Lamentable kicking by All Blacks in 21—15 win

Press, 22 July 1976, Page 30

Lamentable kicking by All Blacks in 21—15 win

From T. P. McLEAN

Port Elizabeth

The All Blacks heat the Gazelles, the equivalent of a Junior Springboks. 21-15. at Boet Erasmus Stadium yesterday—but they must be the worst goal-kicking team New Zealand has fielded for manv years.

Criticism of the All Blacks’ play could not lie restricted to goalkicking. lamentable though it was to see Bryan Williams and Kit Fawcett failing with all kinds of free kicks from within 40 yards.

Duncan Robertson, especially in the first half, was seriously at fault in his choice and style of tactical kicks, most of which went straight to Louw. the Gazelles’ talented full-back, who boomed back huge touch-finders over the heads of the All Black forwards.

Nor were tactical kicks by Lvn Davis and Fawcett anymore successful. The All Blacks in the first half, defending the east end of the ground, faced a blinding sun, but even this could pot excuse the lamentable in-

accuracy of kicks. Fortunate though the All . Blacks were to win — with tries by Laurie Knight. I Williams and Jw Morgan. I each of which was converted: bv Fawcett, and a penalty' goal by Williams, to a trv by I Pypers and three penalty goals and a conversion by de | Wet Ras—thev surely would ■ not have had to struggle quite so much, and come from 9-15 behind had they ft riven more consistently to move the ball into the threeituarters. The so-called tactical kicks den : ed Osborne, in particular, of ampler opportunities to use his skill in evading tacklers. Nor could one fail to ap- i preciate the merit of Fawcett’s counter-attack when b- got the chance. He would be more dangerous if he had genuine pace, but while he appears to be merely cruising, he showed yesterday admirable ability to move into the clear from would-be tacklers.

What the All Blacks would have suffered but for the quality of their forward effort in driving and scrummaging, one hesitates to imagine. They were beaten in the lineouts bv 18 to 15. Neither Brad Johnstone at No. 2 nor Peter Whiting at No. 5 could

overcome two excellent young p.avers in van Rensburg and Bekker. This was disquieting for the team with ‘the first test so close at \ hand.

| For all his w-histling of 31 j penalties. 15 of which went ito the Gazelles, the referee, Mr Max Baise. too often I neglected to penalise obstructive play at the line-out; but jit is always a case of carryling coals to Newcastle when 'New Zealanders complain of line-out obstruction. Hence, their defensive failings, the (worst of which yielded j Pypers’ try, could not posjsloly be attributed to want of experience. j A special concern was the (defensive weakness at the i short end of the line-out, for which Tane Norton, Johnstone. and Hamish MacIdonald all shared responsibility. Further out in the (line, there were also gaps. ’ There was also evidence (that Whiting is as yet well short of his true form. One exnl'nation is obvi y

(want of play. Another is con(fidence. He has been so much ‘harassed in this last week or two by questioners about the condition of his back, and in the South African sporting (sphere this is so obviously a ‘topic of keenest interest that it would be remarkable indeed if he did not feel “brassed off” ’ oth with himself and with others.

One great heartening feature of the All Blacks’ effort however, was the strength of the pack. Much though they were entitled to complain thev had been rohhed. the Gazelles plainly were suffering in the last quarter from the effects of this All Black power.

Kent Lambert, Knight, and Kevin Evel e i g h were especially effective in its application, though the sturdy efforts of Macdonald. Whiting. and Sutherland were a most valuable contribution. It was too bad this superior quality was not improved by more smart back-line moves of the sort which twice put Mitchell clear, the secon 1 time with the goal-line only a few yards away. These were fine efforts.

Mitchell's ill luck persisted. He is showing a tendency fatal to scoring chances of checking his pace to move inside his tackler—but South African backs don't buy this. Their killing tackles are severe, and consistent. Davis had a hard and busy time behind the pack,

especially at the line-out. Robertson cleverly put Williams in for a try which tied the match, but his judgment was anything but faultless in his tactical kicking, and in the drop-kick by which he tried to win the match very late and from which, by ; sheerest accident, Morgan scored when the ball’s crazy bounce evaded Louw close to the dead ball line.

Morgan’s dependability was especially valuable in cover-defence. Osborne keeps coming along. Williams always remembers Boet Erasmus kindly because on this field he scored his greatest AH Black try—but it must be said that he was faster then.

Fawcett may have missed kicks at goal, but he compensated by playing coolly in the moments of extreme tension which developed late in the match. The crash course of education he has been put to since the start of the tour seems to be paying divid-.ids.