HEADING FOR N.Z. All Blacks basis of good side, says Dr Craven

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33533, 14 May 1974, Page 24

HEADING FOR N.Z. All Blacks basis of good side, says Dr Craven

(From

RON PALENSKI,

N.Z.P.A. staff correspondent)

SYDNEY.

The 1974 All Blacks had the makings of a good team but there was still room for improvement, the president of the South African Rugby Board (Dr D. H. Craven) said in Sydney yesterday.

Dr Craven, who is in Sydney for the International Rugby Board meeting this week and watched the All Blacks play Sydney on Sunday, said that New Zealand did not make enough good use of the ample possession they had.

“But John Stewart is a very capable coach,” Dr Craven said. “He’ll bring the best out of his players.”

Dr Craven said that Sydney was not strong enough in the forwards to dominate the All Blacks and that also could be the case in the tests.

He said he was surprised when he first heard the All Black team but would not comment because he did not ' know what the selectors’ policy was. “The impression I get is that New Zealand is going through a process of rebuilding,” Dr Craven said, “perhaps with the 1976 tour of South Africa in mind.” Prediction Dr Craven said he thinks the All Blacks should win the tests in Australia, but is not so sure about the outcome of the other major Rugby series this year—between the Springboks and the Lions. “We’ll give them a go,” Dr Craven said, “but our players have not had the chance to develop to the same extent. “Rungs on the ladder must head for the top. and without rungs you cannot get there,” he said. “For South African Rugby, some of those rungs have been missing in recent years.”

“We have ad no chance in the last few years to build the nucleus of a strong experienced side,” Dr Craven said, “while the Lions have plenty of experience—especially in the forwards.” But Springboks always had the ability to rise to the occasion, he said. Merit selection He also said that the South African Rugby Board’s request to the South African Government for merit selection of Springbok teams still stood, but that it had made no recent approaches to the Government. “It is too soon after the election,” he said, “and Dr Koomhof (the Minister of Sport) has made no recent statements about merit selection for the same reason.” The 1.R.8. meeting begins >n Thursday, but the board’s -üb-committees are meeting luring the week. The first to meet was the law, committee, chaired by Mr C. A.

Blazey, of New Zealand, yesterday morning.

The members of the 1.R.8. will go to Dubbb tomorrow for the All Blacks’ match against New South Wales Country and will also be at the centenary game in Sydney on Saturday against New South Wales. N.Z. visit On Sunday, Dr Craven will fly to New Zealand for what he described as “purely a social, unofficial visit. “I’m going to Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin to meet friends,” he said. Dr Craven will return to

Australia to see the first test against the All Blacks on May 25 and he will go back to South Africa in time to see the Lions play Western Province in Cape Town on June 10.

Five All Blacks had physiotherapy in Dubbo yesterday, but only one of them, the prop, W. K. Bush, was a cause for concern to the team management. Bush injured a hamstring against Sydney and is not expected to play for about a week.

The Country team came direct to Dubbo from Brisbane, where it beat Queensland, 21-0, on Saturday.

It is Show Week in Dubbo (19,300), and adding further New Zealand flavour to the big week was the fact that a New Zealand under-16 soccer team played a Western Districts XI last night. New Zealand won, 5-0 (N. Reid three, P. Bennie G. Stephenson penalty).