British league team seeking test hat trick against N.Z.

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32349, 15 July 1970, Page 15

British league team seeking test hat trick against N.Z.

(By

J. O. COFFEY)

fpHE British Rugby league 1 tourists have set themselves the target of returning home with the best record of any overseas team to visit Australia and New Zealand. To achieve this they must remain undefeated in this countryin its 19-15 first test victory at Auckland on Saturday, Great Britain impressed as a most proficient and attractive side but, as with all sports teams, there were some flaws in its display and a three-nil series victory is certainly not a foregone conclusion. The touring officials, Messrs J. B. Harding (manager) and J. W. Whiteley (assistant manager-coach), have made it clear that the team’s major aim is to better the record set by the 1958 Lions. Both the 1958 and 1970 teams drew one and lost one of their games while in Australia and were successful in the test series against the Kangaroos. The 1958 combination was later beaten by the Kiwis in the first test and their successors on this occasion will be satisfied with nothing less than an unblemished record in New Zealand. Few reservations could be made about the performance of the British players in the opening test but one—the unusually large number of infringements of the rules as interpreted in this country—nearly cost them victory and must be rectified before the return match at the Show Grounds on Sunday.

The referee (Mr J. Percival) penalised Britain seven times for indiscretions while tackling New Zealand players, found fault with the hooking technique of A. Fisher in five scrums and caught the tourists transgressing the advantage line

another five times.

These mistakes gave the Kiwi full-back, G. C. Ladner 10 opportunities to kick for goal (one a double attempt when C. H. Watson moved inside the 10-yard line while Ladner was taking the kick) and he was successful with four. This was his worst average at Carlaw Park but he said after the match that the sticky conditions did not allow him a sure footing on his last step before making contact with the ball. In comparison the British stand-off half, R. Millward, failed with four place kicks, three from medium-range, before being replaced by S. Hynes, who converted the tourists’ fifth try from a handy position. New Zealand can hardly expect this trend to continue, however, for Millward proved a most able substitute goal-kicker when lack of form and then a back injury kept T. G. Price out of the last two Australian tests. The wet ground, only the second encountered in 19 tour matches, undoubtedly contributed to Millward's disappointing analysis. The third problem experienced by Britain was its lack of a specialist fullback. Of the three players selected in that position Price has been detained in a Sydney hospital while tests are made on his back, R. F. Dutton played only three games before severely injuring a shoulder and D. Edwards was carried from the field with a badly bruised hip received in the second last game in Australia.

M. D. Shoebottom, better known as a stand-off half and centre, filled in most capably in the deciding test against the Kangaroos but there were flaws in bis positional play and handling of New Zealand's kicks ahead

on Saturday. He does not possess the line-kicking qualities that have increased in importance in a fullback’s play since the introduction of the fourth-tackle rule. But such was Great Britain’s strength that it was

able to overcome the problems of an 18-7 penalty count, a lack of points from goal-kicking and the absence of an experienced full-back. The three-quarters, J. B Atkinson, F. Myler, Hynes and A. Smith, have more than adequate speed and thrust but were hindered in their attacking aspirations by the clinging nature of the ground and the solidity of the defence of the Kiwi outside backs. Much of Britain's penetration came from the powerful running of the forwards, C. H. Watson and C. D. Laughton, and the combination of the halves, B. Seabourne and Millward,

and loose forward, M. J. Reilly, round the scrum base.

The tourists' forward pack was perfectly balanced. The 16st 61b prop, D. Hartley, never wandered far from the rucks but he used his strength to good effect in this area. Fisher and J. Thompson were outstanding on defence, complementing the crashing runs of Watson and the fine supporting play and swiftness of Laughton and Reilly. An observer travelling with the team summed up the attitude of the players when he said that Rugby league followers in England would tend to forget the triumphant Ashes Cup victory over Australia if defeat by New Zealand followed. The team dearly wants to be remembered as the most successful ever to travel “down under” and its next assignment towards gaining this recognition will be against the Kiwis on Sunday.