N.Z.’s desperate need to blunt skill of Naas Botha

Press, 3 August 1981, Page 30

N.Z.’s desperate need to blunt skill of Naas Botha

A flanker who can run at the speed of a pass is clearly New Zealand rugby’s most urgent need as the countdown begins to the first test against the Springboks at Lancaster Park on Saturday week.

Such a speedster is the only way the All Blacks are going to contain Naas Botha, the blonde-haired fly-half whose golden boot took the Springboks to its 31-19 win over the top provincial side, Manawatu. at the Palmers-

ton North Showgrounds on Saturday. . Standing deep and revel ling in an excellent service from his half-back, Divan Serfontein, Botha was seldom under pressure from set play. He missed touch a few

times and two mistakes — a high tackle and a high kick fumble — helped Manawatu to 10 of its points, but even when these are taken into account Botha was still the man of the match, the one best able to dictate its course.

In all, Botha kicked 16 points to give the Springboks a victory which was thoroughly deserved. They took quite a pounding from the well-drilled Manawatu forwards in the first 20 minutes, but at the end, to just about everyone’s surprise, it was the Manawatu eight who looked in need of some motherly care.

There were other surprises, too, for the capacity crowd of 21,000, not the least of them being that Manawatu very nearly broke even in the line-outs, 19-17 being the final count in South Africa’s favour. However, the Springbok jumpers obviously had difficulty getting to the ball, the Wellington-based, but Welsh-born referee, Mr Cliff Dainty, penalising them a number of times for going across the line.

The game was a bruising one, with the two packs engaging in a battle of strength as much as anything else. The Springbok forwards were like Indian braves the way they launched themselves into developing rucks and once they got the ball in their court they controlled it expertly.

It was understandable that the Springboks should be off balance early. For security reasons they were closeted at the ground for six hours before the kick-off and there was more than just a bright sun and a tricky breeze awaiting them. For openers, Manawatu used short line-outs, which achieved their objective of scattering the big Springbok forwards, and to an anvil chorus of “heave” from the terraces, the Manawatu pack toiled at the pace of stevedores on overtime as they wheeled left and right in breakaway bids. However, after conceding a try, when they were caught napping by a quick penalty from Doug Rollerson, the Springboks gradually started to assert themselves. They had Manawatu back on its heels for the 10 minutes before half time and a good flanker’s try by Burger Geldenhuys just on the break, left the Springboks only three points in arrears, 4-7. The second spell was less than a minute old when Gysie Pienaar levelled the scores with a long dropped goal and the points then came in a rush until it was 19-19 with just 10 minutes remaining.

A punter might have gambled on the Springboks fading, as they had towards the end of their two earlier games, but, in fact, they rose quite superbly to the challenge and some of their best football came in these vital last minutes.

Botha put them ahead with an easy penalty with eight minutes remaining and four minutes later he did an action replay of his earlier dropped goal from the left of the posts. Then, in the final

minute, a desperate Manawatu back move came unstuck and the Springbok centre, Danie Gerber, got a perfect bounce from his own chip kick to score a try which Botha converted.

After Botha, South Africa’s most valuable player was the No. 8, Rob Louw. He did some outstanding work in bringing order to broken play and his tackling was deadly; one he made on Alex Tatana must have very nearly cut Tatana in half. Generally though, the Springbok tackling was a little shy. They missed a lot of first tackles, particularly in the midfield area, and they got by with many of the high, scragging variety. But with Louw and Geldenhuys in support, the gaps seldom widened.

Gerber was a hard-running centre for the Springboks and Gerry Germishuys, on the left wing, also attacked vigorously. The other wing, Johan Heunis, scored a neat try, but he spent a lot of time getting himself and his full-back, Gysie Pienaar, out of tight spots. Pienaar had a bad day. He ran stylishly into the backline. but he showed no liking at all for the up and unders which Rollerson directed at him and he was no more convincing in coping with the rolling ball. Gary Knight and Geoff Old were brimful of honest endeavour in the Manawatu pack and Murray Rosenbrook earned high marks for how well he marked Louis Moolman in the line-outs.

Mark Donaldson played right up to his best form at half-back and Rollerson did nothing to dampen his prospects of remaining the All Black first . five-eighths. Rollerson was almost as good as Botha in his tactical kicking and he may even have outpointed his rival in a private aside to see who could upset the other, usually with the ball well gone, the most.

The forgotten All Black, Lachie Cameron, was very steady at centre, on one occasion slipping beautifully through a gap that was just about to close.

Ken Granger scored both of Manawatu’s tries and he showed that a receding hairline does not necessarily bring with it loss of pace. Given the strength of the opposition, plus the numerous handicaps they have been under, this was a most impressive performance by the Springboks. It is hard to see any other provincial side testing them. The Manawatu coach, Mr Graham Hamer, was adamant on Saturday evening that it was going to take “one hell of an effort,” for any other New Zealand side to beat them, and Mr Hamer included the All Blacks in this assessment.

For the Springboks, tries by Burger Geldenhuys. Johan Heunis and Danie Gerber; Naas Botha kicked two penalty goals, two dropped goals and two conversions and Gysie Pienaar kicked a dropped goal. For Manawatu. Ken Granger scored two tries and Doug Rollerson landed three penalty goals and a conversion.