TOURISTS RECOVER FROM 0-6 DOWN Out-Of-Form Frenchmen Narrowly Beat Southland

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31727, 10 July 1968, Page 15

TOURISTS RECOVER FROM 0-6 DOWN Out-Of-Form Frenchmen Narrowly Beat Southland

(From Mt eonvt*aM«n» INVERCARGILL. •' France went back to the disappointing form of its first game at Bien* heim, when it had to strugglehardtobeat Southland, 8-6, yesterday. Fielding its poorest back-line, France and the match, progressed in fits and starts.

The game resolved into tc forward struggle on a ground left slippery and treacherous after a 20-degree frost in the morning, and there were only rare glimpses of classy back-line play- . •: :.

Where the French team showed: concerted, solid forward play and freqoetat back-fine movements, when it beat Otago Im* Saturday, yesterday’st«Sl«jmlitod&’ much changed, was a great After Southland had M. 64, at halftime,France one of which C. Laeaae eonverted, , to elfaeh lta rietory. Southland’s; potato <*n* from two ponaltioa by D;; A. Nieol. .. , ....... . ........ Weak Half-backs 5

France with its half-baek_ pairing, could hot find ms ootnd*, c. Boujet, " and -C. laeaza. switched from ftUMMa to replica Boujet at half-time, did tittle to add to ttaeffielaney of the players otiteWa htaa. Southland took: on France ta the forward! and, constantly had the tourists rattled. The Frenchmen ware reluctant to stop the ‘ hard, driving forward play . of Southland, whose captain, M. J. Hazlett, and the number eight, R- 3. Barber; ware always to the fore. France had the edge ta the tine-outa, but Southland took more ball off itthan either Otago or Martaorongh tad been able to do. _ - \ In the firet half. Southland had shown' better form than France, andafter having been ta French territory for most of the half, deserved to have been ahead by more than six points.. _ Reluctant Ticklers With th* Mhifut thffiWi, the Southland players made full use of upend-unden, and the Frenchmen, as they had la the match with Mariborough, again tftavod a waaknan against this type of

attack. They dropped' and fumbled the ball and their forwtods were reluctant to gather abtot the ball and keep it tight The French eaptefa. C. Carrere, playing in his first match of the tour after tendip trtfable behlnd the knees, wee, a disappointment •z dulled as the man responnattona grand atom victory fa the -northern season Just ended, hs waa unable to get much response : from the teem under his control yesterday.

D. Dguga went up. high for the ball in the lineouts and gave France the edge over Southland fa the clean takes. But Southland' was able to nullify Oils advantage ’ because of the solid work hear the front by Hazlett and the All Black trtolipt hooker, J. Meltrae also took a tighthead ta each half o# M. Yachvlli. . . ' Two Ptayere Off France had individual stare ta. its back-tine, the .eentree, J. Trillo', and Miso,, mortal wen at tfmej,,<nd R Besson, the letowtag. ‘ making the most of his limited opportuSrthon had to leave the field.two minutea from the epd, however, with a thigh miisele injury, fa the left leg, The acting,manager of the French toam, Mr, A Garrtgpe. said taitor th»t Boston's injury was not serious.. Sputawid . also ...lost, a Mgye.r,.ope te ltfi tolMere, A B.T>pw,;srilp was dized after a. hepd-high tackle by Carrera.- He was alto recovering efter the game. .. Beam was replaced by A; Campaes and Frew by D. R. «V- . _ '

Like the Frenchmen, Southland had few baek-Itae start frtan set play. The home side rarely bad a run from a scrum or a line-out, the first fi veeighths, A: B." Blacker, being content either to return the tell to Ms forwards dr to kick for toe line ta the hope that the forwards would win. the ball there and uto It to better advantage than the backs. But Southland’s backs, too, showed glimpses of . form when they decided to ran with the ball, and it was a pity that the slippery ground did not allow each side to show to the best advantage. It may have been that the Frenchmen would have come Out more an top, for Southland would probably have still relied on forward play. But It wduld have provided, a better spectacle for the crowd, the majority of whom went away slightly disappointed in spite of the nearness of their side to following its win spins the 1988 Lions with victory'OverFrance, i

' • Spectators ' • • Thb attendance-wu weli'below the expected 20,000 and evep'fuzther behind the record 23.400 Who watched Frtned beat. Southland, 144, inl9oL- ; tfr 'X P. Mun phy; kept >a firm control on the Hey. and After railing thb twp captains aside during the toCond half after one or two pupehes {had been thrown among the forwards, he had no further trouble.’• Southland' took the ' lead after six minutes when- Trillo was - -psUaltodd far - standing off-eida at a '•nick' under the Frtneh poita, : sfter-a- penahy stitempt by NicM from ntor

. the sideline had hit the cros# bar and bounced back into the field. ' Nieoll made no mistake from fa front, and he goaled again after' 21 minutes when Berot was penalised for delay In putting the ball into a scrum. Two minutes . pfter halF time', Salut broke away from a scrum short’ at toe Southland line, took the pass and barged across five yards from the .comer. Laeaze, who had trouble with hla kicking al! day. could not convert with a drop kick attempt

Five-yard Rush The final scoring movement came after IS minutes when Trillo took the ball out of the Southland centre, I. S. T. Smith’s bands when the Southland tacks were looking dangerous. Trillo raced down-field and passed to Mato . When challenged by Nicol and the Southland wing, AN. Gibson. y , ' This time Laeaze kicked the conversion, and those points gave France its narrow victory. Although the Southland backs, had one of their rare nips with- five minutes to go, all of them handling and with Nicol 4n as the extra man, they did not have the pace fa outstrip .the Frenchmen, and the right-wing, Gibson, was hauled down by the cover: deefnee. came N.Z.ToPlay The Ball (K.X. Prtu As«oe<otton> . , , AUCKLAND. The chairman of the All Blaek selection panel, Mr F. R. Allen, will not instruct the All Blades to give as good as thfy get If the Frenchmen start Twlghing it up” fa the Chrietchtmch on Sat--1 Mr.. Allen, who. aaw the France v. Otago game fa Dunedin, said;. "It ia pretty difficult to contain yourself When faced with tactics like those employed by the Frenchmen on Saturday. “However, 1 have always instructed my players to play Rugby—to forget the man, and play the ball. The All Blacks will get this same message In. tire pre-game team talk this time. 'Tm only hoping the Frenchmen get on with the game.”

Meads Wffl Be First

C. E. Meads will be the first All Black to arrive In Christchurch today fa preparation, for the- Rugby test against France, op Saturday. He will arrive early fa the afremoon; the '■ remaining out-of-town pfayera will come bn three Separate flights,ln the evenThe, French team will arrive, at Christchurch Airport ft»m faverditgill at 2j25 pfat and will be met by the president’of the Canterbury Rugby Union (Mr C. K McPhail) knd members of the executive. '* ’ ' ' ' ' - ' \ Messrs X Storty ahd S. R. Southall- have -been appointed Canterbury liaison officers with’ the Fkehch team, and Messrs :C> H. Rhodes and W. V. QbWles will *ct in a' Similar capacity' with the New