SO MUCH BALL, SO FEW POINTS All Blacks scrape 9-3 win, and disappoint

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33096, 11 December 1972, Page 28

SO MUCH BALL, SO FEW POINTS All Blacks scrape 9-3 win, and disappoint

(From j. K. BROOKS. N.Z.P.A. special correspondent)

ILKLEY. ~

The All Blacks are in trouble again. With the international against Scotland to be played in less than a week, the touring side gave its supporters little encouragement in scraping home, 9-3, against North-East Counties at Bradford on Saturday.

The fact that the All Blacks scored only one try in spite of commanding 72 per cent of possession, indicated shortcomings in New Zealand's promotion of attack.

Certainly, conditions were difficult—there was a strong wind and light i-ain—and Counties’ defence, especially in midfield. was formidable.

But even allowing for these factors. New Zealand's play was disappointing. Had it not been for livewire halfback, S. M. Going, the All Blacks might have beaten their heads against a brick wall. Try to Batty Three minutes before halftime, with Counties leading 3-0 from a penalty kicked by A. G. Old, Going caught a long throw-in, and flipped the ball quickly to his backs. They moved it (with such alacrity that the left wing, G. B. Batty, was put outside his marker, and he outsprinted the full-back to score in the comer.

Karam, attempting a difficult kick, struck the ball truly and it never looked like missing. Eight minutes after the resumption Going struck again. The ball went loose from the side of a ruck, I. A. Kirkpatrick picked it up and passed to Going, whose snap dropkick neatly bisected the uprights.

“1 am satisfied — it was a win." said the manager. Mr

;E. L. Todd, after the game in which the All Blacks maintained their unbeaten record in Saturday matches. 1 But it was not a win which (deserved even a one-gun salute, even though there was much to admire in the play : of the forwards. J. D. Matheson and A. M. Haden, and the coolness and determination of Karam.

Counties, who showed no ! talents on attack except for ! some excellent solo efforts by P. G. Nash, the No. 8, and K. Young, the half-back, concentrated on defence and succeeded beyond their wildest dreams Kicks missed Had Old. the England flyhalf, been on target with his kicking — he missed some easy kicks — it might have been another nightmare for the All Blacks. Once, from 20 yards out and in front of the posts, Old slipped over on his back in ; taking the kick and missed. The New Zealand backs, their eyes probably goggling at the surfeit of ball, tried a I variety of moves, but all j came unstuck in the face of | hard tackling by 1. R. McGeechan. the captain, and P. IS. Warfield, who is built like (a tank. On one treasured moment, when everything went right Tor the backs, and B. G. Williams was set for a 50-yard sprint to the line. Karam; pitched the pass at his feet, I Sent to earth So. while Haden and P. J. Whiting regularly got the ball j back to Going from line-outs, ■and while the pack donkey-! I licked Counties in rucks, the' backs were put down on the! seat of their pants and the weary business began all over again.

I. N. Stevens, pestered by the marauding, destructive flanker. T. J. Donovan, made some neat breaks off his right foot to link with the forwards. but although A. R. Sutherland made some progress. the All Blacks were given tittle latitude by their opponents.

If this was not enough, scrum problems reappeared and the All Blacks gave ground several times before Matheson switched to the tight-head side. But the most galling sight was in the last quarter when Sutherland was trying his utmost to burst over the line. Every time he pulled his head out of a scrum, it was like a bung being taken out

<of a boat, and the All Blacks immediately were pushed off the ball. Although R. W. Norton (won two tight-heads to one, I there were eight occasions (in which he hooked the ball i—but Going did not receive I it, such was the inability of I the All Blacks to hold the l shove.

It was a sad game all round, with the light failing badly in the second half and far too much wretched play to suit the crowd of 14,500. What made it sadder were the occasional flare-ups, with the All Blacks throwing the punches and the Counties men holding the jerseys. Batty and his 14st opponent, D. W. Carr, had a set-to early in the piece, then it was Matheson against F. H. McLoughlin in a scrum.

Finally. Sutherland was spoken "to by the French referee, Mr F. Palmade, after he had dealt with the troublesome prop, C. White, who. in jany case, was penalised for a ruck illegality. Haden restored faith in human nature by a vigorous display which could see him challenging H. H. Macdonald for a test place, while Matheson and Norton were always on the ball. Kirkpatrick, not! surprisingly, looked a shadow of his former self. Going played with great assurance and passed well, while Karam continued his pleasing run of form by catching and running splendidly. Stevens took two hard bumps without losing his sense of purpose, but the other backs, try as they might, could make no impression.

In a way, it would probably have been a relief if darkness had fallen over Bradford even earlier.