BUSTLING VALLEY

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32320, 11 June 1970, Page 19

BUSTLING VALLEY

State Team Beaten (N.Z. Press Association) PAEROA. The New South Wales Rugby tour did not get away to a good start yesterday. The tourists went down, 12-13, to a bustling Thames Valley side. The minor provincial team, which has an unbeaten record against overseas teams, played particularly well over the last quarter of the match to contain the tourists. After a scrappy start, during which New South Wales took an early 6-0 lead, the visiting backs began to show! their paces, the forwards settled down well, and the side looked to be taking control of the game. Thames Valley took longer to get into its stride but when it did, its renowned bustling type of play caused panic in the Australian backline, and the New South Wales lead had been cut to 9-8 at half-time. The tourists regained some of their composure and increased the points lead to 12-8. but Thames Valley’s strong defence and quick bustling forwards soon unsettled the Australians again, and the home side was able to take control. It was after the Valley went ahead that the match reached its peak, as the visitors attacked a solid defence which refused to yield.

E. Tindall and G. Weatherstone combined well behind the New South Wales pack but were too easily bustled into mistakes. Among the Australian forwards, A. Gelling and R. Cooks impressed in the loose, while R. Smith and B. McCoy toiled hard in the tight Tries for Thames Valley were scored by I. K. Jenkins and T. Slavich, K. D. Maloney kicked a penalty and a conversion, and B. McCollum added a conversion. A McGill scored a try and kicked two penalties, and Weatherstone scored the other try for New South Wales.