ALL BLACKS KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT Welsh “brains trust” plotting Cardiff tactics

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33065, 4 November 1972, Page 46

ALL BLACKS KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT Welsh “brains trust” plotting Cardiff tactics

(From J. K. BROOKS, N.Z.P.A. special correspondent), CARDIFF. Too many cooks might spoil the broth for Cardiff, when the famed Welsh club side takes on the All Blacks at Arms Park tomorrow. Already armed with two coaches—R. Bish and D. J. Hayward—Cardiff has called in an all-star group to assist in its preparation.

A virtual Rugby “brains trust” has bombarded the players with ideas in recent days, including, inevitably, C. R. James, coach of Llanelli and the 1971 Lions.

The other plotters and planners are D. C. T. Rowlands, coach of the Welsh team, R. A. Williams, the national coaching organiser, C. W. Jones, a Welsh selector and chairman of the coaching committee. At the same time Mr Bish has grown very secretive about the team’s preparations. He caused two New Zealand journalists to be asked to leave a training run at Sophia Gardens and has instructed his players not to comment to newspapers. The outcome might be that the All Blacks will find themselves playing against a thoroughly confused bunch of footballers tomorrow. The

effect of intensive talk sessions and film screenings might be to reduce the men of Cardiff to a state of marionettes being pulled jerkily in half a dozen directions. The Cardiff tactics are certain to follow closely those adopted so successfully by Llanelli on Tuesday. The home team has a strong, determined pack, backed by the Lions half-back, G. O. Edwards, and the clever flyhalf, K. G. James, who joined the club only eight weeks ago from Newport. At training, James has been putting the ball in the air for his fast-following forwards, and the All Blacks can expect a full expression of 10-man Rugby tomorrow. Edwards, famed for the length of his pass, will give James plenty of time to kick accurately for the gaps, as did B. John in New Zealand last year. Crash-tackling At the same time, the Cardiff forwards undoubtedly will try to mow down the All Black loose men and try to rob them of the ball in the same fashion as the Llanelli forwards. The New Zealanders, however, now know what they are to expect and it is unlikely that possession will be surrendered. A difficulty for the All

Blacks is that the development of rucks might be hindered if the referee, Mr J. Young, of Scotland, follows the line adopted by Mr M. H. Titcombe in the Llanelli match. Mr Titcombe stopped several rucks early as the New Zealanders were busily engaged in raking the ball back, and at other times Llanelli killed the ball effectively. Two get chance There is an interesting choice of loose forwards by New Zealand for this game. The test players, A. R. Sutherland and A. I. Scown have been rested, and A. J. Wyllie and B. Holmes are given the chance to form a strong three-pronged attacking force with the captain, I. A. Kirkpatrick. Holmes, in the two games in North America, showed speed and covered well, while Wyllie was most effective on the burst against the tough New York pack. Since then he has been out of action because of a strained hamstring muscle and now gets a stern test to prove his worth. S.I. pack play The coach, Mr R. H. Duff, has gone for uncompromising South Island forward play this time, with the choice of five forwards from Otago and Canterbury. J. J. Matheson, H. H. Macdonald and R. W. Norton have been brought into the side.

It will be interesting to see if the reformed pack is able to deal with the Welsh forward play any better than the combination at Llanelli. The return of S. M. Going will allow New Zealand to exploit the blindside avenue of attack, and backing up by Wyllie and Holmes will be essential for the success of the exercise. Use of wings It is to be hoped that New Zealand makes greater use of the brilliant wings, B. G. Williams and G. B. Batty, for the smooth passing of M. Sayers and the use of T. J. Morris as extra man, might make this profitable for the All Blacks.

A capacity crowd will be at the ground. All stand tickets have been sold and Welshmen have been congregating in the pubs practising their singing for the big occasion. But this time, hopefully, the All Blacks will make them sing a different tune by the end of the match. Dawes chosen (N.Z.P.A. Staff Correspondent) LONDON. The captain of the 1971 Lions in New Zealand, S. J. Dawes, has been chosen to play at centre in the London Counties team to meet the All Blacks at Twickenham next Saturday.