Watkins unfair in criticisms

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33883, 1 July 1975, Page 38

Watkins unfair in criticisms

(By

JOHN COFFEY)

The Welsh Rugby league captain. Dai id Watkins, severely dented his own reputation as an accomplished footballer and sportsman when he unjustly criticised the Australian referee, Mr L. E. Bruyeres. after Wales was beaten. 13-8, by New Zealand at Auckland on Saturday.

The on-field conduct of the Welsh tourists provided the only sour note during the NewZealand section of the first international championship series. The tests with France at Christchurch and England at! Auckland on the preceding! week-ends contained none off the illegal tactics used by! Wales in its too-professional [ style of tackling. If anything, the French were too tame,! while the English learned! quickly to respect the ability! of Mr Bruyeres to spot and penalise any such actions. There were unsavoury, incidents‘in the three Welsh! fixtures leading up to the I clash with the Kiwis, by far! the worst of them being the) injuries sustained by two young forwards, John Pattinson (West Coast) and Mark Broadhurst (Canterbury), when they were felled from behind — and without the ball — by the massive Welsh prop, Jim Mills. Welsh officials cautioned! Mills from repeating deeds of this nature in Auckland. But it would seem the message was not relayed to the other Welsh forwards, ’ and even! some of the backs — most glaringly David Treasure and Watkins — resorted to using forearms or knees when tackling opponents. Watkins did not explain what aspects of Mr Bruyeres’s rulings had caused him to speak out. None of the New Zealanders emulated the defensive measures of the Welshmen, and had they! retaliated in kind some very[ ugly scenes might have ; eventuated. EYE CUTS Two of the Kiwi front-row forwards, Lyndsay Proctor and Tom Conroy, finished the match with cuts above their eyes, as did the Welsh hooker, ’ Tony Fisher. The rugged Fisher — who has a six-match suspension still to; be served when the British l season begins — was prom-; inent in most of thei unsavoury moments. The one blatant action' I used by any of the Kiwis was f the high tackle delivered by! [Murray Eade, the loose-! ! forward, when the Welsh full;back. Bill Francis, was run-; [ning the ball out from a kick-off. Eade was sent from [the field; he perhaps still! i lacks experience in the more! j subtle — yet just as harmful! ! — ways of his overseas'

I opponents. Treasure used his knee on Warren Collicoat in full view' of a line umpire and then punched Collicoat when the Kiwi full-back attempted to push him away so that he

rcould play the ball. Clive 1 Sullivan and Kel Coslett had previously given away kickable penalties for late (tackles, but neither Mr Bruyeres nor the line umpires spotted Colin Dixon (lower Bob Jarvis after I another New Zealander had 'punted the ball upfield. • Mr Bruyeres has been ■extremely impressive in his three appearances in New (Zealand, and the matches have been all the better for (his clear and strict interpretations. If he made any 'errors, it was in allowing [(New Zealand and England [tries after the opposing full (backs had been shouldered from under high kicks. But ■ even then he was consistent I in his rulings and there were ‘no complaints from either I camp. .[ The policy of using neutral , referees in the international series is excellent, if somewhat expensive. New Zealand officials should have benefited from watching and [ talking with Mr Bruyeres, and it would be unfortunate if Watkins’s remarks should [tend to devalue the contribu--1 tion that he made to the New ; Zealand portion of the itinerary. GAME THREAT ■I The Press Association re- ■ ported from Auckland yesterl day that the Auckland ! Rugby League chairman (Mr George Rainey) came close to asking his control board i to cancel tonight’s match be--1 tween Auckland and Wales 1 because of the conduct of the ’ Welsh in the test. ■ But he accepted an assurance from the Welsh mankager (Mr Ron Simpson), “which came via the New Zealand president (Mr Ron Mc[Gregor), that there would be [no repetition of Saturday’s , rugged play. • If there was, the board i would demand that action be • taken by the New Zealand , Rugby League against the . Welsh. [ If there were problems , they would suggest that /Wales forfeit its 50 per cent .[of the gate, that considera- . tion be given not to include [Wales in future international /matches, that a heavy good J behaviour bond be placed on ,|it, or ask that Auckland not .be included in future [itineraries for the Welsh, Mr [Rainey said. [ “While tough and rugged [play is accepted in tests, we expect teams to maintain a .standard of sportsmanship. (We don’t expect late-tackles, [punching, and fighting.”

I Cycling.—Karel Rottiera ,Bel- , glum) burst ahead of the pack i with a half mile to go in the I I third stage of the Tour de »' France cycle race and then held . off a closing sprint "by five other .cyclists to capture his first stage. Francisco Moser leads over all