Kickers off target

Press, 15 June 1977, Page 38

Kickers off target

For once the Lions could not save themselves from defeat by superior goal-kicking. There was just one try apiece, but with Rollerson kicking three penalty goals .(from six attempts) and a.conversion and Heffernan kick-

l ing the two penalties he • attempted, Universities’ kick- . ing advantage was in accord ' with its play. 1 Morgan converted his ; side’s try and kicked one ■ penalty from four attempts. Rollerson opened the scor- - ing when he kicked his first penalty in the second minute, but it was only a minute later that Morgan matched his kick of about 35 metres. Heffernan landed a 40metre penalty in the fifteenth minute and Rollerson ex- ■ tended Universities’ lead to ■ 9-3 with a simple kick in the I twenty-first minute. This was ■ just after Russell Hawkins went over the line for Uni- , versifies only for the Lions to , be saved by a penalty. : Universities paid for its I only bad mistake of the game ! when it allowed Neary to pick : up the ball hooked by the ■ students from a scrum and ; Gordon Brown, with a nicely- ! timed pass, put Quinnell over ■ in the corner. Morgan judged the float of the ball beautiI fully to add the conversion. However, Universities was ■ back in front two minutes > later when Rollerson kicked another handy penalty and

he had the misfortune to strike the upright with a longer attempt a few minutes later. In the fifty-second minute Morgan attempted a long penalty and it was close enough to make one of the touch-judges (Mr S. C. Miller) half raise his flag. He dropped it down when the other adjudicator (Mr A. R. Taylor), who was in a better position, ruled the ball under the bar. Nevertheless, some of the Lions thought the kick had gone over. In the fifty-fifth minute, Rollerson hit the upright again with another easy penalty, but it was this “poster” that led to Universities’ try. A scrum was followed by a ruck, which Garry Brown hit with bulldozer ferocity, and the ball went from Romans to Syms to Macfle for the latter to plunge through a disorganised defence and score. Rollerson added the conversion and Heffernan put the last nail in the Lions’ coffin when he kicked a tremendous 50-metre penalty in the sixty-eighth minute.