League Test Series To Britain

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

League Test Series To Britain

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND. The touring Great Britain Rugby league team beat the Kiwis, 33-16, in the third test at Auckland on Saturday, to win the series, 3-0.

New Zealand, with more than its share of possession —it won the scrums 14-9 and had a 14-9 advantage with penalties—still had no answer to the hard-running British forwards.

New Zealand spent much of the first quarter on attack, and trying to work into position to allow the full-back, D Ladner, to drop-kick goals. His first effort was wide 6ut soon he succeeded with a good kick from broken play. The first points came after

lOmin when the British players were penalised from a scrum and Ladner kicked a goal from 45yd. Ahead Again Two minutes later R. Millward drop-kicked a neat goal to level the score. Ladner’s

drop-kick after 20min put the Kiwis ahead again, 4-2. Then R. Dutton was caught in possession by W. Redmond, who gave the ball to R. Bailey. After a good 25yd run with A. Smith in hot pursuit, Bailey managed to touch down. Ladner converted and New Zealand increased its lead to 9-2.

The only other points in the first half came from a penalty goal by Ladner and the Kiwis led at half-time, 11-2. In the New Zealand team R. Williams replaced K. Dixon. The British scored after only 3min of the second half

and Dutton converted P. i Lowe’s try to narrow the gap i to 7-11. C. Watson, the British prop, with pure strength scored the next try, Dutton converted and the visitors led I for the first time. s Poor Handling

The Kiwi forwards, Deacon and A. Kriletich, continued to tackle well and were often called on to do cover defence work as the strong British forwards made mid-field breaks almost at will. New Zealand handling lapses proved costly, too. After 18min Lowe scored when R. Irving made a neat break; 4min later Smith scored another try and with Dutton’s kick the tourists were in front, 20-11. C. Hesketh ran through the New Zealand defence smin later to score a relatively easy unconverted try.

It was New Zealand’s turn next as Orchard scored after Ladner had kicked deep from a penalty. Ladner’s conversion closed the gap to 16-23 with llmin remaining. Final Fling S. Hynes replaced Hesketh,

then after a scrum penalty Millward, A. Fisher and M. Reilly handled before Hepworth dived over. Hynes scored the last try of the game but only after what appeared to be a blatant knock-on. Dutton converted both tries to give the tourists a winning advantage of 33-16, Scorers.—Great Britain 33: tries by Lowe 2, Hesketh, Smith, Watson, Hepworth and Hynes, Dutton converted five and Millward dropped a goal New Zealand 16: tries by Bailey and Orchard, Ladner converted both, dropped a goal and kicked two penalties.