'Pre-arranged violence’ worries All Blacks

Press, 7 September 1976, Page 40

'Pre-arranged violence’ worries All Blacks

From PAUL CAVANAGH. NZPA staff correspondent Upington No-one is saying it publicly, but there is general dismay in the AH Blacks' camp at the violence practised by the Springboks — Moaner van Heerden and Johan Strauss in particular — in the third test on Sunday morning.

And the brand oL violence in question was I not the traditional “sorting out” and exerting of] authority that is part of all tests, but the indis-! criminate use of l>oot and sprig that can cause; lasting injury. The All Black coach (Mr J. J. Stewart) is known to have been particular!} upset at the assaults, which has probably finned his belief; that no more international! teams should visit South 1 Africa r n the present climate. Added weight is given to: the theory that the violence of the Springboks was ai pre-arranged tactic by an interview with the presidenti of the South African Rugby; Board (Dr Danie Craven),; which appeared a few hours; •fte- the test. The interview with a Sun-] dav newspaper was made in the week prior to the test! and in it Dr Craven gave his! approval to on-field violence. “South Africa today is a'

’ scared nation." he said. “We: . are always on the defen-l "sive, instead of going into! “the attack. If we are con-1 •vtnced of something that wej ‘(know to be correct then we must go ahead and do it and; ! not make opologies.” Dr Craven said if a player ' was knocked down in a test! . match, other Springboks] :must not stand around and; ■lleak on. i “Every player must be' ! allowed to do justice to his! liabilities. If he is prevented! ' from doing that by unfair 11means and the referee does I'not help him, he and his I • team-mates must take a hand. > “We have become too: ■ soft, scared and withdrawn."; 11 Dr Craven said. i That. then, could be the spirit and attitude the All ■ Blackswill be looking for at! .(Upmgton today, at Bloem-; ;’fontein on Saturday and at; I Kimberley next Tuesday be-; ■]fore the fourth test team is; i named. If there are going to be; J changes in the test side,; players should be accom-i modated who do not “stand

; I by and watch” like Kerry: •iTanner, Frank Oliver and 11 Kevin Eveleigh. ■I It might mean a few un-i 11 pleasantries in the fourth •/test. But at last this time I!they might come from both ‘sides. And Dr Danie Craven “might have to eat his words, tl As independent voice as ijthat of the Welsh rugby 1; coach. Mr Carwyn James, has been raised in conddemnation of the refereeing J of the Third Test, wr s T. I IP. McLean from Unington. “ Mr James believes the > Transvaal referee. Mr Gert; i Bezuidenhout, was at fault] i in three particulars. He allowed the new iron 1 > man of the Springbok 1 ' scrum J. Strauss, to col-; ! lapse the scrum more or less; tat will, bending the All: II Blacks’ new man, Perry : Harris to ground. ; Secondly Mr Bezuidenhout permitted Strauss and the I other Springbok prop, “Rampie Standee, to lift the j huge Transvaal lock, Kevin side Klerk at many lineouts. ,jan illegality which the All •| Blacks still regaled by winI ning this contest by 16 to 9;

; — a reliable South African ] count — or 13 to 8 — a (New Zealand count. i- “Third point,” said Mr i James, “was that Piston van Wyk. the Springboks’ hooker, was allowed to scrape for pretty nearly every ball whether m his own or the All Blacks’ head. “This early striking before the ball had been put into the scrum was allowed to ; occur most of the time and it was as gross an illegality as the other two failings. I considered Mr Bezuidenhout ; was deficient because he ; didn’t exercise strict enough '.'control. ; “A referee in an interi national has got to be on itop all of the time. But Mr j Bezuidenhout wasn’t, hence (those unU. lunate flare-ups Which marred the game.” Mr James considered the New Zealand team had far more talent than the Springboks and that on merit, it ought to have won. “After the game I talked with Bryan Williams. ■He told me he hadn’t even got a sweat up. I’m ,not surprised. He was given no work to do. ■'Had the All Blacks’ tactics been better applied they could have caused the Springbok forwards to surrender before the end of the game. Instead they were still ! going strong at the final 'whistle.”

One question raised by Strauss’s illegal actions concerned Harris’s failure to take appropriate action when it became evident Mr Bezuidenhout was not interested. “1 daren't clip him,” Harris said. “They were in our half most of the time and if I’d taken action, pen-: alties could have been costly.” Perhaps the most famous of all wing forwards. Mr Hennie Muller, has made a memorable comment about the third test. Mr Muller, famous as the "Greyhound of the Veldt.” is reckoned to have destroyed the 1949 All Blacks in their test series with the Springboks by the speed of his running and the superiority of his tackling. Reminiscing about Saturday’s test, Mr Muller made one devastating remark. “We didn’t,” he said, “kick men in my day.”