Juniors beat Japan at own game

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33538, 20 May 1974, Page 22

Juniors beat Japan at own game

(N.Z. Press Association/

AUCKLAND.

The New Zealand Juniors produced their own style of runningpassing Rugby and beat All Japan, 55-31, at Eden Park yesterday.

The Japanese had no answer to the combination of the Junior forwards and backs who, between them, scored 10 tries.

If this was the new-look New Zealand Rugby at international level, then the big crowd that was at Eden Park will be looking for more.

RUCKS DOMINATED

That the smaller Japanese were able to slow down the line-out play with the shortened line was more than compensated by the Juniors dominating the rucks, 15-5. The big locks, B. Bartie (Waikato) and M. McCool (Hawke’s Bay), put the heave into the rucks, and the loose men, G. Seear (Otago), D.

Neal (Marlborough), and G. Mourie (Wellington), set up the second-phase play. There was an abundance of good ball for the backs. And it was here that the two Manawatu five-eighths, J. Carroll and D. Rollerson, used their heads. Apart from the occasional clever change in direction of play, they were content to feed the three-quarters.

TWO TRIES EACH

And with the pace of P. Gilbert (Bay of Plenty), S. Marfell (Marlborough) and H. Blair (Manawatu) in the three-quarters, the tries had to follow. The outcome was that all three scored two apiece.

The Juniors’ other tries came from P. Duncan. Seear, Neal and B. Cedewall, who also kicked six -conversions and a penalty.

The Japanese never gave up. What they lacked in size they made up for in enthusiasm. With an ounce or two more luck the Japanese score might have been higher.

Japan’s points came from tries by Y. Murata, M. Fujiwara (2). K. Aruga and S. Mori. N. Ueyama kicked four conversions and a penalty.