BIRTWISTLE'S RUGBY IS NOW MORE RUGGED

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31071, 28 May 1966, Page 15

BIRTWISTLE'S RUGBY IS NOW MORE RUGGED

TJRILLIANT but brittle could well have described the Canterbury wing. W. M Birtwistle, until last season.

When he first began playing for Canterbury in 1962, there was no doubting Birtwistle's attacking ability. His leaping side-step, great acceleration and tremendous speed made him one of the most spectacular scoring wings in New Zealand Rugby.

But there was something lacking—the hardness on defence and attack necessary to alter his status as a leading provincial player to an international.

There was a belief that hts side-step—always infield —could be countered by an astute defender and that on defence, particularly when fielding a high kick, he was fallible.

These doubts remained through the 1963 and 1964 seasons, although he scored 13 tries in 1963 and 15 in 1964

Then in 1965—the year of ie Springboks—there was change in Birtwistle’s lay. All his attacking brilance remained, but he be-

gan foraging for play and was far more resolute in defence. He was never loathe to tackle, but when play became loose and swirling he was inclined to hang back. Unlike one of his Canterbury predecessors, M. J. Dixon, he was prepared to suffer the indignities of obstruction without retaliation.

The injury to M. J. Dick, the outstanding wing on the 1963-64 tour of the British Isles and France, gave Birtwistle his opportunity and he took it.

He played in all four tests and from just being a potentially dangerous scoring wing he became a fullyfledged international by the end of the series.

In the first two tests there was occasional hesitancy when the bail was loose or kicked high, but by the fourth test Birtwistle showed that he had absorbed most of the lessons needed for a test wing. He moved quickly on defence; darting in to kill the loose ball, re maining steady and calm when the ball was anglekicked to the wing. This season, not surpris-

ingly after being blooded in such a tense series, Birtwistle has been quite belligerent in club Rugby. Before, he would ignore tardy tackles, the shoves and pushes which less talented players used to inflict on him: now he has shown quite clearly he will not stand any nonsense. Birtwistle is almost certain to be chosen for the first test against the Lions. If anything his play in club Rugby has been better than ever. He has scored eight tries this season, most of them outstandingly good. A mature footballer now, and with the confidence that test Rugby brings, Birtwistle could establish himself as one of New Zealand’s greatest wings this season.

The Lions usually try to use their backs as much as possible. The All Black selector, Mr F. R. Allen, has issued a call for more attacking play by the New Zea land backs. If theory and practice should happen to coincide this season, old Rugby players might not have to delve back into their rather colourful memories about back play and scoring wings.