Tries boost All Blacks

Press, 11 July 1988, Page 40

Tries boost All Blacks

By

DAVID LEGGAT

of NZPA in Brisbane The All Blacks had their toughest 40 minutes of rugby this year at Ballymore Oval yesterday before overcoming Queensland, 27-12, in the seventh match of their Australian tour.

Queensland, playing with pride and commitment, led, 6-3, at half-time before the All Blacks grabbed three second half tries to finish comfortable winners on a beautifully fine, warm afternoon before a crowd of about 16,000.

Certainly the All Blacks expected a fired-up display from Queensland, which had lost its previous six matches this season. Being the coach, Bob Templeton’s, final match in charge after 26 years service to rugby in the state, Queensland showed in the first spell it meant to send him off on a high note. The forward battle was fiercely competitive, spilling over the bounds of

legality at times. The difference between the sides came through in the third quarter, where the All Blacks moved from 63 down to lead 24-9 and put the result beyond doubt. The All Black fullback, John Gallagher, capped an excellent performance with two tries, the centre, Joe Stanley, got another and the first five-eighths, Grant Fox — after a remarkable miss with his first shot at goal — notched 15 points. Queensland failed to score a try, but did more than enough to show that when the spirit moves it, the men in maroon can match any team in the world. So tigerishly did Queensland attack its work in the first half that the All Blacks very rarely managed a sustained period of offence. With the lock, Rod McCall, having a splendid game in the lineouts, ably supported around the rucks by the hooker, Tom Law-

ton, and the back row trio of Brendan Nasser, Julian Gardner and Jeff Miller, the All Black forwards had to produce a high \ standard of performance. They did, and ultimately laid the platform for victory. Scorers.— All Blacks 27 (John Gallagher 2, Joe Stanley tries; Grant Fox -3 penalties and 3 conversions) beat Queensland 12 (Michael Lynagh 2 penalties, Mitchell Palm 2 penalties). • The All Black coach, Alex Wyllie, has effectively ruled the key midfield back, Warwick Taylor, out of the second test side unless he is fit to play against Queensland B at Townsville on Wednesday. Taylor broke a bone in his right hand a fortnight ago against Australia B and has not played since. He missed the first Bledisloe Cup test against the Wallabies in Sydney and his replacement at second five-eighths, John Schuster, marked a fine

international debuj by scoring a try. Meanwhile, three Wallaby representatives will be in the Queensland B team to face the All Blacks in their eighth rugby tour match at Townsville.

The trio are the wing, Paul Carozza, who toured Argentina late last year; the lock, Shane Nightingale, a tourist to New Zealand in 1982; and the experienced hooker, Mark Mcßain, a current test reserve and longtime standby to fellow Queenslander Tom Lawton. However, there is a question mark over Mcßain’s fitness due to a damaged calf muscle. The Queensland B team is.— Andrew King; Paul Carozza, Paul Mills, Rob McCartney; Dominic Maguire, Mitchell Palm; Stephen Tait; Tim Dodson or Dan Coonan; Owain Williams, Shane Nightingale, Doug Cooper, Greg Hassall; Dan Crowley, Mark Mcßain or Paul Persijn, Bill Abram. .