Goal – Kicking A Vital Factor in All Black Tour

Northern Advocate, 21 July 1949, Page 6

Goal - Kicking A Vital Factor in All Black Tour

JOHANNESBURG, Thu. (2 p.m.).—With half their tour completed, the 1949 All Blacks have a similar record to the 1928 side of eight wins, three losses and a draw.

But for the surprising decline in the standard of goal-kicking, the present team might well have been unbeaten.

In actual fact, the team has not been penalised as heavily proportionately as its predecessor, having had 93 penalties in its favour and 112 against, compared with 86 for and 119 against in the first 12 games of the 1928 tour. The following resume of both tours, with figures given also for the opposing teams, shows just how vital has been goal-kicking as a deciding factor in many games: ‘ From all sources, conversions of tries, penalties and pots at goal, the All Blacks have had 69 attempts and have kicked 19 goals, compared with 64 attempts and 20 goals by the opposing teams. However, the All Blacks’ 19 goals have brought only 47 points. They consist of 10 conversions of tries out of 21 attempts, six penalty goals out of 35, and three potted goals out of 13. The opposing .teams have converted one try, but have kicked 19 penalty goa s out of 49 attempts, a total of 59

points. Thus, out of the All Blacks’ total of 110 points, 47 have come from kicks at goa l . or 43 per cent, whereas out of the opposing teams’ total of 68 points, 59 have come from kicks, or 86 per cent.

The conversion of only six penalty goals out of 35 attempts, compared with 19 out of 49 by the opposing teams, has* meant the difference between an unbeaten record and three losses on this tour. BETTER IN 1928

The standard of goal-kicking in 1928 was vastly superior. In the first 12 games 177 points were scored, comprising 36 tries, 23 being converted, five penalty goals, and two potted goals. The kicks represent 39 per cent of the total, but the notable point is that fewer shots at goal were missed as the following table shows: 1928 ALL BLACKS—Converted tries 23, missed 12; converted penalties 5, missed 14; converted pots 2, missed 3; total 59 shots, 31 goals. ✓ OPPOSING TEAMS—Converted tries 5, missed 5; converted penalties 8, missed 15; converted pots 5, missed 13; total 51 shots, 18 goals. 1949 ALL BLACKS—Converted tries 10, missed 11; converted penalties 6, missed 29; converted pots 3, missed 10; total 69 shots, 19 goals. OPPOSING TEAMS—Converted tries 1, misled 2; converted penalties 19, missed 30; converted pots 0, missed 12; total 64 shots, 20 goals. Scott, whose goal-kicking had been sensational before this tour, has a most disappointing record to date. He has converted five tries and missed six, kicked six penalty goals and missed 23, and potted one goal and missed two, a total of 44 shots and 12 goals, for 31 points. Lindsay’s record in the first 12 games in 1928 was 20 conversions of tries, four missed; four penalty goals, eight missed; . one. potted goal, 2 missed: a total of 39 shots and 25 goals for 56 points.

- . SUPERIOR TO OSLER Lindsay’s goal-kicking was remarkably good and represented 64 per cent at that stage. Subsequently he lost this great accuracy, but for the whole tour he kicked 28 goals out of 64 attempts, or 43 per cent. Mark Nicholls finished with 14 goals out of 36 attempts or 38 per cent. Both these players had better goalkicking percentages than Bennie Osier who converted nine out of 36 shots at goal.

Despite his poor record every member of the All Blacks feels that Scott, will come back to the kicking form which made him famous in England. Australia and New Zealand. The surprising fact is that in other respects he is playing grand football. Some of his mighty clearances, his coolness under pressure and the ease with which he side-steps oncoming attackers, entitle him to rank with the greatest fullbacks of all time.