Lions end tour with success

Press, 24 July 1989, Page 44

Lions end tour with success

PA . -Brisbane The British Lions ended their Australian tour on a winning, if not overly spectacular, note yesterday when beating the Anzac XV, 19-15, at Ballymore. With both sides lacking cohesion in their play, the match produced only patches of the free-flow-ing style of Barbariansstyle rugby that everyone had hoped to'see. The Anzac XV did try to run the ball at every opportunity and that

seemed a pragmatic ploy, as well as an attempt to entertain, as the Anzacs’ pack was dominated by the Lions in second-phase play. The Anzacs, mainly through the towering locks, Steve Cutler and Bill Campbell, had the better of the lineouts. But in all other aspects they were outplayed by a welldrilled Lions machine — eyen in the absence of the test stalwarts, Dean Richards, Finlay Calder and Wade Dooley.

While the match may not have lived up to early expectations of history in the'making, it did provide three memorable tries — two from the Lions and one from the Anzacs. Soon after a /penalty by the Wallaby first-five, Michael Lynagh, put the first points on the board, the Anzacs made their intentions clear. The All Black, Frano Botica, playing in an unfamiliar second fiveeighths role, started a counter-attack from near

the Anzacs line and his compatriot, Kieran Crowley, charged upfield to link with the speedy wing, lan Williams. But a forward pass stopped the movement and similar errors continued to thwart the Anzacs’ bold attacks throughout the match. Scorers: British Lions 19 (B. Mullin, J. Devereux tries; G. Hastings conversion, penalty goal, field goal, C. Chalmers field goal) bt Anzac XV 15 (I. Williams try, M. Lynagh conversion, 3 penalty goals). Half-time: 6-6. Referee: K. Fitzgerald.