France has some old scores to settle

Press, 3 June 1981, Page 28

France has some old scores to settle

By

JOHN COFFEY

I French rugby league learns of the past have had little cause to regard the Show Grounds as a favourable venue. When the 1981 side meets South Island this evening it will be seeking to balance a ledger which includes two wins arid three losses. • . ’.One member of the present French squad. Didier Hermet. would have special cause to shudder at the

thought of returning to the Show Grounds, more especially because of the evening kick-off-this time. Hermet was a reserve for France against the Kiwis in their 1975 World Cup encounter and. with the other spectators, he shivered for 80 minutes as New Zealand achieved a record 27-0 victory. 1 Driving, sleet and rain made conditions almost

unbearable: many people who had actually reserved seats stayed home to watch a second-half telecast and photographers found it almost impossible to gain clear prints of the action. There were no champagne celebrations for the Kiwis in the dressing room afterwards. just a huddle of frozen players around a hot tea urn. The French manager (Mr Raymond Forges) said later that his men could hardly move by half-time. But. as .- much as their opponents might have been longing for the climatic delights of the south of France. New Zealand’s triumph over the conditions was exceptional. Dane Sorensen, then a 19-year-old prop forward making his test debut, kicked six goals from seven attempts to complement the tries of Bob Jarvis (two;, Ken Stirling. Murray Eade and Tom Conroy. The only other test between the’ two nations at the Show Grounds was. the second of the 1964 series: the Kiwis won by 18-8 and went on to make a clean-sweep of the three games. ■

But New Zealand did not have matters all its own way. France scored both tries — bv Pierre Pio and Marcel Boule — in the first

half to'lead. 8-4. at the break, before the Kiwis went ahead with tries to Roger Bailey and Gary Blackler and six goals from Jack Fagan. Canterbury was an opponent for each of the first three French teams to visit New Zealand. and it achieved its only victory over a full international side in the 1955 match. The Canterbury pack was quite magnificent, although ’’The Press" singled out the second-rower. Trevor Kilkelly. as showing out just a little above his fellows. Alister Atkinson. Randal Turion. Lory-Blanchard, Jock Butterfield and John Bond. Only Turton did not attain Kiwi honours, but, of the six, he had the most remarkable career. He was to play on the wing in the corresponding game in 1960, and last vear had the unusual distinction of playing alongside three of his sons in a Kaiapoi premier team. Canterbury scored all 21 points in the first spell, but even though France was re-

duced to 12 men after 20 minutes — no replacements were allowed for injuries — it showed courage to reduce the final margin to 24-13. Butterfield and a wing. Bob Wilson, had two tries each for Canterbury, and the outstanding halves. Pat Creedy and Keith Roberts, crossed once each. John Bond (two) and Don Derbridge kicked goals. The French have won all of their other fixtures in the south, mostly by narrow margins. Its pioneering 1951 side opened its tour at Greymouth and. after a scoreless first, half, won, 5-2. and went on to beat Canterbury. 13-7: West Coast lost. 18-12. in 1955: both Canterbury (8-15; and West Coast (5-29) bowed in 1960; and in 1964 France wrested a 9-6 success over the Coasters at Greymouth. This evening’s encounter will be the first between France and South Island. Tradition, however, will be maintained if the match is as keenly contested as most of its predecessors.