Maori coach has just one regret

Press, 19 November 1982, Page 36

Maori coach has just one regret

NZPA staff correspondent

Barcelona

The Maoris’ coach, Mr Percy Erceg, had just one regret after his side had gone on an 11-try 62-13 rampage over an inexperienced Spanish President’s XV in Barcelona yesterday. “It’s just a pity that we didn’t have a game like this squeezed somewhere into our seven matches in Wales,” he said. “It certainly would have given our backs a lot of confidence.”

He had just watched the Maoris relish a freedom of movement denied them in the principality, where the Welsh backs invariably stood up flat and denied the Maoris the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to make devastating breaks. The Spanish backs were novices in the art of such spoiling play and made matters worse for themselves by hanging off tackles. The Maori backs were transformed, none more so than the Canterbury centre, Victor Simpson, who had been hamstrung worse than most by the tight Welsh marking.

He played a two-centres game with Arthur Stone and the pair constantly made sharp breaks through the Spanish defence. Simpson’s show-stopper came late in the game when he ran all of 75 metres and beat half a dozen tacklers to score.

Earlier in the game, the Canterbury player had gone over for his first try of the tour after taking a slick backhand pass from Stone and winning the race for a kick-ahead.

The first five-eighths, Eddie Dunn, was another to relish the opportunity to reveal his ball-handling skills and he delighted the small but enthusiastic crowd with some deft touches. The North Aucklander now seems likely to replace Wellington’s Tu Wyllie in the team to play the international against Spain, in Madrid on Saturday.

Mr Erceg said that the Maoris would field their strongest available side and that he would like to see two or three changes from the team which lost to a Wales XV last Saturday. Although the full-back, Warren McLean, gave an improved performance in kicking nine out of 11 conversions — some from wide angles — the half-back, Paul Blake, is again likely to lose out to the kicking skills of Richard Dunn.

However, the chirpy little Hawke’s Bay player provided a moment which will long be remembered by those at the Campo Fuxarda Stadium when He kicked over his

shoulder while facing his own forwards from a penalty near the Spanish XV line. The Spaniards were so surprised that they could not control the kick which landed in their midst and the hooker, Bruce Hemara, had the simple job of falling on the ball over the line. The Maoris’ forwards also relished playing against smaller and inexperienced Spanish opponents and they dominated the line-outs. The Waikato flanker, Miah Melsom, was outstanding in the loose before leaving the field with a thumb injury while the Wairarapa No. 8, Carl Baker, also featured in some storming runs. The Spaniards were outclassed in virtually all facets of the game except scrummaging — an aspect on which the former Llanelli coach, Mr John Maclean, has worked hard during his brief spell with the Spanish squad. The Spaniards also revealed some fine passing touches and in Gabriel Rivero and Jon Aczargorto had two good wings. The former was rewarded with the Spanish XV’s only try when he followed up a long kick as the Maoris relaxed late in the second half.

The Spanish XV was made up largely of players from the Barcelona region and the national side which the Maoris will face in Madrid will be, Mr Maclean estimated, about 50 per cent stronger. If they can adopt the same attitude as yesterday’s Spanish XV, which refused to become downcast or resort to a spoiling game, then the scene is set for an entertaining finale to the Maoris’ tour.

The scorers were —

New Zealand Maoris: tries to Mike Clamp, Wayne Shelford (2), Bruce Hemara, Kawhena Woodman, Bill Bush,- Paul Blake, Arthur Stone, Victor Simpson (2), Frank Shelford. Warren McLean 9 conversions.

Spanish President’s XV: Gabriel Rivero a try. Manuel Moriche three penalty goals.