All Blacks strike back with dramatic 15-9 win

Press, 16 August 1976, Page 28

All Blacks strike back with dramatic 15-9 win

From T. P. McLEAN ' Bloemfontein Seldom in the history of international rugby has there been played such a dramatic, exhausting and enthralling match as that at the Free State Stadium on Saturday in which New Zealand won its second test with South Africa, 15-9.

The Ail Blacks established an early lead, improved it, all but relinquished it. and then, with a snappy dropped goal by Doug Bruce, were so much encouraged that they dominated the last 10 minutes of play. The All Blacks’ herculean performance was enhanced and glorified by the unquestioned fact that several of the team were most decidedly not fully fit. For example, Grant Batty, who had to leave the field 13 minutes into the second half and be replaced by Bill Osborn , looked at those few times when play came his way as if he should not have been there at all. For another example, Peter Whiting got up after three knocks with his hand expressively placed on his rib injury and looking as if he ought to be rushed to a medical aid centre. Yet it was Whiting who, with an incredible tackle of Boland Coetzee, saved a try which might have drawn the game, and it was Whiting who rose up here and there to deny the Springboks’ star catchers their share of lineout ball. Whiting had at least 14 competitors for the title of “Man of the Match,” and by a curious coincidence all of these chaps wore black uniforms. But it was he who seemed to epitomise that wonderful spirit of absolute courage which was the basis of the All Blacks’ victory. The courage was expressed bv such as -Sid Going, whose probing kicks early in the game so much encouraged the All Black forwards but who himself was much involved in the blasts of war fired by the Springbok pack.

It was expressed, too, by that dandy old hand, Joe Morgan, who before halftime jinked and swerved and left standing the Springbok full-back, Dawie Snyman, while speeding in for a sensational try. Yet deep down in the bowels of the game, players such as Hamish MacDonald, Tane Norton, Bill Bush and Brad Johnstone hewed away I unseen and unsung, yet of true heroic quality. Out in the open, Kevin Eveleigh made his first international, but not surely his last, memorable by his incessant speed and ferocious tackling. lan Kirkpatrick was tigerish too, not the least in so sharpening his blindside defence that Paul Bayvel, behind the Springbok scrum. was nabbed whenever he tried to probe the defence on his own. Under the brilliant leadership of Andy Leslie, the backs made their mark on the game by tackling with all the power of American grid-iron footballers. Going wrapped up Bayvel —and the South African captain, Du Plessis—at heels towards the end of the game, Bruce neatly and deftly carried out his duties, Morgan and Bruce Robertson in mid-field, and later Osborne when he came on, smashed at every Springbok back attack. Williams, with one huge leaping tackle, so shattered lan Robertson that the pass by which the latter intended to put South Africa’s finest player, the left wing, Germishuys, in for a try, carried on far beyond his support into no man’s land. It would be gilding the lily to suggest that Kit Fawcett’s I first appearance in really big ’ time rugby qualified him for ■ any special award of merit. Those punts off his left foot which soared upfield instead of into touch sorely strained the All Blacks’ defence.

But the youngster could not be faulted on grounds of composure and in some great moments, especially one fine catch of a high kick in his goalmouth, he showed genuine international promise. The Springboks lost theii lineout star, John Williams, from an accidentally smashed nose, but his replacement, Kevin de Klerk, may have been an even greater nuisance. Mr Gert Bezuidenhout, who obviously puzzled some All Blacks with some rulings, was oblivious to nefarious “lifting” of de Klerk at the lineout but for all the advantage this represented for the Springboks, they were still beaten 18-16 in the lineouts — an amazing achievement. Going set the All Blacks off with a couple of beautiful punts into “the box” before in the fourth minute, kicking a 24-yard penalty. Bosch, a great goalkicker but not yet a great flyhalf, equalled with a 42-yard penalty in the nineteenth minute. Away went the All Blacks again with a penalty by Going from 30 yards in the twenty-seventh minute and then in the thirty-third minute Morgan’s great try, which Going easily goaled. Despite a lift of de Klerk, the All Blacks were penalised at the lineout later /nd from 26 yards Bosch goaled to make the half-time score 126 to New Zealand. It became a hairy, scary 12-9 when Bosch goaled from 56 yards in the eighth minute of the second half and for about 10 or 15 minutes the Springboks took charge. But then Bruce knocked over his dropped goal. The score was then 15-9 and as the game wound agonisingly on, spectators : were kept on the edges of ■ their seats. Finally Whiting marked, kicked the ball straight into touch and Mr Bezuidenhout blew the most welcome sound of the entire day — full-time.