FIRST SCRUM, FIRST POINTS

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31096, 27 June 1966, Page 3

FIRST SCRUM, FIRST POINTS

The match had a dramatic start when the Lions were penalised in the first scrum.

Williment placed the ball on the half-way line and there was a deep - throated roar from the crowd as it went over the bar. From the kick-off Wellington thudded, up-field in a strong forward rush. Then the up-and-unders started. Rutherford marked two courageously but he was badly shaken by one heavy tackle and for the rest of the match was hobbling. The Lions were trying to move the ball away from the forwards and two darting breaks by Gibson sent Wellington back on defence, but it was Williment again when

he kicked a 40-yard penalty. As if to emphasise his form, Williment attempted a kick from 67 yards. It was a beautiful attempt but the ball hit a post to the obvious relief of the Lions.

The game was quite even at this stage but there were ominous signs as the Wellington forwards inched up the side-line like a boxer using short arm jabs to the ribs.

A sweeping 75-yard run by the Lions backs produced a try when, from the line-out after the movement ended, Bebb was given the ball in front of the line-out and dived over. Gibson missed the conversion to make the score 6-3. Williment kicked his third penalty a minute later but the lead was reduced when Gibson kicked an easy penalty after Gray had been penalised for punching. That was after 25 minutes

and it was vital for the Lions that they should prevent Wellington scoring again in the half. But back came Wellington with a frontal assault by the forwards. The Lions defended desperately as rucks were mounted near the line but the pressure told. Osborne’s Try Coulter passed quickly to Kember, Catley, half-tackled by Jones, threw a long pass to Hill who sent Osborne diving over near the corner flag. A superb tackle by Bebb, who came across from the opposite wing, stopped a try by Osborne after Wellington had passed quickly from a loose ruck.

Perhaps carried away by this the Wellington backs began to pass the ball but their laboured passing from a shallow position got them into bother and this frothy stuff was cut out and replaced immediately by Coulter’s kicking. With the wind behind them the Lions tried up-and-unders but Williment was standing so deep that the ball carried to him. Soon this method of attack was changed to the short punt. Gibson, unfortunately, did not do it very expertly and gave away precious possession. Trying to use the end of the line-out the Lions forwards were tapping back and getting themselves and the inside backs into all sorts of bother as the ball went loose and Williams, Lister and Coulter toed the ball ahead.

For 20 minutes the game was in balance as the Lions tried to attack but with such meagre possession they could not muster a sustained assault. It was pertinent that Wellington’s counter-attacks were becoming more frequent and more dangerous.

It was in the 25th minute that the game became safe for Wellington. Coulter’s strong running from scrums and rucks had caused the Lions trouble for their loose forwards were being sucked into the tight and only great covering work by Pask saved two tries as Coulter linked with Kember and Williams. Penned in their own 25 the Lions tried to squirm through

but it was a rampant Wellington team now and deadly tackling stopped all attempts by Jones, Bresnihan and Gibson to move play out to the wings. Victory Assured From a ruck Coulter crashed through, Kember picked up a bad pass and made 15 yards before being tackled. In came the Wellington forwards. There was a quick ruck, an astute change of direction by Coulter, and Hill swerved through to score. Williment missed the conversion, but 15-6 was an assurance that Wellington would win. Eight minutes later Wellington scored again when from a five-yard scrum Wellington pushed the Lions back over their line and Williams dived on the ball. Williment converted and spectators began to leave the ground.

There were some odd flashes of brilliance from the Lions in the last eight minutes as the backs scurried here and there, but the Wellington tackling was sound and dropped passes spoiled one or two promising moves.

‘Foolish Play’ (N.Z. Press Assn. —Copyright) LONDON The Lions would have to go further back than square one after their defeat by Wellington today, the “Observer” reported from Wellington. There was little evidence that they had learnt from the All Blacks 1964 tour of Britain and the four Home Unions had much to answer tor tn not preparing them for what was in store. In the second half the Lions deteriorated, foolishly fly-kicking on their own line, and at best had only 15 minutes in Wellington’s territory, said the “Observer.”

Man for man they probably were the equal of their opponents, but were made to look second rate because the Wellington side played perfectly to New Zealand’s national pattern.