French match marred by violence

Press, 25 June 1979, Page 36

French match marred by violence

PA Hamilton Waikato’s deserved 18-15 victory over France at Rugby Park, Hamilton, on Saturday was earned at considerable expense of manpower.

Completely outplayed in the line-outs, the strong Waikato eight nevertheless hounded the loose ball and upset the would-be running tactics of the French backs.

Unfortunately the game was marred by violence and two incidents in particular soured the match for the 20,000 spectators.

In the fiftieth minute a brawl erupted involving the French full-back Serge Blanco, the props, Daniel Dubroca and Guy Colomine, and the lock Jean-Francois Marchal, and the Waikato front-rowers. Norm Morrow and Paul Koteka.

The ugly scene was acted out while play continued 40 metres away. Similarly in the seventy-

eighth minute, the All Black trialist and Waikato lock, John Sisley, was set upon by ’’ : s line-out opponent, Fra- Haget after a kickoff. The ensuing penalty, awarded by me Canterbury referee, Mr A. R. Taylor, for dangerous play, resulted in Waikato winning the match.

Waikato’s full-back, Murray Meinung, nonchalantly slotted the ball between the uprights from about 40 metres and Waikato took its tally of wins over France to two with one loss. There were several injuries to players from both sides but the home team undoubtedly came off worst. Sisley suffered two broken ribs after the altercation with Haget. Waikato’s centre, John Boe, who was replaced by the Junior All Black, Mike Deane, in the twelfth minute, left the field with a facial gash which required eight stitches. The mobile flanker, Peter

Eggleton, suffered a broken cheek bone. He was replaced in the twenty-second minute by the outstanding Tokoroa prospect, Geoff Hines. The second five-eightn, Lehi Hohaia, temporarily left the field in the twenty-fifth minute, long enough to enable the insertion of five stitches to a gash above an eye. The list did not end there however. The All Black No. 8 Dick Myers, was sporting a beautiful black eye after the game and Morrow had injured ribs for his troubles. Similarly in the French camp Marchal suffered a sprained ankle; Dubroca required two stitches above an eye; the No. 8, Yves Malquier, suffered a cut on the head; Colomine had a black eye, and the full-back Serge Bianco, suffered a bruised hip. Injuries apart, the Waikato first five-eighth, Murray Taylor, who set the crowd alight in the twenty-ninth

iminute with a splendid opportunist try, made good use of the occasion to gain a place in the All x>iack team. Both packs drove into rucks and mauls but it was the Waikato eight which by the end of the game had established supremacy, particularly in secondary-phase play. Commenting on the fiftieth minute brawl, the referee, Mr Taylor, said it took him a considerable time to realise “there was another game going on behind me.” The French backline was launching a promising move at the time and Mr Taylor said he was more intent on tne play, rather than the fighting. But forwards from both sides pointed to scrummaging problems, particularly among the front rows, as the major reason for the ill i feeling. The French captain, and half-back, Jerome Gallion, said his back-line never 1

I really settled down during the game. He had tried to impose a calming influence on his backs but had not succeeded under the constant opposition pressure.

Mr Simpkin, the Waikato coach, said Waikato had won the match because it put the ball into the scrums three times as often as France had.

“The object was to put pressure on their defence, because we were assuming it was brittle going backwards,” he said.

“We certainly didn’t think we’d be cleaned out in the line-outs anywhere near as much as we were,” Mr Simpkin said. Scorers: —

Waikato: Murray Taylor, Paul Street tries, Murray Meinuna 2. penalties and 2 conversions.

France: Frederic Costes a try, Guy Laporte a penalty, 2 dropped goals and a cdnversion.