Wallabies lack authority in victory

Press, 31 July 1986, Page 44

Wallabies lack authority in victory

NZPA staff correspondent Masterton Australia brushed past another provincial opponent with diffidence rather than authority when it beat Wairarapa-Bush, 18-6, at Memorial Park, Masterton, yesterday.

Three second-half tries, two to the new half-back, Brian Smith, eased concern about the Wallabies’ scoring ability but the tourists’ performance fell short of international standard.

Smith capped a fine allround game with tries in the sixtieth and sixtyninth minutes. He received the profits of Wallaby domination at set play but served a backline whose only creation was a try to the right wing, Michael Cook, near full-time.

The Wallaby backs were under steady pressure and, in spite of returns to form by the centres, Glen Ella and Andrew Slack, found Wairarapa’s defence solid for almost 60 minutes. The tourists’ forward play was strong but possession was rarely made cleanly or effectively available. A height advantage at lineouts should have led to more controlled possession and thorough superiority at scrums suggested the Wallabies could have found more attacking options. The ball was kicked when it could have been passed, the blindside was almost totally neglected and combination was

tested as Wairarapa got up quickly to disrupt the tourists in midfield.

The second phase was a muddled contest Australia could not always free ball it took into the loose as Wairarapa, through Chris Kapene, Motu Tua and Brent Anderson, rucked and mauled effectively. Scrum strength did lead to the first of Australia’s tries. The Wallaby pack pushed Wairarapa cleanly off its own scrum ball 20 minutes into the second half and Smith darted round the blind to score in the left-hand corner.

Australia caught the home side napping nine minutes later when it was awarded a penalty 15m from the goal-line and 15m from touch. David Campese tapped the ball while Wairarapa players tended an injured team mate and his long pass to Smith put the half-back over almost untouched. Smith had kicked two first-half penalties to give Australia a 6-0 lead as it turned at half-time to play into a shifting breeze. The All Black trialist, Mark Benton, made the score 6-3 with a penalty five minutes into the second half, then tied the scores with a second goal

13 minutes later. Smith’s first try broke the home side’s resolve, coming almost immediately after the kick-off from Benton’s tying penalty. The Wairarapa forwards lost a portion of their spirit and heads dropped as Smith and Cook scored to produce a 12-point margin. Cook’s try, in his first appearance for the Wallabies on the wing, came from a moment of backline invention. The Australian coach, Alan Jones, was disappointed with the tourists’ form.

"There’s not much to smile about,” he said.

Australia 18 (Brian Smith 2, Michael Cook tries; Brian Smith two penalties), Wairarapa-Bush 6 (Mark Benton two penalties).

• A more enterprising Wanganui team won its first national championship game of the season when it defeated MidCanterbury, 10-9, at Spriggens Park, Wanganui, yesterday. Wanganui 10 (Kerry Whale try, Matene Love two penalty goals), Mid-Canterbury 9 (Murray Roulston dropped goal, two penalty goals).