All Blacks may be susceptible to holiday mood

Press, 28 November 1979, Page 40

All Blacks may be susceptible to holiday mood

NZPA London If the All Blacks think that their end-of-tour match against Italy in the small town of Rovigo early tomorrow (N.Z. time) is going to be a holiday, they may be forced to think again.

The tour to all intents and purposes came to an end with the test win over England on Saturday, but not according to the Italians. As in 1977, the Italians are regarding the All Blacks’ visit the highlights of their rugby year, notwithstanding their European Championship matches which have already begun with a loss to the Soviet Union, in Moscow, and a win over the Poles, in Warsaw. As always, with a match after the final test of a tour, the visiting side is vulnerable, and perhaps none is more susceptible to touring pressures than this All Black side, which although mostly winning, has never looked the greatest of teams. The euphoria of the England win, the last-minute shopping and packing of a shipping corporation container in London, and the excitement and “gee whiz” aspect of these All Blacks, most of whom are visting Venice for the first time, counts further against them.

In 1977 when New Zealand, under the captaincy of Bruce Robertson, played an Italian President’s XV, the shock of realising the standard of Italian rugby was sharp.

The All Blacks were in all sorts of bother until Kevin Eveleigh was knocked unconscious and Graham Mourie went on to restore some order to the All Blacks and scored two tries himself in the 17-9 win. The Italians, then a frantic, fired-up, spoiling side, were bolstered by what they call “strangers” — foreigners playing in Italy. They had a Frenchman, Guy Pardies, at half-back, and a South African, Dirk Naude, at lock.

But this year the side is purely Italian —no doubt to the disappointment of Frank Oliver, Billy Bush and other former All Blacks enjoying “La Dolce Vita” — and in spite of the increased nationalism which results, it must lessen the effectiveness of the team. The Italian side had not been named by the time the All Blacks left London but even if it had, it may not have made a great deal of difference. Except for Andy Haden, for whom tomorrow’s encounter is almost a home game, Italian names mean little to All Blacks. But they had a squad of 25 to choose from, -which included names like the two brothers in the centres two years ago, Nello Francescato and Reno Francescato, who created such an impression on the Padua soccer field which marked the All Blacks’ first Italian experience. The squad, and surely the side that takes the field, also includes one of the few Italians not to play all his rugby in his homeland, the loose-head prop, Ambrogio Bona. Another veteran of the match two years ago, Bona spends his seasons

with the French club of Clermont-Ferrand. The Italians doubtless have been working up tc this match over the last couple of months — certainly matches against sides like the Russians, the Poles, the Czechs |and the Spaniards de not means as much to -he Italians as a visit by tiie All Blacks. Mourie knows enough about the Latin temperament, and most other states of mind, to know and warr his players that to treat Italy as a relaxation will mean the second loss for the tour. And some of the Al Blacks still have something to play for, despite the rea possibility that thoughts may have already turned tc home and summer. Alan Hewson has had onlj one match — against Dundee — in which he has made a real impact and although he has produced the goods, goalkicking anc otherwise, for Wellington, he wants to be able to prove he can do it more than once ir an All Black jersey. Mark Donaldson, at halfback, also has points tc prove. He lost his test place to Dave Loveridge and there were no questions about that, least of all from Donaldson, but he, like many of his team-mates in Italy, would like to end the tour on a high personal note. It is very much a crusading match for the All Blacks spreading the rugby word. Nothing other than pride hinges on the match — there are no test places to play for and no tour records to preserve or protect. For the All Blacks, it comes down simply to a will to win and these All Blacks have proved they have that.