All Blacks bitter about lineout ploy

Press, 23 August 1976, Page 4

All Blacks bitter about lineout ploy

From

T. P. McLEAN

Pretoria A bitterness hitherto foreign to the tour affected the rugby match vesterday morning in which the All Blacks were beaten by Northern Transvaal, 27-29, for the third loss of their tour.

The bitterness entered the game partly through the refereeing of Mr Piet Robbertse, partly through an act of gamesmanship by the Northern Transvaal captain, Thys Lourens, which produced a penalty from which the winning goal was kicked, and partly through the vicious reaction of the crowd to the Maori prop, Bill Bush. Many of the All Blacks were upset by the penalty awarded to Northern Transvaal in the dying moments of the game. The All Blacks conceded a lineout 45 yards from their goal-line. To their amazement and distress, the ball had no sooner been thrown in than Mr Robbertse declared that the New Zealanders, through their last man, Ken Stewart, had breached the 10yd law. He therefore awarded a penalty 45 yards from the goal, and when this was converted by Joos le Roux the match ended.

It was obvious from the reactions of many All Blacks that they were dissatisfied not only with this ruling but also with Mr Robbertse’s conduct of the game. There are several versions of the gamesmanship. Lourens told a representative of the South African Press Association that as the lineout was being moved he said to Mr Robbertse: “Oom Piet, I am dropping out of the line. It will be a short lineout. Watch it.”

“Oom" is Afrikaans for “uncle.” It is a word conveying affection and respect. Mr Robbertse said: “From a discussion in Afrikaans I knew Northern Transvaal had a plan at the lineout. “As the ball was thrown in I observed that Stewart was standing about three yards beyond the last man of the Northern line. And as Northerns, had the throw-in I had no option but to declare this to be a breach of the 10yd rule.”

The All Black captain, Andy Leslie, reacted to the penalty which cost the game by saying: “It was a quick throw-in, and neither side had formed a proper line. Northern men were still arriving or leaving as were we. “Therefore, as soon as the ball had been thrown in it was impossible for anyone, including Mr Robbertse, to say that one of our men was

not in the full lineout." The All Blacks were bitterly critical of Mr Robbertse for his refusal of a try to Bryan Williams and for his award of two tries to Northern Transvaal when these movements contained obvious forward passes. Mr Robbertse is no longer a spritely sprinter and at these important times he was to be seen at least 30 yards to the rear of the ball carrier. At the after-match function the Northern captain thanked Mr Robbertse for the “pleasure of the day.” Several of the All Blacks and their coach (Mr J. J. Stewart) left the dinner after the first speech and joined New Zealand supporters in one of the bars of the team’s hotel. “You’ve never heard so much bull . . . in all your life,” one of the All Blacks remarked as he came storming into the bar.

Early stories of the tout about Bill Bush as the “mea nie” no South African forward could control were revised previous to yesterday'r match in Afrikaans newspapers when Mr Robbense penalised Bush for hooking the ball with his head and made appropriate gestures, There was a violent outcry when Bush was penalised again and Mr Robbertse gestured with his foot to convey that the All Black had pul the boot in. The extent of the pressure which has been imposed on Bush during the tour perhaps has not been appreciated However, his reactions when he was booed on making a sign to the crowd was unfortunate. It provoked one spectator into angrily throwing an orange at him. Two policemen immediately vaulted a fence and, at sensational speed, moved in to arrest the man.