ALL BLACKS MADE MOST OF THEIR CHANCES
Memorable Victory by 10-6 Over the Springboks
From our Rugby Correspondent
Dunedin
Making the most of their chances, the All Blacks at Carisbrook on Saturday humbled the touring South Africans, the acknowledged masters of world Rugby, by 10 points to 6 in a stirring encounter.
New Zealand scored two goals in reply to South Africa’s opening penalty goal, and led at halftime by 10 points to 3. In the second half the Springboks scored a try. Each side all but scored one or two more, and R. A. Jarden missed a penalty goal by a matter of inches. The historic old ground was crammed to bursting point with 40,000 spectators.
Regrettably, a notably hard and cleanly fought match was attended by many casualties. Three minutes before half time M. W. I.rwin, the young All Black prop forward, marched dismally from the field with severe injures to the ribs.
Both he and W. R. Archer, who also received rib injuries, are unlikely to be available for selection for the next test.
Leg Broken
Eight minutes after half-time D. S. P. Ackermann, the Springbok flank forward, displaced the cartilage of a knee and had to be carried off on a stretcher. Only seven minutes later the Springbok left wing, J. du Preez, fractured the fabia of his left leg and was carried off.
By all accounts du Preez will not be available to the team for the rest of the tour. The cartilage trouble of Ackermann was muched improved by manipulative treatment, and medical opinion is that he will be available in about 10 days.
Although the game was a memorable encounter, from the New Zealand point of view it was not entirely reassuring. The South Africans at times obtained an unexpected and astonishing ascendancy in the forwards and if their backs had had a more intelligent servant at fly half than C. A.Ulyate they could not have failed to make things decidedly warm for the All Blacks. Nevertheless, it was true to say that the All Blacks took their chance as they came, and for that they deserved all praise.
The specially promising opportunities occurred in the 31st and 35th minutes of the first half, with a heel on the South African line, which led to R. A. White hunting on hands and knees for a bouncing ball, and second with an intercepted pass from which R. A. Jarden ran 30 or 40 yards to score. Jarden converted each of these tries and suddenly New Zealand was leading 10-3.
Tactical Blunder
At other times, too, New Zealand made the most of its chances and its players had the good sense never to forget that the goal line was not only the ultimate, but the first objective of every attack.
The incomprehensive blunder of the Springboks’ tactical plan was that their occasional superiority over the All Blacks in scrimmage and
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lineout was nullified by the promptitude with which Ulyate put in tactical kicks. Some of these were even made when he was speeding into a very nearly through gap. If the All Blacks did fall down on particulars, they never wavered in their defence of these inefficient tactics. Though the immediate effects of the kicks was undeniably harassing, the final effects was nil.
New Zealand had several sheet anchors. The first and finest was R. A. White, the lock forward, who progressed from inferiority to J. T. Claassen, the great Springbok, to parity, and then to superiority. This was the White of the 1953-54 All Black tour in the British Isles, and none could deny that this was true greatness. Whites finest companions among the forwards were D. N. McIntosh, whose play on the flank and in the lineout was so good that his first cap assuredly will not be his last, ands. F. Hill, who was outstanding in the rucks. R. C. Hemi had his least successful day for New Zealand, both as hooker, in which he was consistently outpointed by A. J. van der Merwe, and as loose forward, in which he was far too seldom an active participant.
R. H. Duff did not entirely dispel the fears that he had seen his best days, and I. J. Clarke and Irwin were physically ill fitted to compete with H. P. J. Bekker and H. N. Walker, the giant South African props, who played with distinction. Clark, perforce, had to bury himself in the tight and thus was unable to play the magnificent role he had in the Waikato defeat of the Springboks.
If the All Blacks did fall down on particulars, they never wavered in their defence of these inefficient tactics. Though the immediate effects of the kicks was undeniably harassing, the final effects was nil.
New Zealand had several sheet anchors. The first and finest was R. A. White, the lock forward, who progressed from inferiority to J. T. Claassen, the great Springbok, to parity, and then to superiority. This was the White of the 1953-54 All Black tour in the British Isles, and none could deny that this was true greatness. Whites finest companions among the forwards were D. N. McIntosh, whose play on the flank and in the lineout was so good that his first cap assuredly will not be his last, ands. F. Hill, who was outstanding in the rucks. R. C. Hemi had his least successful day for New Zealand, both as hooker, in which he was consistently outpointed by A. J. van der Merwe, and as loose forward, in which he was far too seldom an active participant.
R. H. Duff did not entirely dispel the fears that he had seen his best days, and I. J. Clarke and Irwin were physically ill fitted to compete with H. P. J. Bekker and H. N. Walker, the giant South African props, who played with distinction. Clark, perforce, had to bury himself in the tight and thus was unable to play the magnificent role he had in the Waikato defeat of the Springboks.
Buxton’s misfortune
J. D. Buxton, though not the complete loose forward and demonstrably the inferior of G. P. Lochner as a No. 8, made on the whole a good showing, especially in the second half. It was his misfortune to fumble a pass with the goal line only a yard
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or two away. As a whole the New Zealand backline did not look as enterprising or as dangerous as the South African, partly because P. B. Vincent, P. B. Vincent, the captain, was wanting in a vital half-second of speed in clearing the ball from the scrum or ruck, and partly because R. H. Brown had a tendency to drift forward when the back line was in defensive formation.
Yet, generally, everything came off splendidly, Vincent’s characteristically measured delivery was offset by great coolness and courage, and Brown made one or two hard tackles. Archer, too, caught the eye for the deftness of his kicking and the willingness of his following-up.
W. N. Gray was splendid at second five-eights. He performed defensive covering beautifully in the early minutes, recovered from a shattering double tackle by Lochner and J. J. Nel and ran like lightning to catch an Archer kick ahead which narrowly failed to yield a try. Gray, in fact, looked the finest New Zealand back.
The eager and plucky M. J. Dixon shone out on the right flank and Jarden played in all his mature glory on the left P. T. Welsh, at fullback , gathered critics as a ship gathers barnacles, and his mulling of more than one catch was reprehensible. Nevertheless, he conveyed the opinion that he is a gifted young player.
For the first quarter of an hour the Springbok pack outplayed the All Blac forwards and for most of the first half Claassen persistently dominated the line outs.
Capable Fullback
Phase one ended when the loose men, Ackermann, Lochner and D. F. Retief began to seek the open. Phase two terminated when White took on Claassen and matched him. Yet so vivid an impression was made by the first phase it is obvious the All Black pack will need improvement, both in weight and speed.
The Springbok backs were well served by C. F. Strydom and Nel, and B. F. Howe, outside Ulyate, had speed and trickiness. R. G. Dryburgh, at fullback, was as capable as ever. What ever the merits of the Springbok back line, Ulyate’s kicking robbed it of pace and purpose.
New Zealand may look forward to the succeeding three with a feeling of confidence tinged by a considerable doubt that the present team is completely reprehensive. For all that it was 19 years since New Zealand had beaten South Africa and the men who accomplished the task on Saturday accordingly have already qualified as “heroes of New Zealand Rugby.”
Though the touring team to play a combined side at Timaru on Wednesday has not been named, it will include the Springbok captain, S. S. Viviers, the second-string hooker, M. Hanekom, who broke a bone in his leg at Brisbane, and the replacements who were flown from South Africa, Starke abd T. P. Briers. |
