Bemused Lions Never Dominant

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31114, 18 July 1966, Page 3

Bemused Lions Never Dominant

Lochore gave the Lion* the use of the strong wind, but so quickly did the All Black pack take charge that the Lions never got enough possession to use it properly. In the first minute Nathan thundered into Watkins and as the ball went loose the whole pack poured through in a flood of black jerseys. Immediately the Lions were on defence. For eight minutes the pressure never relaxed. C. Meads would surge forward five yards and then Hazlett, Tremain or Nathan. Behind this phalanx, Laidlaw directed play smoothly. Herewini darted through the defence twice and actually scored a try, but after one of his side-steps he just touched another All Black and there was a scrum for an accidental off-side. Something had to happen and a quick blind-side thrust by Herewini snapped the tightly-stretched Lions defence and McLeod took the pass to score near the corner. Williment kicked a good conversion. Even at that stage five points looked

ominous for the Liens. That lead lasted two minutes. Tremain was penalised and Wilson kicked a 40yard penalty. Battered and bustled in the line-outs, the Lions were swept back on to grim defence as Rangi and Nathan burst upfield. Then it was the turn of the Lions backs to face the All Black backs, who were in fine fettle. Macrae twice chopped through, but was enmeshed by the covering of Lamont and Telfer.

It was felt that, at any time, the All Blacks would score again. The forwards moved through in crunching passing rushes and the backs probed continuously. There was a brilliant movement when Steel came into the back-line. He sped past Gibson but a desperate dive by Lamont just clipped his ankle. As Steel hit the ground Nathan appeared and swooped on the ball. It went to S. T. Meads. He ran 30 yards before passing to the übiquitous McLeod, who was caught a yard from the line. A neat drop kick by Herewini compensated for that and after 32 minutes the score was W.

For the next eight minutes the Lions were cliff-hanging as the All Blacks stormed at their line, but the defence held and it was a bemused Lions team that grouped together at half-time. Using the wind adroitly, Herewini placed the All Blacks on attack immediately in the second half. Quick chain passing gave Smith a chance, but he lacked the speed to get past Bebb. Lochore burst through from a line-out. He passed to Macrae, who was tackled by Gibson. Hazlett was the first player there and held the ball for a second; in came the rest of the forwards, back came the ball and Laidlaw worked the blind-side.

Herewini and Rangi flicked the ball quickly to Williment, who dived over the line in Gibson’s tackle. It was now all New Zealand. There were odd flickers from the Lions. Gibson made one break; Price and Lamont took play back 30 yards; Bebb seized quickly on a loose ball, but it was occasional relief only. Macrae almost scored: Steel dived over the line in a tackle, but the referee ignored the anguished appeal on Steel’s

face and ruled a tackled ball. Minutes later Williment kicked a penalty to make the score 14-3, and from the kickoff occurred the only incident in the match. Tremain was tackled by Lamont early and was badly shaken. Retribution was swift. C. Meads burst away from the next lineout. Two outsize dummies took him past two tacklers. A swerve and a neat sidestep took him into the clear. Outside him were three All Black forwards, but each time he went to pass they were obstructed by Lions so he decided to go it alone and was stopped inches from the line. Another six inches and it would have been one of the greatest test tries ever scored.

Another penalty gave the AU Blacks a 20-3 lead, but it also sparked off some better play by the Lions. CampbellLamerton broke clear and Telfer and Pask took play Into the All Blacks’ twenty-five. Williment drove them back, but an interception by MeFadyean looked dangerous as he sped 40 yards. The cover defence held.

In the final minute the All Blacks almost scored again, but Williment lost the ball while diving for the line.