British league team gained best tour record

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32361, 29 July 1970, Page 15

British league team gained best tour record

(By

Q.REAT Britain achieved ** its goal of becoming the most successful international Rugby league team to undertake a major overseas tour when it beat Auckland convincingly at Carlaw Park on Monday. While in Australia, the team equalled the performance of the 1958 Lions by having its winning sequence interrupted only by the first test loss and the drawn match with New South Wales. It went one step better than the 1958 combination by remaining undefeated in this country. After Britain had convincingly beaten the Kiwis in the third test on Saturday, Mr E. K. Asher commented that “this side is as good, if not a little better, than any other British team I have seen.” Mr Asher, now 83, played against the original Northern Union team in 1910, and has seen all of the 14 British touring sides in action during his long association with the code. Predictions have already been made that Britain will remain at the top of the Rugby league ladder for some years; the comparative youthfulness of the tourists and the regularity with which they reached their full potential adds weight to such prophecies. The World Cup in England in October and November will provide

J. 0. COFFEY)

a further opportunity for Britain to emphasise its dominance. This was a team with several brilliant individual performers, but also one that had an excellent understanding in team-work. The fact that all 26 players appeared in at least one of the six test matches testified to the depth of the party's strength, while it handled the very wet conditions at Wellington and Greymouth and the very hard playing fields of northern Queensland with equal efficiency. Britain placed tremendous pressure on its rivals by utilising the power and mobility of its big forwards in the early stages, before giving possession to the speedy and elusive backs. They made capital out of

the tiredness of the opposing defence. Whereas New Zealand teams appeared to be playing from moment to moment, the British players were always alert to the need to plan ahead and position themselves to take the best possible advantage of a developing situation. All sporting teams have their deficiencies, but Britain was able to combat its problems of rule interpreta-

tions, losses tn the scrums and occasional mis-handling with exceptional fitness, a professional attitude and pure ability. The players to make the greatest impression on the tour were the stand-off half, R. Millward, and the loose forward, M. J. Reilly. Millward displayed all the qualities expected of an international inside back—the

finely-judged kick over the heads of approaching defenders, quick ball distribution to his three-quarters, and a consistency in being present to run off his forwards and make thj greatest use of his acceleration. The strongly-built Reilly complemented his deceptive running with rugged defence. He covered his backs from set play to stifle any penetration by rival teams and combined particularly well with his test secondrow forwards, C. D. Laugh, ton and J. Thompson, and the scrum-half, K. Hepworth. It would be difficult to visualise a more perfectly balanced forward pack than that fielded by Britain in the major games. The props, C. H. Watson and D. Hartley, carried out the first phase of Britain's tactics by wearing down the opposing forwards with their powerful running. In the

second-row the outstanding defence of Thompson proved a perfect foil to the thrust? ful running of Laughton, while Reilly was the all- - rounder at the back of the scrum or when standing off as an extra half-back. The hooker, A. Fisher, was beaten by C. E. O’Neil for scrum possession in all three tests, but proved to be a more proficient player in the loose than the Kiwi captain. P. Lowe, who made his test debut in the second row on Saturday, was yet another young player who developed appreciably during the tour. He used his weight —about 17st—to .break past the first line of defence and bad surprising speed add nimbleness for his size. The three-quarters, J. B. Atkinson, A. Smith, F. Myler and S. Hynes, all enjoyed successful tours of New Zealand, while C. Hesketh scored a try in his first full international on Saturday. Smith scored five tries against the Wellington Invitation XIII but it was Atkinson who appeared the more proficient wing on attack, his flowing side-step and excellent change of pace taking him past many attempted tackles. The experienced Myler and the aggressive Hynes were ideal centre partners, while R. F. Dutton gave a series of accomplished displays as full-back and goalkicker once he had recovered from a shoulder injury received in Australia.