All Blacks Close To Tour Record

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32378, 18 August 1970, Page 15

All Blacks Close To Tour Record

(From EARLE READ, N.Z.P.A. staff correspondent) EAST LONDON. The record-breaking 1970 All Blacks are now on the way to creating a new points figure for any Rugby team to tour South Africa.

Long ago they eclipsed the scoring feats of their predecessors in 1928 and 1949. By the week-end, unless they fail to score against the South African Country team on V z ednesday, they will become the highest scoring All Black team to visit South Africa. The record must fall to them—they now have 440 points—only one fewer than the 1960 team.

The 1960 tourists scored . their points in 26 matches. . This side, only one point behind, has sb far played only 16. If they do not win another : test they will be remembered —as no other New Zealand side before them—for the exhilarating, attacking Rugby which they play. BIG AMBITION But the record they are after, and certainly the most coveted, is the 469 points scored by the Wallabies last year. This was the highest total by any Rugby team in South Africa and will inevitably be surpassed by these All Blacks. Of the 90 tries scored by the All Blacks so far, 32 have gone to the top three threequarters, and others have gone to players like H. P. Milner and W. L. Davis, also in the three-quarter line. The “big three” threequarters split their tries fairly evenly: 12 to G. S. Thorne, 10 to M. J. Dick and ■lO to B. G. Williams. Dick is now the secondhighest try scorer for the All Blacks of alt time. The New Zealand Rugby Union’s decision to recognise the Western Australia game on the way to South Africa as an “official” match pushes Dick’s total of tries for New Zealand to 40. He scored two at Perth. He has overhauled the

great Bert Cooke who scored 38 tries and has moved into second place behind James Hunter, of the 1905 team. Hunter scored 49 tries. No fewer than eight of the All Blacks could not be considered for the tough match against Country Districts on Wednesday, T. P. McLean reports. The most serious casualty is Dick, who injured a hamstring causing his retirement from the match with Western Province and who could be unfit for the third test next week. But B. E. McLeod and 1. A. Kirkpatrick are also on the list for less serious reasons, and if they were not available for consideration for e test the problems of the tour committee would be severe. McLeod has battled along bravely since the accident of the match with Transvarl when it seemed as if the sight of an eye could be imperilled, and recently he has had stomach troubles. Kirkpatrick was struck on

an ankle late in .Saturday’s game. He should soon ,be right, but he has hi id the injury before and ankles are a danger to any athlete. UNFORTUNATES T. N. Lister and N. W. Thimbleby are among the » *- fortunates with injuries— Lister’s a knee, Thiimbieby his thumb wound from the match with Boland —which are taking rather longer than seemed necessary to heal. J. Burns, B. A. Hunter and ■G F. Kember are also casualties. Hunter has a hamstring which is proving almort intractable. Kember-turned an ankle against South-Western Districts last week and it may take another week or 10 .days to cure.

The team to play on Wednesday is: W. F. McCormick. H. P. Mifner, W. L. Davie, B. G. Williams. I. R. Macrae. B. D. Furlong, C. R. Laidlaw. B. J. Lochore (captain). B. E. Holmes, C. E. Meads, A. B. Smith, A. R. Sutherland, IK. Murdoch, R. A. Urllch, B. Muller. Reserves: S. M. Goins. B. E. McLeod. E. W. Klrton, B. C. Strahan.

“If all the players are m top form sad fit far the three matches, the team will have a good chaaee of beating Australia,” the coach of the New Zealand hoekey team (Mr R. Mackinlay) said before the team left last evening for a three-match series against Australia. The matches are an elimination series to decide who will play in the first World Cup hockey tournament in Pakistan next year. Mr Mackinlay said all the players were well, and up to their best form. Although the Australian team had played and won two tests against Japan last week-end, he expected the New Zealanders to be as fast and as -t Travelling with the team is a New Zealand umpire, Mr R. H. Campbell, of Christchurch, who will officiate in all three matches. The photograph shews, from left, the ehairman of the New Zealand Hockey Assoeiatfon management committee (Dr L. MeH. Berry) saying farewell to J. Anstow (viceseaptain), A. Patterson (captain), Mr Maekinlay, and Mr Campbell.