France ‘not geared’ for tours

Press, 5 December 1981, Page 64

France ‘not geared’ for tours

PA Wellington The manager of the All Black team in France, Mr Pat Gill, told the New Zealand Rugby Football Union council meeting yesterday that the difficulties he and the team encountered on the tour probably reflected the fact that France were not geared up for tours because of their infreqency. Mr Gill said that although the team did not win all its matches, it performed extremely well considering the quality of the opposition in most of the games.

The chairman of the council, Mr Ces Blazey, said the team had left on the understanding that they would be

playing French selections based round the towns where the matches were played. What in fact happened was that for each match the French national selectors picked the teams and included players from all over the country. Mr Blazey and Mr Bob Stuart will be the N.Z.R.F.U.’s representatives at the International Rugby Board annual meeting in London from March 10 to 12. Mr Stuart beat Mr Ron Don in a ballot for the second position. The All Black selectors will pick a national sevens rugby team next year as part of the reorganisation of

this part of the game. The council agreed yesterday to bring forward the provincial sevens tournaments so that the regional play-offs will be held on March 6 and 7, with the national finals being played on March 28 and 29. The events used to be played in mid-season (regionals) and the first week in October (finals) but unions showed little interest in them.

The All Black selectors, assisted by the island selectors. will view the sevens tournaments before naming a composite team which will attend any outside events such as the Hong Kong international tournament.