Irish upset by Rugby test cancellation

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32848, 23 February 1972, Page 28

Irish upset by Rugby test cancellation

(N.Z.P.A. Staff Correspondent)

LONDON.

The presence in the Scottish Rugby XV of two serving officers appears to be the reason for Scotland’s decision to cancel its international fixture against Ireland at Dublin on Saturday.

The players are the wing, W. C. C. Steele, who is a physical training officer in the Royal Armoured Corps, and the hooker, R. L. Clark, who is an instructor in the Royal Navy.

Similarly, the fact that the Welsh hooker, J. Young, is a teacher in the Royal Air Force, is expected to play an important part in the decision that the Welsh Rugby Union will make on Wednesday about its fixture in Dublin on March 11.

Scotland’s players are reported to be pleased that their match is off. One official in Edinburgh commented: "You could never take a serving officer to Dublin, not after Londonderry and the burning of the British Embassy.” The captain, P. Brown, said he was very glad for the sake

of his wife and family that he did not have to play in Ireland.

Hie former England captain, Lord Wakefield, wrote in a letter to “The Times” that “for players of my generation the game has always been healthily above politics. “In the early twenties we ignored warnings about terrorist bombs and played memorable games in Dublin against Irishmen whose lasting friendship we value. “But now things have come to such a pass that wives and families of young British players feel that the risks have become unacceptable. That the gunmen have become a law unto themselves and can shoot and bomb innocent people unchecked.” Inquiries among Welsh

players at the week-end revealed that only a few are keen to play in Dublin.

Threatening letters

The secretary of the Welsh Rugby Union (Mr W. H. Clement), said: "We have received two letters from Dublin, threatening the team and officials if we go there. While we cannot provide proof of who wrote them, we cannot treat them as a hoax.”

Irish officials are pinning their hopes on a Welsh decision on Wednesday in favour of honouring the March 11 fixture. They appear genuinely surprised about the Scottish decision.

They are surprised because their home fixtures this season have been played happily, including visits to Dublin by the Ulster XV for the annual inter - provincial matches, and they are hurt particularly because Ireland with wins in its two away games, is having its best season in years.

Another cancellation

The president, Mr Dominic Dineen, said: “I am positively shattered.” Karl Mullen, captain of the 1950 Lions in New Zealand, went further; he said the Scots’ move was “a callous decision that I cannot understand.”

T. Kiernan, the Irish captain, said he had a certain sympathy for the Scottish players and appreciated their feelings, “but to my mind they are not at risk.” The Irish hope that if Wales decides to honour the March 11 match, and this game is played without great incident, that Scotland will decide to visit Dublin later in the season. However, the probability is that Wales will cancel its match, too. Ireland, in fact, may have to play its two matches away, either in Britain or on the Continent.