DOUGHTY OPPONENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27391, 17 May 1950, Page 8

DOUGHTY OPPONENTS

British Rugby Tourists REFLECTIONS* ON BULLER • MATCH “The test pack should soon be sorting itself out, with many of Saturday’s forwards strong-contenders for inclusion—they are very fit and apparently tireless workers, hunting as a pack and handling as well as the backs,” writes a special correspondent to the Daily Times after the match at Westport between the British Isles team and Buller. “It was a most impressive display—it will take a strong southern pack to check these doughty opponents, while the play of the backs aims at running their opponents off their feet.” The game will do much to dispel the disappointment felt by the visitors after the match with Nelson, and is, in addition, evidence that they will prove stiff opposition for any side they meet. It was a grand display of most attractive Rugby.

The British Isles team was a very different side from the one which played at Nelson. In the first game the same type of play was in evidence, but whereas faulty handling and badly-timed passes brought promising efforts to an end, there was on Saturday a crispness and accuracy that was never seen at any stage of the first game. t Norton, making his first appearance, impressed as a very sound player, handling a rolling ball- well, fielding accurately, kicking and tackling well. His place kicking also was very accurate. Jones, on the right wing, is fast, but not merely a runner. Possessed of a good side step, elusive and determined, he made play from seemingly hopeless positions. Thomas, on the other wing, played another good game. Macdonald and Matthews, at centre, were both seen to better advantage on Saturday than on the previous Wednesday, but there was still the odd lob pass which gave the local backs the chance to clear. Kyle, fly-half, is a pnost attractive player, who fields well, kicks with judgment and backs up splendidly in attack and defence. Strange to say, he does not apear to worry about taking his opposite number on defence. He appeared content to leave that to the fast-breaking side-row forward. Black at half-back has a most unconventional but effective method of passing. His passes had speed and were always well directed. One never noticed a back take his pass Hotfooted. Williams has still to play ana this brilliant three-quarter should further strengthen the back line. The backs still look capable of further improvement and promise to prove opponents worthy of anyone s steel—fast, determined runners, solid tacklers, good kicks and safe fielders, they took the eye against Buller as a formidable combination which, from the very nature of their adventuious play, will try out any combination opposed to them. Their backing up is a feature of their game, while they are just as likely to attack from theii own twenty-five as from their opponents’ territory. . In the forwards, Cliff Davies, Kininmonth, Evans, John McKay and Robins all made their first appearance. The forwards secured a feast of the ball for the backs from both line outs and scrums, from which the ball came out very quickly—a fact which the fast-moving backs were not slow to turn to good account. It was in the loose, however, that the forwards impressed most. McKay, Evans, John, Kininmonth, all six-footers, were particularly dangerous in this phase of the play. Good handlers, fast, determined runners, they were a constant menace to the defence. McKay, Irish mile champion, has more speed than most backs, and these five tall forwards, with the addition of Hayward, had little trouble in dictating play from the line out. When the British Isles team kick off they almost invariably adopt a long kick, deep into their opponents’ twenty-five—they very rarely use a short kick. On the other hand, they have effectively marked their opponents’ short kicks and have returned them with interest, gaining long stretches of ground.