Itinerary an ‘insult’

Press, 24 February 1978, Page 20

Itinerary an ‘insult’

NZPA London The itinerary for the All Blacks’ tour of Britain this year has been slammed as insulting to Irish rugby. Rugby journalist Sean Diffley wrote in the Dublin morning newspaper the “Irish Independent,” that Irish rugby supporters were "quite upset” at the decision to give Ireland only three of the All Blacks’ 18 games. There was criticism in Scotland, too. The Scots get only two tour matches, com pared with England’s seven and six for Wales. Diffley said that the Leinster provincial side, which includes Dublin, should have got a match but instead “it gets the sop of a match against the Argentine, which can’t compare.” The anger of the Irish was

understandable “when we see that the All Biacks will play Cambridge Univers-tv, a complete mismatch and an anachronism. “Irish rugby is the poor relation in Britain at a time when it needs all the help ; t can get.” The secretary of the Four Home Unions Tours Committee (John Lawrence) said that proportional allocation of games for Ireland was the same as for previous tours. Scotland got, a game less than its normal allocation in proportion but this was because the All Blacks would be making a tour of just England and Scotland in the following season. Scotland’s main newspaper the “Scotsman,” noted this but added, “But that has not stopped England from being given seven matches.”

The All Blacks’ only nontest opponents in Scotland will be North and Midlands, generally regarded as the poorest rugby area of the country. Scotland’s veteran prop, lan McLauchlin, nearly aged 36, said that he hoped to be confronting the All Blacks again.

McLauchlan, a former Scotland captain, was dropped by the Scottish selectors last year but made it back ' for the final match against Wales and has been retained this seasonMcLauchlan and fellow Scots Andy Irvine and lan McGeechan will al! go to New Zealand next month for; the Dunedin Zingari-Rich-mond club’s centenary matches.