Fine all-round display given by All Blacks

Press, 20 November 1978, Page 42

Fine all-round display given by All Blacks

Front

KEVIN McMENAMIN.

on tour with the All Blacks

The All Blacks gave the best all-round display of their tour to beat Midland Counties, 20-15, at Leicester yesterday morning (N.Z. time). It was not until the end of the third quarter that they took the lead, but there was never much doubt that they would win.

Some superb scrummaging imd a decisive advantage in line-out possession — the tinal count was 23-10 — was the basis for the victory. The forwards exhibited boundless energy in ali their endeavours and the backs, apart from the occasional fumbled pass, were just as proficient. The All Blacks scored three tries to none, thus taking to five games the span since they last conceded a try. There were a couple of near misses, one especially in the last few minutes, but generally the tackling was first-rate and the coverdefence exceptional. Richard Wilson, who came into the team just before the game when it was found that Brian McKechnie needed more time to get over his Injured toe, the nail having come loose, was tested with a high kick in the first minute, but he was not fount wanting and generally played as well as might be expected of a man who had had such a hectic week. Wilson contributed a dropped goal, a penalty and a conversion to the All Blacks’ total, but his most noticeable worth was the speed he showed in getting into the back-line, a benefit the side has been badly lacking. The All Blacks also owed a lot to the inside backs, Mark Donaldson and Doug Bruce. Donaldson, who seemed unaffected by his foot injury, made a few mistakes early on, but later he fired out some lovely passes — his best, in fact, of the tour — and he was as agile ns ever in breaking from tcrums and rucks. Bruce was the Bruce ol old. His adhesive fingers picked up any difficult passes and his placements of the high kick were a constant concern for the home Side.

Bryan Williams had a few problems with his handling, but he involved himself deeply in the game and in (addition to scoring a try, he . had a part in another and saved one when he came from the opposite wing to force a drop-out. And}’ Haden was the master of the line-out. He completely overshadowed the test prospect, Nigel I Horton, and on the shorter :i throws Frank Oliver usually got the first hand to the I ball. All the forwards played I well, with Gary Knight and Oliver excelling in the hard graft.

The only blot on the pack’s copybook was the conceding of four tightheads. They were more the results of Peter Wheeler’s ' lightning strikes than any Tailings in the All Blacks’ scrummaging. The last of , the four ignited the move that very nearly brought . Counties their late try. Counties also contributed ito a pleasing game. They were prepared to run the ■'ball from defensive positions /and the movement that .[ ended in Williams’ try-sav-'[ing touchdown was a fine ■j piece of flowing rugby, the i left wing, Paul Knee, filling I the starring role.

Counties had an excellent full-back in Dusty Hare, who probably did enough to win back his England test place. He dropped one high ball when he cast a quick glance at the All Blacks coming towards him, but at all other times he was safe and with four penalty goals — one a huge kick of 60m — and a dropped goal he supplied all Counties’ points. The play ran badly for New Zealand in the first quarter. Hare kicked his first penalty in the opening minute and 7min later he landed his dropped goal after turning his back on the opposition to tap-kick an indirect penalty. The All Blacks got on the board in the eleventh minute when Williams scored his try. It might be termed a lucky try for it followed two wayward kicks at goal, the first a penalty attempt by Wilson and the second a drop by Bruce. Bruce’s kick floated across the front of the posts, with Williams sprinting hard to be first to the rolling ball over the line. Hare put Counties ahead, 9-4, when he kicked his 60m penalty in the twenty-ninth minute and it was about this time that dropped and bad [passes were preventing the ; All Blacks from fruitfully ! using their wealth of possession. A dropped pass by Williams probably cost New Zealand a try 3min before half-time, but the mistake became less important when just on the interval Wilson kicked his dropped goal from about 30m after an indirect penalty. A powerful shove, on a I Counties scrum put-in, earned New Zealand a penalty 3min after half-time and Wilson, from 22m, had no trouble bisecting the posts. In the eighteenth minute ■ of the spell the All Blacks

took the lead. Donaldson first broke on the open side and passed inside to John Fleming and then, when the ball was returned to him, Donaldson switched direction, passed to Williams, who, when held, flicked pass to Graham Mourie, wh scored. Ashley McGregor just missed a try when he lost the ball over the line, but the All Blacks were not deterred and the try their efforts deserved came soon after, in the seventy-first minute, when Mark Taylor brilliantly pulled down a long line-out throw by Counties. Taylor was inside his own 22 at the time, but he brushed past a couple of defenders to get into the clear, passed to Bill Osborne, and Andy Haden, amazingly for such a big man, was there to take the next pass and he returned the ball to Taylor just out from the line. It was one of the best tries of the tour and the effort was made complete when Wilson co verted with a fine kick. It was an important one, too, for it meant that Counties had to score twice to win and the way they came back in the last Bmin gave promise of some further return. As it was, they had to settle for another Hare penalty, a simple kick in the last minute. The All Blacks can take much encouragement from this win. It was an impressive one against an able opponent and the bail-win-ning, in particular, was a very healthy omen for next Saturday’s England test. For New Zealand, tries by Williams, Mourie and Taylor. Richard Wilson kicked a penalty, a conversion and a dropped goal. For Midland Counties, four penalty goals and a dropped goal by Hare.