All Black forwards pave way for 45-3 victory

Press, 28 October 1977, Page 24

All Black forwards pave way for 45-3 victory

By

RON PALENSKI,

NZPA staff correspondent

Brive France was looking at New Zealand rugby with a new respect after the All Blacks’ forceful win over a classy French selection at Brive yesterday morning (N.Z. time).

One poetically-minded French journalist wrote that » black cloud is descending

over France, while another merely said: "Tres formidable.”

The Al! Blacks themselves were elated with their 45-3 win and they had reason to oe. “That’s what we wanted to start off with but we still could have been better,” the captain. Graham Mourie, said. What Mourie meant was that when the All Blacks were more than 30 points up, they missed at least two more scoring chances. But no-one could complain.

As their coach. Mr Jack Gleeson, said, yesterday’s game signaled a return to the all-powerful New Zealand forward play of years gone by. Little more could have been asked of the forwards, and they had behind them the backs to make the best use of the abundance of ball.

The pockets of violence early in the first half were the only bad aspects of the game.

By order of the manager, Mr Ron Don, the All Blacks were not allowed to talk about the fighting and kicking, but one Ail Black said “We didn’t start it, did we?”

The AH Blacks were not blameless, but the answer was non.

The French seemed to go into the game with the intention of telling the New Zealanders: “This is the way we play the game here.” But the All Blacks in the rucks showed the French way the game is played in New Zealand, and the French did not like it

“We don’t want rough stuff in games but psy-

chologically it’s important for us to show from the outset that we will not be dominated,” one player said. There was little chance of the French dominating anything in the game. The All Blacks won the line-outs by a street, their scrum was far superior to that of the French, the rucks were no contest, the loose forwards were quicker and more constructive, and the backs were alert to most opportunities.

One New Zealander remarked that Lawrie Knight — he got three tries — played his best game for New Zealand, but it was difficult afterwards to point to any of the 17 players used in the game and say that they did not do their job. Bill Osborne, who replaced the injured Bevan Wilson — who is out for 10 days — is still not in touch and he is not likely to be included in the side for the Lyons match on Saturday. Apart from the enforced change of putting Bryan Williams at full-back and Stu Wilson on the wing, the only likely changes for the Lyons match are Andy Dalton replacing John Black at hooker and Dick Myers taking over from Lawrie Knight. Gary Knight, who received a rough passage yesterday from the French, is physically all right and will be fit for Sunday. He needed three stitches in a cut above the eye and Osborne also received stitches in a gash behind his ear.

Mark Taylor, the man pushing Osborne for the test second five-eighths spot, showed he was a man of many talents yesterday. He played well generally and also kicked two conversions

and a dropped goal, and scored a try. Mourie, whose play is of its normally high standard and not seemingly affected by the captaincy, was gratified with the win, but was immediately taking steps to stamp out any complacency. He told his players that one hard one was out of the way —but there are seven more to come.

The chairman of the French selectors, Mr Elie Pebeyere, was impressed by the All Blacks. “It’s the best game I’ve ever seen by a team in the first match of its tour,” he said. The All Blacks unleas' lo d power will certainly cause him and his 12 colleagues to think again.

The French selection team was reputed to be the third strongest the All Blacks will meet and although it was by no means a poor side, it was outclassed.

Everything the All Blacks did was done with a purpose. The pressure that the forwards exerted in the set play was kept up by the loose forwards and by the backs, so that the French never had any respite.

Several times the All Blacks’ scrum—a far different animal to the disorganised pack in Italyrolled the Frenchmen back and in the line-outs, the four iumpers. Andy Haden, Gary Seear, Lawrie Knight and Frank Oliver, gave the backs all the ball they wanted. Some of the All Blacks tries were gems. Bruce’s was all his own work. He got good ruck balls and cleverly chipped for Brian Ford, who gathered the ball but was blocked. He passed back to Bruce, who then sidestepped over the line.

Mourie’s try showed that forwards, too, can sidestep. Bruce Robertson broke clear after a foul-up in the French back line and passed to the speeding Mourie 15 metres out. He has to beat two men and he did it with all the flair of Robertson himself. The style of the All Black win was reflected in the scoring list. Lawrie Knight got three tries, and Graham Mourie and Seear got one each.

Doug Bruce had the distinction of becoming the first New Zealander to kick a dropped goal from a free kick. He also added a try and the others were scored by Mark Taylor and Bill Osborne. Bevan Wilson went off after 26 minutes with a thigh injury and the goal-kicking was taken over by Bryan Williams, who kicked one penalty from four attempts, and Taylor, who kicked two conversions and also a dropped goal. During Williams’ bad patch, Bruce even attempted to drop-kick a conversion.