Run of play

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33060, 30 October 1972, Page 26

Run of play

Karam opened the scoring for the All Blacks in the seventeenth minute when he kicked a penalty goal two feet from the lefthand side-line.

Five minutes later came the first of the All Blacks’ seven tries. Parkinson ran around his man before straightening up and picking his way easily to the goal line with a dummy pass in each direction. Karam, who kicked the conversion, played a vital part in the next scoring movement by giving Williams the overlap in the twentyeighth minute. The All Black right wing outpaced Knight, beat Butler, and his accurate in-field pass enabled Robertson to score behind the posts. Karam again added the extra points.

One minute from half-time, Sutherland and Kirkpatrick freed the ball to Burgess near the right-hand side-line, and the cross-field punt by the five-eighths caught Counties by surprise. Batty, Robertson, Scown, and Parkinson were all up for the ball and Parkinson wrenched his way clear of the maul to score his second try. Karam’s conversion made the half-time score:

New Zealand 21, Western Counties 0.

Williams made many exciting and profitable runs in the second half. In the fourth minute he seized the ball almost off Gabitass’s boot, chopped past two men, and flipped a pass to Colling near the goal line for the half-back to score.

Counties hit back with spirit. Morley and Bayliss made inroads into New Zealand’s defence, and after the All Blacks had been penalised near their own line for not retiring, Burton weaved his way through the opposing forwards to score. Butler converted.

Williams scored again after Sutherland caught a high kick by Burgess. Karam’s conversion put the All Blacks ahead, 31-6, after 18 minutes. Penalty goals by Butler in the twentieth and twenty-fifth minutes reduced the deficit to IS points, but 10 minutes from full time Kirkpatrick burst clear from a maul on half-way, ran 30 yards, and gave a long overhead pass for the accelerating Williams to score.

Three minutes later, Williams was over the goal line for his third try after splendid work by Scown, Burgess, and Robertson.