MONASTIC EXERCISE

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31107, 9 July 1966, Page 11

MONASTIC EXERCISE

THE decision of the British Isles Rugby team to go into retreat at Queenstown before the first test at Dunedin was not a surprise. When the tour itinerary

was drawn up the British Isles had requested a free week before the first test to be spent in Dunedin, presumably to prepare themselves thoroughly for the test

However, since then the Lions have had their problems and apart from the ones on the playing field what has perturbed them has been the attention given to them by spectators at

training. The players are just not used to training before a crowd of inquisitive spectators. The crowds watching training so far have not been very large but obviously there have been enough people to upset the Lions at times.

The matter of training came to a head at Nelson when the Lions went to Waimea College for the final .training run. School was let out and hundreds of pupils clustered round the players. In desperation, CampbellLamerton took bis players to the opposite side of the field. The schoolchildren followed. As a last measure the Lions stood in the middle of the field practising their line-out drill; within minutes they were encircled. Training virtually came to an end then and, as far as the Lions are concerned, it was a waste of an hour and a very important hour. This is what the Lions wish to avoid before the first test. The manager (Mr D. J. O’Brien) requested the break at Queenstown so that the players could work hard at their training without the distraction of milling spectators.