Welsh rugby writer asks sides to 'cool it’

Press, 22 February 1980, Page 24

Welsh rugby writer asks sides to ' cool it’

NZPA London A “cool it” plea over the still simmering resentment from last Saturday’s Eng-land-Wales rugby international has been made by leading Welsh commentator, J. B. G. Thomas. In a long reply to the furious row which has gone on unabated since the Welsh flanker, Paul Ringer, was ordered off during the violent test, Thomas yester said that players, officials and the media should “cool it now before the situation gets out of hand.” While most of the heat has been generated by the London-based British national press and the. re-

action from Wales has been muted, Thomas himself immediately introduced further controversy. Writing in the Cardiff “Western Mail,” he said that the Twickenham test was “a sad one.” Both sides were to blame “and if, as has been revealed, the explosive situation was sparked off at the first ruck by an England forward’s offence on Terry Holmes (the Welsh halfback), it is pointless taking sides,” Thomas wrote. “The game has suffered similar incidents down throughout the years and has always recovered from such moments.. “It will recover now if

all concerned calm down and: stop? pointing the accusing finger. There were few angels, on - either side and the players themselves must know what happened and some may be ashamed.’’ ■ Thomas said “the rugby world in general”, had been jealous of Welsh success in the 19705. • ’ ? , ; ■; Repeating his “cool it” call, he said: “The critics must come down from, the mountains and cease their witch-hunt.” The famous All BlacksBarbarians match in Cardiff in 1973 should be held up as an example. “That is what rugby should be like.” Suggestions/ that Wales

might be barred from the Five Nations championship were scoffed at yesterday by leading officials, the English Rugby Union secretary, IWr' Bob Weighhill, calling*./them “nonsense” with “no foundation whatsoever.” 1 ; ’ . Meanwhile, ' ,'England’s rugby captain, Bill Beaumont, has moved closer to notching up another rugby honour with the news yesterday that the Irish captain, Fergus Slattery, is unavailable for the Lions tour of South Africa. ; 1 Beaumont, whose only other Lions experience was when he was called in as a replacement Tor the ‘injured Nigel Horton during the 1977 tour of New Zealand,

is now the outstanding favourite for the job. His England side is the only team so far-unbeaten in the Five Nations championship and the withdrawal of the flanker, Slattery, makes him by far the most experienced captain in the British Isles. Scotland’s Mike Biggar and Geoff Squire, of Wales, have both come to.the cap-, taincies of their countries* only this season. Slattery is one of several present Irish players to rule themselves out of contention for the controversial tour, although none have listed personal moral reasons for their decisions. Both. Slattery and the

No. 8, Donal Spring, have said they can not afford the time —three months—away from their jobs. Two other Irish forwards, the veteran, Moss Keane, and Ciaran Fitzgerald, are also expected to be unavailable. Keane works for the Irish Agriculture Department and Fitzgerald is an army officer. The Irish Government is strongly against the tour and is expected to refuse the players leave of nhctArtCP The English wing, John Carleton, has already been told that the education authority which employs him as a teacher will not give him leave for the tour.