GOAL-KICKING ’BOKS GLARING WEAKNESS

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30846, 3 September 1965, Page 17

GOAL-KICKING ’BOKS GLARING WEAKNESS

The paucity of even moderately reliable goal-kickers in the Springboks team was obvious at yesterday’s training session at Lancaster Park.

The dropping of Oxlee necessitated the selection of Naude, and he and du Preez practised kicking long and earnestly after the light training had finished. But both locks had a terribly high ratio of misses. Both Were Astray Du Preez has only recently been burdened with goalkicking, which is a little surprising in the light of his success in Britain in 1960-61 and the poor form of the team’s other kickers. The indications are that he will be taking the kicks in

front—Naude has missed two or three of these in the two Christchurch matches alone—and Naude the longer shots. But du Preez from about the 10yd mark in front, and Naude from the sideline, were astray yesterday. Another avenue of scoring experimented with by the Springboks was drop-kicking at goal by the fly-half, Barnard. But so long did Barnard take to position himself for the kick, he could well be buried by the alert All Black flankers.

The Springbok training was done at a very leisurely tempo and concentrated on setting up play for the backs from loose play. Hopwood was used extensively as an extra man or dummy on the blindside from the scrums and there were some frothy scissors move-

ments between Roux and Gainsford or Barnard.

But the lasting impression was the gentle pace at which everything was done —almost as though the Springboks are determined to dictate to the AU Blacks the speed at which the game wil be played.