Wallabies Win But French Play Dazzling Rugby

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31761, 19 August 1968, Page 26

Wallabies Win But French Play Dazzling Rugby

(N.Z Presi Association—Copyright)

SYDNEY.

Australia on Saturday scored a thrilling, 11-10, win against France in a spectacular Rugby international at the Sydney Cricket Ground. It was Australia’s first victory over France in the five internationals the countries have played since they first met in Paris in 1948.

Although victory went to Australia, the glory went to France. The tourists provided champagne Rugby in a dazzling exhibition.

Their wizardry in handling and passing the ball, artistry, subtlety, speed and uncanny backing up, enraptured the small crowd of 19,493.

France scored two converted tries to Australia's one converted try, penalty and dropped goal. So dominating was the play of the Frenchmen for most of the game that they did not deserve to lose. But neither did the young Australia XV. COACH’S SUCCESS

Great praise for Australia’s magnificent win must go to the New Zealand coach, Mr D. M. Connor, and to the Australian selectors, Messrs W. McLaughlin, J. Bain and J. French, for their foresight in selecting such a young side. The result ended Australia’s run of seven successive defeats since it scored a record win against England early last year.

The veteran Australian coach, Mr B. Palmer said: "It was a tragedy that France should lose after giving a most joyous exhibition of attacking Rugby. The Frenchmen excited the crowd to the same extent as the first colourful Fijian team to tour here in 1952.

“The reason for their failure was a lapse from the perfection of passing and handling they showed in the second test against the All Blacks in New Zealand. NO LOOSE BALL

“Some of the lapses were only a technical failure to take the ball cleanly at the first attempt, but the referee had to pull them up.

“Once the Australians started to realise the Frenchmen were not handling and passing perfectly, they waited for the loose ball. They sweated on it to stop the

Frenchmen winning,” Mr Palmer said.

The match was cleanly fought, although there were two casualties. The French full-back and goal-kicker, P. Villepreux, had to leave the field nine minutes before halftime with a sprained left ankle. Australia’s full-back, A. McGill, suffered a probable fracture of the left hand early in the game but he played on. TRY MADE BY MASO

The Frenchmen took some time to settle down and for 18 minutes Australia made the play and did the attacking, although France’s tall forwards were dominant in the line-outs. The 6ft 4Jin D. Dauga held command here, as he did throughout the match.

Midway through the first half, the Frenchmen sprang into action, cleverly moving the ball among the fleetfooted backs, and ably supported by speedy forwards. The half-back J. Berot, and the lock, W. Spanghero, the outstanding forward, if not

the outstanding player of the match, continually began moves that had the Australians mesmerised. The tourists started to elick and looked dangerous for the rest of the half, but they scored only one try. The elusive five-eighths, J. Maso, made this possible when he eluded J. Brass.

The ball sped this way and that through the hands of the racing backs before Spanghero, backed up infield, plunged over between the posts. Villepreux kicked an easy conversion. Two minutes before halftime Brass had a penalty attempt, following two weak kicks by McGill, and France led 5-0 at the interval. The score fluctuated in the second half. Maso made another great run for France but the pass went astray when he tried to set up his wing, A. Piazza, for a try. AUSTRALIANS SCORE

The picture changed in the eighth minute when McGill kicked an easy penalty goal at his third attempt. This lifted his confidence and play. Two minutes later, the Frenchmen, setting out to retrieve the situation, swept to the attack but a pass went to ground. J. Ballesty, who has greatly improved as a fiveeighths on attaining international status, swooped on to the loose ball. After backing up smartly, P. Smith raced over for a try before the French defence could recover. McGill converted to put Australia 8-5 ahead.

France broke through again when backs and forwards popped up all over the place to swarm over the Australians. The replacement fullback, C. Boujet, joined in to cross for a try, which he converted. Almost immediately Ballesty regained the lead for Australia with what proved a splendid match-winning dropped goal from 40 yards.

Several times the Frenchmen went within an ace of winning the match in the exciting closing minutes as they threw the ball about in an even more bewildering way. Speedy switches in attack and

uncanny backing up put the centre, J. Lux, through a gap. As Lux tossed the pass to the unmarked wing, A. Campaes, the Australian, J. Cole, leapt desperately into the air to intercept the ball and stop the try. Again France was unlucky when Piazza outpaced Australia’s substitute wing, B. Honan, only to step into touch on his burst to the goal-line. The Australians fought like fury to keep their one-point lead and finished the game on the French line.