POINTS FOR TOUR INCREASED TO 510 Lions score eight tries at Palmerston North

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32677, 5 August 1971, Page 24

POINTS FOR TOUR INCREASED TO 510 Lions score eight tries at Palmerston North

(From EARLE READ, N.Z.P.A, staff correspondent) PALMERSTON NORTH. The British Lions passed the 500 mark in tour points and R. Hiller got within sight of his century as they mauled another provincial team in Palmerston North yesterday. In one of their finest mid-week performances, the Lions defeated Manawatu-Horowhenua, 39-6, scoring four of their eight tries running into the stiff northerly in the second half.

J. C. Bevan, the young Welsh winger of whom the Lions were beginning to despair, recaptured much of the touch which made him the leading winger at the start of the tour. He scored four tries from the left wing.

The Lions, who made the rugged Irish lock, W. J. Mcßride, their captain for the day in recognition of his service, made another gesture to him by chairing him from the field at the finish.

The Lions scored eight tries, three converted, and three goals from penalties to Combined’s goal from a penalty and a dropped goal. Hiller, finding his best form as the tour draws to a close, scored 18 points 15 from kicks and a try. It took him to 91 points for the tour, with probably one match in hand. Linked with backs ' Hiller was much more than a goal-kicking full-back, however, in yesterday’s game, played in cold, blustery conditions. He linked cleverly with his backs to pave the way for tries, always running strongly and timing his pass well. The 39 points of the Lions gave them a total of 510

I for the tour. The 500 mark was reached when Hiller j (kicked a penalty goal in the! sixty-fifth minute of the' match. The Lions chose to take first use of the wind. They scored four tries running with the wind, and turned into it leading 22-0.

1 Into the wind ’ The 25,000 people at the - showgrounds sat back for a wind - assisted Manawatut Horowhenua onslaught in the i second half. But it did not > come, the Lions continu- ; ing to apply pressure and , I score four more tries. i The Lions, with or against the wind, handled superbly. They were completely free from inhibitions, and, apart from an odd high kick by R. : Hopkins and C. M. H. Gibson , to test the Combined fuil- ; back, J. Francis, in the open-1 ing quarter, they passed at I every opportunity. By coni stantly running the ball, the Lions had the Combined I defence sorely stretched. Bevan was the tough, bustling, unpredictable winger again of the early

part of the tour and once: wrestled his way through I four tacklers to make the touchdown. His hands werej

I safe, too, after a series of misadventures with them in recent games. Bevan’s best try came in the first half—a slashing effort in which he threaded left and right through defenders to score. S. J. Dawes and A. J. Lewis, who was looking sharper than ever before, were snappy in the Lions centre, with Dawes drawing the tackle before making the transfer. J. S. Spencer, on the right wing, saw less of the play than Bevan, but gave the impression he might have done as well as the Welshman. He was running with great vim and purpose when the play flowed to him in the first half, and he scored a fine try after Gibson had sprinted away from near half way.

Forward play Gibson twice made tries from the half-way line, scoring the second himself after charging down an attacking kick by the Combined side.

The Lions forwards were determined yesterday to give their half, R. Hopkins, making a return after a long spell, a comfortable ride. They did this, and much more, in one of the best pack displays of the tour. They tore vigorously into the rucks, winning vital ball, and (dominated the line-outs. Mcßride was master, of all near the front of the lineout, and J. Taylor and P. J. Dixon constantly were tapping back useful possession at the back.

Taylor revelled in the pattern of this game, which allowed him to move among the backs. He made several good runs from the line-out, but his most remarkable

achievement was to join the backline as an extra centre to help in one of Bevan’s tries. The prop, C. B. Stevens, had easily his best game of I the tour and in the scrums, J. F. Lynch caused a lot of embarrassment for his marker. Hooking honours ! The hooker, F. A. L. Laid-, law, shared the tight-heads, I one each, with Combined’s j G. McKenzie, but the lighter! Combined pack was! struggling to contain an ; irresistible Lions shove. It added up to one of the! tourists’ most commanding! all-round performances of I the tour. Manawatu - Horowhenual had fine service from the! young lock, J. Callesen, in in the line-out, and from the flank K. Eveleigh was a source of annoyance to the Lions as he found gaps in their line-out or broke through with the ball. He made some spirited runs and was prominent as the Combined team shook the Lions with one or two stirring forward assaults in the second half.

Couldn’t penetrate The captain, B. J. Cuff, played pluckily behind the Combined scrum, but when Combined won a series of rucks and scrums in a concerted attack in the Lions twenty-five for several minutes in the second half, the men outside him could not penetrate the defence.

The full-back, Francis, fielded the high ball without blemish in the first half, but, like most of the Combined backs, he was baffled by the speed of the Lions attacks. Scorers were:—

British Isles.—Bevan (four), Spencer, Lewis, Gibson, tries; Hiller, a try, three conversions and three penalty goals.

Manawatu - Horowhenua. —J. E. F. Karam, a dropped goal and a penalty goal.