’BOKS BEATEN AGAIN Bigger Protest Threatened

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32145, 14 November 1969, Page 11

’BOKS BEATEN AGAIN Bigger Protest Threatened

(,V.Z.P.A.-Reuter— Copyright) NEWPORT. Anti-apartheid demonstrators at yesterday’s Rugby match between South Africa and Newport, which Newport won. 11-6, explained their seeming restraint by saying, “Wait until Saturday.”

One organiser of the 500 demonstrators, who provided the most peaceful of protests so far against the tour, said their big offensive would be launched on Saturday when the Springboks meet Swansea. He claimed that 2000 protestors would buy tickets to get into the match so that they could flood on to the pitch, completely disrupting the game. “ADVANCE GUARD” Another protest organiser, the secretary of the Welsh) Communist Party, Mr Bert Pearce, said. “Today’s demonstration was only an advance guard of a whole mass of people determined to stop the tour.” . At yesterday’s match, not

one demonstrator was arrested. Only one tried to get on to the pitch and he was swiftly ejected amid the cheers of 20,000 fans attending the match. The demonstrators marched to the match and stood by the entrance gates shouting, “Shame, shame,” at the fans passing through police barricades to get into the game. Most marched away after kick-off.

SECOND DEFEAT The Springboks went down to their second defeat and it was Newport’s first win over a South African touring team since 1912, and revived memories of the Monmouthshire side’s success over W. J., Whineray’s All Blacks in 1963. The Springboks, who went under by a goal, a penalty goal and a try to two penalty goals, have clearly not yet reached peak fitness. They fielded a stronger side than the one beaten by Oxford University, but were only a shadow of former South African teams.

For the first tune on the tour the Springboks encountered a greasy pitch and ball, and failed to adapt themselves to the conditions. W. Raybould, the former London Welsh fly-half, played havoc with the tourists’ defence but the Newport forwards proved unexpectedly to be the deciding factor. They held their own in the tight scrums and line-outs, and were well on top in the loose. FULL-BACK WEAK J. Anthony, the Newport captain and full-back, cashed in on his forwards’ supremacy, by exploiting the weakness and uncertainty of the Springbok full-back, J. Durand. A. Skirving put Newport ahead after 19 minutes, and 90 seconds into the second half D. Cornwall went over for Newport’s second try, which Anthony converted. P. Visagie briefly raised South African hopes with penalties in the forty-fifth and sixty-fifth minutes, but Anthony also scored from a penalty after 46 minutes.