Bay gives Australia a hard run

Press, 1 September 1986, Page 21

Bay gives Australia a hard run

NZPA correspondent Rotorua Australia had a scorching warm-up for the series-deciding third rugby test against New Zealand when It beat Bay of Plenty, 41-13, at the Rotorua International Stadium on Saturday. The tourists trounced a first-division opponent for the second time in consecutive matches, taking their tally from those matches to 96' points. They ran in four tries and accepted the gift of a penalty try from the Southland referee, Dave Bishop, when a Bay of Plenty forward ranged offside at a five-metre scrum.

The first five-eighths, Michael Lynagh, gave an immaculate performance in kicking four penalties and three conversions for a personal total of 18 points. Though Australia won , well, it did not win easily. Bay of Plenty was typically spirited and prevented a more thorough defeat with a two-try revival in the second half. The tourists were physically spent after the match but the coach, Alan Jones, hailed their effort as the ideal warm-up for the Auckland international.

“It was a bloody warmup all right,” he said., “You go in our dressing room — their backsides are on fire.

“It was a very tough game and anyone who is not tired is a liar. The boys found it very tough and I am delighted with the way they survived. “Anyone who can beat an outfit like that by that number of points is not doing too badly.” Mr Jones said many aspects of his team’s performance pleased him, especially the play of the

young wing, lan Williams, and Lynagh’s composed contribution. He rated Australia’s forwards as superior in set play, and delighted in their control of possession in the loose.

- "I thought there was a good degree of control throughout," he said. “We had some superiority at the scrum and at the line-out and I thought we handled that pretty well. I thought there was a greater measure of control of the ball than we have had in the past. “Apart from all of that, the biggest virtue of it was the tremendous workout — better than five training sessions. We were made to work all the way , and were whacked out • when the whistle went You can’t ask for more than that”

The match was played at a fierce pace, not dictated, but at least welcomed, by Bay of Plenty. The home team rarely threatened the Australian goal-line in the first half, but turned two chances into tries after half-time. A former Welsh international lock, Kevin Moseley, scored in the sixtieth minute in the aftermath of a tapped penalty, and a wing, Brent McKillop, touched down seven minutes later when he burst onto a timed pass from the first-five, Ron Preston.

Bay of Plenty made too many errors in possession to pressure Australia, but attacked sporadically and won Mr Jones’ respect for its spirit.

Scorers: Australia 41 (Matt Burke 2, Andrew Leeds, Simon Poidevln tries; penalty try; Michael Lynagh four penalties, three conversions; lan Williams drcp-goal), Bay of Plenty 13 (Kevin Moseley, Brent McKillop tries; Ron Preston penalty, conversion).