

Northland Went Close To Holding S. Africa

fSpectal Correspondent N.Z.P.AJ

WHANGAREI, August 11.

Repulsing a tremendous second half attack by the home team, the Springboks defeated Northland, 14-11, at Okara Park today.

South Africa led, 11-3, at half-time and looked to have the game sewn up when heavy rain fell early in the second spell and the ball became almost impossible to handle. I he Northlanders, however, kept hammering away, and with tries in the 11th and 26th minutes, levelled the scores.

Then, with 11 minutes remaining, the Springbok fly - half, Oxlee. and the centre, Gainsford, combined in a beautiful reverse pass move near Northland’s line and Gainsford crashed over in the corner. South Africa’s points came from tries by Brynard and Gainsford, Oxlee converting Brynard’s try and kicking two penalty goals. For North Auckland, tries were scored by Thompson and Webb. Thompson converted his own try and kicked a penalty goal. Record Crowd In spite of the rain, the field was in surprisingly good condition, although ’ there was a large amount of surface water. The crowd, a record for Northland, was estimated at 19.000. The only thing that marred the match was the large amount of punching and rough play. The referee, Mr L. S. Kirk, had to call both captains together on more than one occasion and he also spoke to the forwards several times. In one extremely blatant incident. the Springbok flanker. Ellis, was laid flat on his back bv a punch in a line-out. while Thompson was viciously trampled underfoot after clearing the ball < from a high up-and-under. In the wet conditions, it] was a day for forwards, and in the first spell, it was the! Springbok pack that held: sway.

, The drive in the line-outs, supplied by Du Preez, | Goosen and MacDonald, split the Northland pack and gave the half-back. Smith, and Oxlee plenty of time to kick and pass. In the loose it was Ellis and Nel. This would certainly rank as one of Ellis’s finest performances on the tour and he caused no end of trouble with his bruising runs - from the end of the line-out I and around the short side. t In the second half, it was i a different matter. Northland had tightened up consider- ; ably and if the two props, i Cook and Yates, had lent all - their efforts to the job in I hand, instead of dabbling in the gentle arts of pugilism. ! the superiority they held iover the South Africans could i possibly have been even ■(more decisive. I I Tireless Players The core of the Northland ’ j effort in the tight was sup- ’' plied by Hull. Dean and the captain. Webb, while Had- [ don, Hewitt and Rogers were ‘ most competent in the loose. , Haddon and Hewitt especially, were tireless followers J of the ball and Haddon : caught various Springbok ’ backs in some glorious 1 tackles. Considering the day and J the conditions, both sets of : backs came out of the enI counter with a good deal of I I credit. Around the scrum 1 1 there was very little in the ■'comparative skill of the two 1 : pairings. Smith seemed in difficul-| ■ities once or twice in the] ' i second half when his for-1 ' I wards were not giving him 'jadequate protection but was cool in the crucial moments ■; Oxlee kicked his way out of .some sticky situations and jgenerally showed the class of ! an experienced international. Rich Potential Behind the Northland scrum, S. M. Going, at 21 years of age. looks to be a player who could go on to an illustrious career. His kick over the scrum that resulted in Webb's try i was pin-point in its accuracy I and another only five minutes | later was just as good and | also would probably have reJ; suited in points, if several

Northland forwards had not been offside. Thompson, making his 90th appearance for his union, celebrated with a fine game. He seems to have overcome the tendency he had to go it alone, although the one time he did today, he went over near the posts without a hand being laid on him. If the Springboks had a real area of superiority it was in the midfield. Gainsford and Roux had the legs of their opposites, Marshall and Ngawati, at second fiveeighths and centre respectively. The rain saved the Northlanders, however, and for all but Gainsford’s try, the cover defence was adequate to cope with emergencies.

Wingers Quiet

Neither set of wings had many chances. Brynard and Engelbrecht were possibly a little more diligent in following the ball than Panther and Smith. The tremendously long line-kicks of Wilson, the Springbok full-back, gave him the edge on K. T. Going, but it was difficult to fault the handling of either player. The Northland forwards looked dangerous in the early stages, but first blood went to the Springboks in the third minute when Oxlee booted a penalty from the 25 and about 10 yards in from the touch. In the fifteenth minute it was Oxlee again, this time with a fine penalty from 30 vards. The Springbok forwards drove down to within five vards of the Northland line but the home team seemed to be out of trouble when it broke back.

Brynard Won Race

Engelbrecht, however, booted the ball infield, Gainsford moved it on and finally Brynard kicked it over the line and won the race to dive on it. Oxlee kicked the conversion, to put South Africa 11-0 ahead. With two minutes left in the half, the Springboks were penalised near their own line and Thompson kicked a penalty. Northland pressed when play resumed and in the eleventh minute scored its first try. The ball was won lust near the South African line, S. M. Going passed to Thompson, who jinked his way over. He converted his own try.

Fifteen minutes later, from a scrum outside the Springbok 25, S. M. Going put in a high up-and-under which came down on the line. Several Northland players were on hand and Webb dived over in a cloud of spray.

Just when it looked as though the Northland defence would hold out Smith passed to Oxlee, who ran wide Gainsford came pounding inside him at top speed and held the reverse pass to, go over near the corner.