All Blacks Expect Another Battle

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31542, 2 December 1967, Page 15

All Blacks Expect Another Battle

(From

T. P. McLEAN)

EDINBURGH. No-one in Scotland expects the Scottish team to beat the All Blacks in the test, match at Murrayfield today—but then they never do. Yet, no All Black team has ever scored a massivelyconvincing victory over a Scottish team.

At the first encounter, in 1905, the celebrated athlete, George Smith, needed all his exceptional sprinting powers to score two late tries.

In 1924, when Scotland had the finest team in Europe, there was no match for the Invincibles, and to this day it is argued that the All Blacks would have been beaten if there had been a game. Manchester's team in 1935 won well, 18-8, and in the test which was not an official encounter, Scotland beat Saxton’s Kiwis in a match still most fondly remembered in Scotland. Stuart's All Blacks in 1954 won by only a penalty goal, while Whineray’s team three years ago bad the worst of a 0-0 draw.

Other countries, notablk South Africa, have so easily walloped the Scots, that one question naturally arises: Why does New Zealand have to make so much hard work of its matches? DANGEROUS FIVE

Whatever the reasons, both history and appreciation of the qualities in the Scottish team of today compel the viewpoint that this will be g hard one for the All Blacks to win. Five players by combining their talents seem capable of unbalancing the All Blacks.

The first is the giant lock, B. K. Stagg, who at 6ft 101ns and 18st represents a line-out problem of the greatest magnitude. The second is the wing three-quarter, A. J. Hinshelwood, who stimulated by experience in New Zealand with the Lions last year, has become a fine scoring threequarter and an extremely accurate thrower from touch. The third is the Lions fullback of last year, S. Wilson, who with his thistledown elusiveness as a runner, is capable of breaching pretty well any defence. And the fourth and fifth, D. H. Chisholm and A. J. Hastie, half-backs eternal of the Bor-

der district, may really be considered as one because, after years of association they react instinctively to each other’s play. UNBEATEN TOGETHER

In 10 appearances in partnership for Scotland, these two have never played on a losing side. This is an impressive record which has gone on far too long for luck to be reckoned as the vital factor.

Everything suggests that the All Blacks will need to be as sharp as tacks to establish dominance. Because their plunging play straight past the scrummage into “the box” is unlikely to be as strong as it became in France, when S. M. Going and I. E. Kirkpatrick used the ploy so effectively, the New Zealanders are likely to have to work for their points and tries. The main hope lies in the re-engagement of C. R. Laidlaw and E. W. Kirton as partners. This should facilitate

the attacking play of I. R. Macßae and W. L. Davis in the centres, and the faster and more accurate passing ought also to be a help to W. F. McCormick on the blindside.

It seems pretty clear that the All Blacks have the capacity to break the chain and establish a decisive superiority, but If they fall to take charge of the tactical situation, it is likely to be yet another New Zealand scramble over Scotland. Teams:

HEW ZEALAND.—W. F. McCormick; A. C. Steel, W. L. Davis, W. M. Birtwistle; I. R. Macßae, B. W. Kirton; C. R. Laidlaw; B. J. Ldchoro; K. R. Tremain, C. ■. Meads, S. C. Strahan, C. C. Williams; K. F. Gray. B. ■. McLead, A. 1. Hopklnson. SCOTLAND.—t. Wilson; R. R. Keddie, J. N. Frame, J. W. Turner, A. J. Hinshel* wood; D. H. Chisholm, A. J. Hastie; A. H. Boyle; J. F. Fisher, B. K. Stags, G. W. Mitchell, D. Grant; A. B. Carmichael, F. A. Laidlaw. D. M. Rollo.