Lions Score 12 Tries Starting Tour With 60-3 Victory

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31054, 9 May 1966, Page 3

Lions Score 12 Tries Starting Tour With 60-3 Victory

(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) PERTH. Promise of great things to come was displayed by the British Lions when they overwhelmed Western Australia, 60-3 at Perry Lakes Stadium on Saturday.

Their game was not without blemish, but the best parts of it were outstandingly good and the worst parts were not bad enough to cause any great alarm at this stage.

One thing is certain—New Zealand crowds will delight in the play of D. K. Jones, and perhaps will elevate him to the status of a “great,” judged on his showing in this match.

James was the undoubted star of a backline which showed great potential. He had a large hand in many of the scoring movements and scored one glorious solo try.

With his ability .to side-step either way and to control a dummy pass which sucks in great sections of the opposition each time he chooses to use it, Jones is a brilliant player. All told, the Lions scored 12 tries, nine of which were converted, and two penalties. Western Australia replied with a dropped goal in the first half. At half-time, the Lions led, 26-3. Nine By Backs Of the 12 tries, nine were scored by the three-quarters. The opposition might not have been as strong as the local coach had confidently expected but for the Lions it was still an excellent way to start a tour. Last year the Springboks beat Western Australia, 60-0. Before Saturday’s match the Lions manager, Mr D. J. O’Brien, said that he was “hopeful” of a good start to the tour. For the first 20 minutes or so he must have wondered whether he might have overstated the position. But once the tourists found their legs, they were never in any danger, although until the final hour when the home side ran out of wind, the Lions* control of the match was not exactly massive. Weight Advantage Through sheer weight, the British forwards were able to wear down the opposition. It seemed as though most of them were lethargic as the result of their long travel and the stomach trouble which most of the team have suffered. Had the forwards been able to match the backs in ability, the score must have been much greater. Generally they were slow to the loose ball and the rucking was certainly well below the standard they will need to achieve to counter the better teams on the eastern seaboard of Australia and in New Zealand. The line-out work was of fair standard, but the number of clean takes of the ball was distressingly few: seldom was the ball brought to ground and heeled back. Instead the tap back was employed largely with only mediocre results. Just as Jones was the pick of the backs, the Welshman, B. E. V. Price, who captained Newport to a win against W. J. Whineray’s All Blacks, was the forward who caught the eye. Best At No. 4 An excellent forward away from the line-out as well as in it, Price was one of the few men in this department to achieve clean takes of the ball. In rather bewildering

fashion he was switched along the line-out, from numbei two to number seven, but 11 was at number four that he seemed to achieve his best re suits. Built in similar mould tc C. E. Meads, and like him s one-handed ball carrier, Price was in first-class form throughout. One of the few other for wards that this could be said of was the barrel-chested front row prop, C. H. Norris, who was never far away from the ball in tight or loose. Norris also proved himself a likely goal-kicker with three conversions from three attempts. The captain of the touring team, M. J. CampbellLamerton, was in fair form and was the main lieutenani to Price in the line-outs. Flashes Of Form The number eight forward A. I. E. Pask, showed only i few brief flashes of the form which has won him the un official title of the best loose forward in the four Home Unions. But he is one whe is still recovering from a stomach upset and was con tent for most of the match tc stay in the background. For most of the game the Lions played only seven men in the pack. The Irish flanker, N. A. A. Murphy, making his second tour of Australia and New Zealand, generally played as an extra back. He scored two tries which probably proves this was an effective move, but on many occasions he hampered his back-line, while the position he adopted from the scrum must have been very close to being off-side. The inside backs, A. R. Lewis and M. P. Weston, were happy to act merely as links in the chain which meant that the three-quarters had a wonderful service. Weston Swift Lewis is not the longest or quickest passer in the game, nor on Saturday did he position himself very well behind his scrum, but he came through with credit. Weston bided his time to make the break and when he did elect to have a go on his own he went swiftly and well. Still it was the threequarters who shone, and Jones more brightly than the rest. Even considering the

limited experience of the opposition Jones’s form was superb. With the slightest hint of an opening he was through and away. His centre partner, J. C. Walsh, a more methodical mover, but a quick thinker, also showed an excellent eye for an opening. Of the wingers, S. J. Watkins and A. J. W. Hinshelwood, Watkins was the more impressive. Although he scored only two tries to the three scored by Hinshelwood, his second was a fine effort. He showed his determination as he threaded his way down about 35 yards of sideline and then went over to touch down behind the posts. Ideal Full-back At full-back, D. Rutherford hardly put a-foot wrong. It was said that goal-kicking could be a weakness with the present team, but Rutherford with his head down, kicked seven goals in succession before missing one. He finished as top scorer with six conversions and two penalties. His line kicking, too, was strong and accurate with either foot. When he came in as extra back, he did it extremely well. The honour of scoring the first try of the tour went to Walsh who dived over' from two or three yards out after a break by Jones.

Emphasis Or Back Play (N.Z. Press Association) PALMERSTON NORTH. The New Zealand Rugby selectors held a conference with the North Island provincial selectors in Palmerston North yesterday. Afterwards, the convener (Mr F. R. Allen) made the following statement: “Strong emphasis is still being laid on back development in New Zealand Rugby, without any deviation from our recognised strength, which, of course, lies in our forwards, who are the key to success in any team. “The New Zealand selectors will give every possible aid to provincial selectors by pregame talks prior to British Isles matches by relaying weaknesses and strengths, etc.”