Kiwis held in the mud, but unbeaten in series

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32777, 30 November 1971, Page 30

Kiwis held in the mud, but unbeaten in series

(By J. O. COPPEY. N.Z.P.A. special correspondent.)

TOULOUSE.

The 1971 Kiwis might well echo the sentiments of the French Rugby league manager who a few years ago described Carlaw Park, Auckland, as “mud, mud, mud, mud,” after their 3-3 draw with France at T oulouse.

New Zealand’s success in the British and French series on this tour has been largely based on its ability to counter - attack with superior speed and supporting play, even when placed in apparently defensive positions.

But at Toulouse such enterprising football was not possible because of the heavy nature of the surface and the slippery ball.

These hindrances were made all the more difficult because of the vast improvement shown by the Frenchmen in their covering. On the few occasions that R. I. Orchard, A. Whittaker or P. C. Orchard were able to break clear on the first line of their opponents, their pace was drastically reduced by the clinging mud, and France was able to fall back and snuff out the threat.

However, the closeness of the score and the partisan support from the crowd of about 5000 ensured that the match was played in an atmosphere of considerable tension.

France held a slight territorial advantage in the first half, but the Kiwis did much of the attacking after the interval.

The teen-age French wing, B. Guilhem lost the ball over the New Zealand try line in the early stages, and it was not until the twenty-fifth minute that either side was able to score.

J. Capdouze struck the upright with a penalty kick, and the crowd’s anguish switched to delight when the centre, M. Molinier, pounced on the loose ball and dived over without a hand being laid on him.

J. Woollard, the New Zealand stand-off half, was rewarded for the excellence of his tackling when he gained his second consecutive test try to equal at 3-3 in the second half. The Kiwi loose forward, A. P. Kriletich, had deceived the Frenchmen with a dummy pass, and Woollard raced through quickly to complete the movement. NO CONVERSIONS

Both tries were scored about midway between the goalposts and the sideline, but it was .no surprise that Capdouze and H. Tatana Were astray with their conversions from the mud. Capdouze (four) and Guilhem also failed with penalty kicks at goal for France. The refereeing of Mr M. Breysse often brought gestures of astonishment from the New Zealand ' players. He awarded 12 of the game's 16 penalties to France, and, in the opinion of the Kiwi coach (Mr D. L. Blanchard) turned a blind eye towards off-side play by the French. Although it would have been an added bonus to win this match, the Kiwis did become the only New Zealand side to be unbeaten on a tour of France. It was heartening that the fitness and enthusiasm of the tourists has not been dimmed by the strenuous three-month itinerary. BEST MATCH Robert Orchard contributed his best performance- of the tour, and was the outstanding figure in the forward play. He received excellent assistance from D. J. Gailey and M. J. Smith, and Kriletich was prominent in preventing the rugged French pack from

making progress up the centre of the field.

The Kiwis’ halves, Woollard and K. L. Stirling, defended magnificently, and Phillip Orchard, F. R. Christian, and Whittaker all had their good moments on attack. Whittaker was little troubled by the conditions, handling and running particularly well when tested by Capdouze’s tactical kicks. The unexpected return to the French pack of J. Clar was largely responsible for its success in matching the Kiwis. Clar was beaten 23-19 in the scrums by J. H. Fisher, but he marshalled his forces wisely and distributed possession well. DASHING CENTRE

The most troublesome of the French backs was the dashing centre, Molinier, a deceptive runner with good anticipation. Capdouze and J. Hubert were lively halves. Over the complete tour, the Kiwis played 26 matches, winning 15 (including two

tests in each country), lost 10 matches in Britain, and drew this last test. They scored 427 points and conceded 343. The tourists left Toulouse for Paris this evening on the first stage of their return to New Zealand.

They will arrive in Auckland on Friday afternoon after stops at Rome and Singapore and brief halts at Bombay and Sydney.