ALL BLACKS EXTEND UNBEATEN RECORD

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31543, 4 December 1967, Page 24

ALL BLACKS EXTEND UNBEATEN RECORD

Victory Over Scotland In Dramatic Test Match

(From

T. P. McLEAN

EDINBURGH. Heroic Scottish resistance and a New Zealand effort which seldom reached the standard of performances against England, Wales, and France were the principal features of the international Rugby match at Murrayfield on Saturday.

The touring All Blacks completed an unbeaten test match programme by defeating Scotland by 14 points (a goal, two penalty goals and a try) to three points from a dropped goal.

Everything that could have been asked for as a setting to an immortal Rugby encounter was provided.

The playing surface was perfect. The conditions were cool, fine, and calm, and the huge crowd of more than 60,000 enthusiastically greeted every incident of the game which seemed out of the ordinary. E. W. Kirton reverted to the old type of game almost as soon as play began, by consistently kicking the bail ahead—not always with the most accurate judgment. When the ball was allowed into the three-quarters, I. R. Macrae, in particular, and W. L. Davis to a lesser extent were tackled in possession. Only in the last run of the match, which immediately preceded the sensational and lamentable incident of the game, and the tour, the ordering off of C. E. Meads, was true quality shown. Kirton this time passed to Macrae and speeding around him was there to take a return. The gap was in front and Kirton, running full tilt, carved the defence wide open until at A. J. Hinshelwood, the last defender, Davis and A. G. Steel were both running unmarked and a safe pass to Davis sent him away ty the comer for a try. Much too often for the peace of mind of the All Blacks the previous play had tended to suggest that Scotland, with similarly accurate handling, could have taken charge of the match. Lost Chances S. Wilson, the stylish fullback of the Lions last year, quite early in the game muffed a pass when there were two attackers to one defender, and this elementary fault affected Scotland’s chances at least one other time. When D. H. Chisholm, the brilliantly gifted Scottish flyhalf, left-footed with a drop kick of about 30 yards after a scrum and the ball sailed between the posts, adventure beckoned to the Scots, and they did their best to respond. W. F. McCormick equalised with a penalty. Then, when Meads started a move from the line-out, K. F. Gray came charging along, took the ball,

slipped a tackle, and headed into the clear. Macrae took a pass.

He looked as if he intended merely to be a link in the chain, but when he saw that no one was well positioned to give him aid he put his ears back and with a great run of nearly 20 yards, scored The All Blacks were looking much more like themselves but they still had to rely on a second penalty to achieve a lead of nine points to three at half-time. A. J. Hastie when caught by K. R. Tremain gave away a penalty and from 39 yards and more or less in front McCormick placed a splendid goal. In Command For most of the second half, subject to some interruptions when the Scots after winning possession used Chisholm to punt the ball very deep and so put McCormick under pressure, the All Blacks were well in command of the territorial play. It was left to the last attacking run to produce the finest effort of all. And the try by Davis to which Kirton contributed so brilliantly was undoubtedly one of the outstanding efforts of the tour. McCormick’s fine conversion, to which the terrace crowd offered every possible objection as he was making his approach run but at which the entire gallery vigorously applauded, was the seal on this splendid if rather isolated achievement. Within only a minute or so Meads was on his way from the field. The arguments for and against will be revived whenever, and this will be very often, the television film is screened.

One may ponder for a long time on the inability of the All Blacks to command the game as they had commanded so many of their other matches. No praise is too great for the noble Scottish effort. Hastie and Chisholm with their instinctive understanding and flat passes by which Chisholm in a stride or two crossed the advantage line exercised a considerable influence on the play. J. W. Turner and J. N. Frame in the centre tackled magnificently and Wilson, if not entirely accurate in his high sense of enterprise, was always looking for the chance

to counter-attack. The Scottish front row was

good enough for F. A. Laidlaw to win the only tight head of the game and the back row of J. P. Fisher, A. H. Boyle, and D. Grant chased the ball at great speed and made many severe tackles. Below Best It would be fair to say that no New Zealander played to his personal highest standard. Meads, who wore headgear to cover the wound received in a kick in the match against France, exercised a great influence on much of the forward play. S. C. Strahan was highly competent in his tapping back from the line-out and Grey played outstandingly in the tight and the loose. B. J. Lochore was so very well marked that he was too often embroiled to run as he normally does. G. C. Williams was pretty heavily engaged too. Tremain was in splendid form and if anything was probably the best of the AU Black forwards. A. C. Hopkinson was not quite the force that had been hoped and at one rather silly effort he felt the rough edge of Mr Kelleher’s tongue. B. S. McLeod, only once beaten on the heel, had his difficulties especially in trying to , win the ball against the head. Hopkinson and A. B. Carmichael at these moments were often conducting a private war. Laidlaw Effective For the All Blacks, C. R. Laidlaw spun out his passes extremely well, got himself a talking to for daring to suggest that he had not in fact obstructed when Lochore acting as dummy-half was making a run, and without quite reaching his very best was in aggressive and effective form. Kirton ran into his passes at impeccable speed but his kicking attack of the first half was not too accurate and 'in the second he lacked the nippiness to go past Chisholm 1 or the cover defence. Neither Davis, who in the second half was favouring a leg nor M?cCrae was in anything like Paris form. W. M. Birtwistle and Steel on the wings had melancholy, frustrating days waiting for chances that never ' came. McCormick resisted the fiery Scots as if he were a , Sassenach to the very life and ’ on the whole defended ably and aggressively. As a game and in spite of the constant roaring of the crowd, the match did not reach expectations but it was a most important victory for New Zealand all the same. It will be regretted that the ! smudge on Meads’s ordering off darkened what might ! otherwise have come to be re- ! garded as a brilliant portrait of a truly splendid team.