Maoris Survive Slow Start For Good Win

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32359, 27 July 1970, Page 15

Maoris Survive Slow Start For Good Win

(By

J. K. BROOKS)

A little bit of luck and a lot of guts helped the New Zealand Maoris to beat Fiji, 11-6, before a crowd of about 12,500 in the Rugby test at Lancaster Park Oval on Saturday.

There was another ruck—again won by the Maoris—and Koopu, taking J. J. Rogers’s pass on the blind-side, dived through J. Visei’s tackle to score.

The Maori captain, M. 1 A. Herewini, was certain * before the game that the p omens pointed to a win t for his team—he had s

lost at cards on Friday night; he had paraded for the team photograph with his shorts inside out; and Herewini, the horse, had lost the King Country steeplechase by 20 lengths.

But as superstition gave way to reality with the start of the game, the Maoris discovered that they had the necessary attributes to beat Fiji for the first time on New Zealand soil. “I did not say much to the boys,” said Herewini. “But I did ask them for a big display of guts—and that is what they produced.” That was what they needed, too. as the Fijians dominated the first half with bruising runs and shuddering tackles, But from the precarious position of being two tries down after 20 minutes, the Maoris bounced back to lead—a little fortuitously—at half-time and then gained control in the forwards in the second half to make certain of victory. In the first half, J. J. Gillett scored a try and G. T. Going kicked a penalty goal and a conversion for the Maoris while E. Bolawaqatabu and K Nalatu scored tries for Fiji. There was no more scoring until six minutes from the end of the game, when the Maoris produced a magnificent attack which ended with a try in the corner by the right wing, B. M. Koopu. Fine Try

First, the Maoris attacked on the left flank with the loose forwards, L. P. Haddon and N. Toki, in the backline. Then the bail was switched across field to the right There was a ruck, then Herewini had the ball on the blind-side. He pivoted and threw a long pass to midfield. where K. Going drove deep into the Fijian defence.

The winning of the rucks by the Maoris in this vital period emphasised one of the Fijians’ biggest weaknesses. To them, the ball on the ground was either to be kicked or picked up; on one occasion when three Maori forwards packed over the man with the ball on the ground, the Fijian forwards studiously ignored them. In other aspects of forward

play, however, the Fijians were definitely proficient. They gained a slight advantage in the line-outs through the welltimed jumping of I. Tuisese and N. Ravouvou, and the hooker, A. Racika. held his own with R. W. Norton in the scrums. There was no shortage of volunteers among the Fijian forwards when the cry went up for the ball to be run. Bolawaqatabu, the captain, played a leading part in these operations, and J. Qoro, an extremely loose prop, was foremost among the eager backers-up. Tables Turned But the Maori forwards survived the Fijians’ first-half assaults and turned the tables on their rivals in the second half by drawing the threads together purposefully in the tight and exerting great pressure on the tourists’ defence. The Fijians, going back, were scarcely recognisable as the confident attackers of the first 40 minutes. H. J. Maniapoto, who replaced the injured Gillett at lock five minutes before halftime, was a key figure in the Maoris recovery. His influence in the tight was most marked, and, with the wholehearted assistance of the other forwards, the foundations for a Maori victory were laid. J. W. Joseph and R. J. Lockwood gave added stiffening to the Maoris’ effort in the tight, and A. S. Marriner was an effective loose forward who twice missed tries by a matter of inches. The youthful N. Toki, who was occasionally stationed among the backs in times of peril, carried out his dual tasks extremely well in his first big game. For many years the Maoris have had a reputaion for excellent back play; on Saturday the forwards solidly advanced their claims for recognition.

Herewini was not in his best kicking form, but his generalship meant much to the Maoris, especially the half-back, Rogers, who acquitted himself remarkably well. The two men played a big part in the Maoris’ first try, Herewini tackling two Fijians in quick succession and Rogers making a startling mid-

field run before sending Gillet hell-bent for the goal-line. The Maori backs, as a whole, did not play with the verve of their opposites, but K. T. Going, the full-back added muchneeded thrust to the attacks and picked up the Fijians’ high kicks with certainty. He had

t On the other hand, the Fijians showed the Maori backs how to , pass the ball through the chain f with speed and certainty, and , the right wing, J. Radrodro, re- - vealed how good positional play s by the wings can lead to a t variety of attacking moves. 1 The referee (Mr K. C. Gawn,

several bruises to show at the end of the game, but his reputation as an attacking full-back was embellished. Going proved to his fellow players that it was possible to breach the Fijian defence; in the first quarter this task seemed, impossible for the Maoris were thrown to the ground as soon as they touched the ball. Late Tackles

Three of the 10 penalties incurred by the Fijians were for late tackling. But one of these, for a tackle on B. L. Going by S. Naqelevuki, seemed a little unjust, and the Fijians had cause to brood over the decision when K. Going kicked an easy goal. In spite of this, the match contained several lessons for the visitors. Some of them had only a sketchy idea of the offside law, and the Maori forwards took advantage of the Fijians’ penchant for passing the ball regardless of the situation.

of Oamaru) allowed the game to flow as much as possible, but he could not ignore the many infringements which punctuated the second half. Tempers flared on one occasion when Ravouvou. who had the ball was punched by Maniapoto in a maul. The Fijian lock replied in kind, but an ugly situation was averted by the swift action of the referee and the captains.

Later. A. Tokairavua, a boxer of note, hit two Maori backs in separate incidents, but quickly discovered that his strength was required for other pursuits. The Maoris, greatly cheered by the victory, will now attempt to win the series outright in the second and final test at Auckland on August 8. “I told you we would play it by ear, and that is what we did,” said Herewini. “This win has done us the world of good; now we know our capabilities.”