Lions scrape 16-12 win

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33580, 8 July 1974, Page 24

Lions scrape 16-12 win

.V Z P A -Reuter—Copyright PRETORIA. Ihe British Lions made heavx weather of its match against the Currie Cup champion. Northern Transvaal, on Saturday, but they scraped home, 16-12, and retained an unbeaten tomrecord.

It was a hard game marred by a flare-up of fighting at the end of the first half and some dubious tackling in the second.

The Lions were not impressive, and a minute before full-time held only a slender. 13-12. lead. At that stage the northern full-back, C. Luther, had the chance to break the tourists winning streak with a penalty kick from 45 yards. But he missed, and in injury time, the Lions wing, A. Irvine, put the issue beyond doubt with a penalty goal. Costly weaknesses Playing on the firm grass of Loftus Versfeld — where the Lions won the second test 28-9 — Northern Transvaal matched the British side in all phases, and only its! weaknesses at half-back and[ full-back cost it the match. The match was a tight for-!

ward battle throughout and neither team was allowed to strike with its backs I MeLauchlan and F. E. Cotton gave the Springbok, N. Bezuidenhout, and H Weber a tough time in the front row, and the Lions hooker, R. W. Windsor, took three important tightheads as a result. The heavy-weight Northern Transvaal pack, with M. van Heerden. T. l.ourens, G. Eloff and J. Williams prominent, played good combination Rugby, but the Lions frequently were able to break through after line-outs. Finally, it was again the scrum-half, G. O. Edwards, who swung the issue in thej Lions favour after the home side bad equalised at 9-9 through a penalty by Luther. Edwards broke round the blind side, ran strongly and[ sent A. Neary in at the cor-l ner. Although Luther kicked another penalty to close the gap to 12-13, and Northern Transvaal kept on the attack, the Lions clinched victory when the referee awarded them a penalty in injury time after the centre, R. A. Milliken, was flattened by a stiffarm tackle. Milliken was taken to hospital with suspected concussion. Irvine, who had missed four of five previous attempts at goal, kicked this one between the posts. It was the Lions sixteenth game of their tour without defeat.

For the Lions, T. M. Davies! and Neary scored tries, and Irvine converted one and kicked two penalties. All of Northern Transvaal’s points came from four penalties by Luther.