TOURRECORD RETAINED

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32775, 27 November 1971, Page 46

TOURRECORD RETAINED

BORDEAUX.

D. Sorensen, the 22-year-old New Zealand Rugby league inside back, was in outstanding form when the Kiwis beat a Combined XIII, 20-9, under floodlights, and retained its unbeaten record in France.

Playing in the centres in place of B. R. Lowther, who was a late withdrawal because of knee and ankle injuries, Sorensen was especially prominent in covering the combined backs and starting sharp breaks from set and loose play.

Had the Frenchmen not been so quick to fall back to stem the promising movements initiated by Sorensen, New Zealand’s final score would have been considerably greater.

The French were not so successful, however, in cancelling out the bursts made by the 17-stone prop, R. I. Orchard, who was the dominant figure in the moves that led to three of the four Kiwi tries.

After two early penalties

by H. Tatana. the Kiwis fell behind when Combined’s stand-off half, C. Boussiere, perfectly judged a short kick that gave his left wing, J. Curt, a chance to beat J. C. O’Sullivan in the race for the ball.

It was during the final 12 minutes of the first spell that Orchard changed the trend of the match decisively. Twice he surged past the Combined forwards and D. A. Williams and J. Greengrass were given unimpeded runs to the line. The most spectacular try of the match came eight minutes after half-time, when New Zealand led 14-7. QUICK RECOVERY M. P. Brereton, who had spent a cold first spell on the right wing while most of the action was taking place on the grandstand side of the vast stadium, fended off several defenders in a 50-yard run but was caught a few feet short of the line. Brereton then got up, played the ball forward, and dived on it to score.

O’Sullivan added to the score when he safely held a high pass from M. J. McLennan and sprinted across for the fourth Kiwi try. Once again Orchard had made the initial run before linking with his backs.

Tatana gained the eight points that he needed to pass two players and become the second highest New Zealand scorer on an overseas tour. He now has 145 points in Britain and France, a total of 403 in all games this year, and the third test against France at Toulouse to come tomorrow.