Mr Lochore feels strain

Press, 25 August 1986, Page 21

Mr Lochore feels strain

The All Black coach, Brian Lochore, admitted that his nerves were strained for the last 15 minutes in the second rugby test at Carisbrook on Saturday as Australia almost got up to clinch the test and the series.

The inevitable question of whether he thought Tuynman had scored brought the inevitable reply.

“I can’t comment on that, I was too far away, but my players were concerned that the Australians were not penalised for collapsing the scrum when we were going for a push-over try earlier in the second half.”

Mr Lochore was disappointed that the All Blacks had not scored points when they had the

Wallabies under pressure for the first quarter after half-time. “Test matches are won by taking advantage and it was there for the taking. We didn’t score points when we should have and because of that we let them back in the game.” Line-outs, which the All Blacks spent considerable time on in practice on Friday, was also a worry, said Mr Lochore. Asked if it was fitness that let the All Blacks down over the last 20 minutes, Mr Lochore replied that the players wouldn’t tell him if it was that.

In hindsight, Mr Lochore said that the All Black backs could have been more inventive in-

side the Australian 22m, but conditions made it dangerous to throw the ball wide: “Australia tried it and you saw how far they got.” He added that the game plan had changed on the playing paddock.

The Australian coach, Alan Jones, was typically verbose and the referee, Derek Bevan, was the subject of some pejorative words. “The referee had too much influence on the result. The players felt they didn’t get a fair go but perhaps that’s a feeling you get when you’re second. I don’t think we were as undisciplined as the referee made us out.”

And what about the new referee for the third test (a

Scot)? “That will be another headache,” said Mr Jbnes.

Mr Jones said that Australia read the conditions poorly. “Botica read the play well in the second half. They (the All Blacks) didn’t get anywhere near us yet they got 13 points. They were only in our half for eight minutes of the match yet we were behind 13-3 at half-time. I couldn’t believe it, it was though I had just woken up.”

“We made a lot of mistakes in possession and the little fellow (Michael Lynagh) missed kicks at goal he would normally get.”

Mr Jones said that the disappointment of the team was “total.”