Late try saves All Blacks

Press, 15 August 1984, Page 68

Late try saves All Blacks

NZPA staff correspondent Gosford For 74 minutes yesterday, Grahame Park, Gosford, seemed set to become another Llanelli or Munster for the All Blacks ■— the scene of an historic defeat.

The tourists looked an upset loss in the face for all of that time as New South Wales B, young, inexperienced and makeshift, took its game to them and shook them to the soles of their third test shoes. It was not until six minutes of actual playing time remained with the scores tied, 15-15, that Hika Reid burst the defences of the home side, quashed the ■ spark of their resistance, and allowed New Zealand a cheerless 21-15 victory. Through Reid’s try, New Zealand retained its unbeaten record in minor matches in Australia and, on the way, surpassed the record of the 1968 All Blacks in Australia for the most tries scored on a full overseas tour.

The record was 93 but, when Kawhena Woodman crossed the New South Wales line in the eleventh minute the record tumbled. The tourists added tries to the half-back, David Kirk, and Reid, extending the record to 96. The record was established however amid the ignominy of near defeat. New South Wales B matched New Zealand try for try until Reid popped up when the heat was on to steal a. fortuitous win.

His try resigned the New South Welshmen to a defeat which was both just and unjust. If matches were won on spirit the young men in blue would have been victors by a wide margin. But the actual margin probably spoke for the All Blacks technical superiority and composure under pressure. It belittled the spirit of a jerry-built side which dared to believe it could beat New Zealand and almost made an impossible dream come true. New South Wales B’s entire match plan depended on lionhearted determina-

tion. It backed that with a cohesive forward performance and some finesse in the backs, particularly close to the scrum, where Nick Farr-Jones and Brett Papworth were outstanding.

New South Wales had no shortage of heroes. There were also the loose forwards, Peter Lucas, lan Miller and Steve Tuynman, who out-thought and outworked their New Zealand opponents and a lock, Stuart Rutherford, whose early line-out prowess filled his team with confidence.

There was also the fullback, Glen Ella, who defended stoutly, and the tryscorers who have a special place in the record of this match, a wing, Damian Brown, and the other lock, David Purll.

Brown scored his try, a superb individual piece, soon after Woodman’s when New Zealand was sitting back on its laurels thinking of another easy win. He finished a move begun with quick passing through the New South Wales backline, bursting into space and running 40m to the line as Allan Hewson gracefully avoided the tackle.

Things were going badly for the All Blacks. They lacked co-ordination, their handling was bad, they chose to kick rather than to run and to run rather than kick. Each time the option was wrong. Brown stepped close to history when he kicked a 35m penalty goal with 12 minutes remaining to nudge' his side in front, 15-12. It forced the All Blacks to drive back on to attack and after a period of more coordinated play a Hewson penalty goal levelled the scores. They flung themselves headlong into attack, became more cohesive and effective and eventually forced Reid over the line to seal their win.

The match was not played in the best of spirit. The touch judges intervened twice to indicate rough play by New Zealanders and at one point a brawl errupted among the forwards.

Warnings given to Kevin Boroevich and the actions of Mark Shaw and Murray Mexted could realistically have resulted in a sending off.

Scorers: New Zealand 21 (Woodman, Kirk, Reid tries; Hewson penalty goal, 3 conversions), New South Wales 15 (Brown, Purll tries; Brown penalty goal, 2 conversions). Half time: 6all.