Daring step by All Blacks

Press, 22 July 1976, Page 6

Daring step by All Blacks

From T. P. McLean Durban The All Blacks will take the daring step of playing their No. 1 first fiveeighths, D. J. Robertson, at full-back for the first test against the Springboks at Durbat. on Saturday. O. D. Bruce, the secondstring five-eighths, will take D. J. Robertson’s place and will be making his first test appearance. The team is: full-back, D. J. Robertson; threequarters, B. G. Williams, B. J. Robertson, G. B. Batty; five-eights, L. J. Jaffray, O. D. Bruce; half-back, S. M. Going: back row, A. R. Leslie; middle row, I. A. Kirkpatrick, H. H. Macdonald, P. J. Whiting, K. W. Stewart; front row, K, J. Tanner, R. W. Norton, K. K. Lambert.

Medical reports over the next 48 hours will tell whether Going will be fit enough for the test. He has been having intensive treatment on the hamstring tear he suffered in the match against Western Province last Saturday, and from appearances the injury is responding well. The daring experiment of playing D. J. Robertson at full-back shows the concern at the standard of play of the two full-backs, L. W. Mains, and C. L. Fawcett. One factor in Robertson’s favour is that he has had some experience at fullback. Others are that he is an excellent kicker and a fine tackler and has a good sense of positional play.

It is believed that consideration was given to playing Williams as fullback, moving B. J. Robertson to the wing and bringing in W. Osborne as centre—it was noticable that Robertson was throwing into some line-outs.