France Will Offer N.Z. 10-Match Tour

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31753, 9 August 1968, Page 13

France Will Offer N.Z. 10-Match Tour

(From GRAEME JENKINS. N.Z.P.A. staff corresponient) AUCKLAND. A short tour of France in October-November next year, including two tests, will be offered to New Zealand today when the manager of the touring team, Mr J. C. Bourrier, who is also chairman of the French Rugby Federation, meets the council of the New Zealand union.

The tour, which might be as short as eight matches, would be used as a build-up to the test series in South Africa the following year.

Discussing the possibilities of the tour yesterday, Mr Bourrier said that the invitation enisaged eight to 10 matches with the non - tests played against district teams instead of “area selections.”

On the tour by the All Blacks last year, it was possible for the same team to be produced in every match. A. Plantefol, the lock of the present touring team, played in three of the four games in France.

“The French federation had quick acceptance from the international board over the short tour of France this year

by South Africa,” Mr Bourrier said. If the New Zealand union decided to accept the invitation, he could foresee no objection from the board. “We would be honoured to receive an invitation to tour France,” Mr T. C. Morrison, chairman of the New Zealand Union, said yesterday. “I am sure New Zealand would be interested in a tour solely to France, as Mr Bourrier has suggested. “However, the council will have to give serious thought to the timing of the tour. Such an invitation would have to be considered in the light of New Zealand’s home and touring commitments in the near future.” Next year, Wales would make a short tour Of New

Zealand, and 1970 New Zealand would tour South Africa. "The council will have to have a long look at the tours in the near future,” Mr Morrison said. "There is the danger that we could put too great a load on our players.” "Mentally Stale”

Reference to the “load” being carried by New Zealand's leading Rugby players was made by the chairman of the selectors, Mr F. R. Allen, yesterday. He said that many people did not realise the tremendous mental pressure the All Blacks were experiencing at the end of their third season of almost continuous football. There was no doubt some of the players were “mentally stale.”

Mr Allen said that the players who had gone with the team to Britain last year, had a full club representative programme before that tour with only a month or two to recover before the present season.

“Already this year they have played four tests, and these added to the four in the British Isles and France and the one against Australia will make the match on Saturday the tenth international the AU Blacks have played in just under a year,” he said.