“Beaten Up Front”

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32359, 27 July 1970, Page 24

“Beaten Up Front”

(From T. P. McLEAN)

PRETORIA.

In post-mortems on New Zealand’s first-test loss to tne Springboks, senior members of the All Black party regretted that the side showed so little drive and control in the forwards.

“We were hammered,” said the manager (Mr R. L. Burk). “We didn’t get possession up front. We were well beaten in the line-outs. And when Laidlaw was concussed it severely limited the precision which the team has built up We were not able to attack in the old way.” “Control up Front” The coach (Mr I. M. H. Vodanovich) said: “To win you have got to get control up front. We didn’t. We were beaten there. Everything else followed on. “Consequently, as a team we never had control in the true sense—and without control against a team as good as the Springboks proved to be, we simply didn’t have a ehance. There’s one thing for it We will have to learn from our mistakes—and learn pretty fast.” The captain, B. J. Lochore, said there were times in the match when the All Black forwards took control of the tight play and could feel the Springbok tight-core weakening. All too often when this happened, however, a ball won from a ruck was ruined because of some mistake— a knock-on, a pass forward, or a dropped pass. These mistakes imposed a very severe strain.

“You really can’t say much more,” said Lochore, “than that we were well beaten by a better team.”

But Lochore did say: “All

through our tour we have had tremendous hospitality. From now on, we may have to turn anti-social.” Springbok Resurgence In the opinion of Sputh Africans, there is no doubt that the Springboks as a team were sensationally superior to the side which in the British Isles a few months ago lost two and drew two of four tests while political demonstrators made vigorous protest in various ways. The coach of the Springboks (Mr I. Claassen) offered one quotable quote. This taciturn and pleasant man thought hard when asked for a statement He started off with: “I’m satisfied.” Then appearing to appreciate that this was not quite expressive

enough for so epic an occasion, a pleasant smile spread across his face and he relaxed into: “Every coach in the world dreams of beating the All Blacks.”

Perhaps the nicest of all quotable quotes came from the referee, Mr Piet Robertse, who performed outstandingly —in fact. I would say he was the finest referee of a test match that 1 have ever seen. Mr Robertse spoke of the match with enthusiasm because it was such a clean game. He said: “Unless they are provoked, the All Blacks are the cleanest team I have refereed since the Second World War. Today, they were magnificent. There was not a trace of an incident. Everybody was too busy playing Rugby.”

“Deep Friendship” At an after-match function, statements by Mr Burk and Lochore, as well as by Dr D. H. Craven, the president of the South African Board, that the friendship in Rugby bebetween New Zealand and South Africa was so deep that the tours between them must go on, were received—as might be expected—with the loudest applause.