Experience—Power—Kicking SIGNS POINT TO ALL BLACK VICTORY

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31113, 16 July 1966, Page 17

Experience—Power—Kicking SIGNS POINT TO ALL BLACK VICTORY

(From I. J. D. HALL) DUNEDIN. On their form on this tour the British Lions appear to have little chance of matching the All Blacks in the first test at Dunedin today. But that has been the situation on other tours and the Lions have had a nasty habit of producing their best Rugby in the first test.

I hey won in 1930, drew in 1950 and lost by one point in 1959, and in each case their record leading up to the first test had not been very convincing.

This team is in a | similar position and it would cause no sur- I prise if today it produced the Rugby that it is capable of and upset pre-match predictions of an All Black win. The steady improvement of the Lions’ play in its last; three matches, when it has.) outplayed three very strong; and experienced provincial I packs, indicates that finally; they have got down to Rugby! basics. Their forwards outweigh! New Zealand’s by a pound a man and even with Steel in the All Black back-line, their backs also would be faster. Formidable Unit But the Lions will still face; a tremendous task if they are! to win today, and for all their improvement and potential the All Blacks must be favoured. The New Zealand pack is a formidable and ruthlessly efficient unit. Hazlett and McLeod are the only two who did not tour Britain in 196364 The experience, strength and killer instinct of the forwards were the vital factors in last year’s test series against the Springboks and again should be the main factor today. C. E. and S. T. Meads certainly will not be outjumped in the line-outs by CampbellLamerton and Price. The Lions have no-one to match Gray at No. 2, and the loose forward trio—Tremain, Nathan and Lochore —is stronger and more vigorous than their

counterparts Pask, Lamont I and Telfer. Certainly, the All Blacks) have no loose forward to) equal Pask as a link between; backs and forwards, but the | Lions have no-one to match) the bursting runs of Tremain and Nathan. Playing in the unaccustomed position of No. 8, Nathan has the highly important task of trying to curb and snaffle the Welsh first five-eighths, D. Watkins. In early games Watkins has shown that he can be bustled by a shadowing loose forward and that ■will be Nathan’s task. I If he does it well the Lions i back-line will be disrupted, if not, Watkins could be a ; match-winner for he is a brilliant attacking player. The All Blacks back-line starts with an advantage at Laidlaw whose passing gives his first five-eighths so much more room than Young can ) achieve. Attacking Player In the mid-field, Rang! and j Macßae will try to upset Jones and Gibson with their heavy tackling and straight running. They might succeed against Jones, who can be skittery on defence and under pressure, but, like Watkins, Jones can be a devastating attacking player if the chances go his way. Playing in his first test, Steel will be marking McFadyean. Although he may still be a little raw, Steel’s great ■speed and his determination imake him a very dangerous player. It can only be hoped that his debut is as satisfactory as that of his uncle, the late J. SteeL who scored a | brilliant try in his first test i at Dunedin in 1921. With Williment at full-back, the All Blacks have another potent scoring weapon. Williraent’s goal kicking is far superior to anything the Lions can produce and an early long-range penalty by Williment could have a major influence on the match. All these factors should add up to an AU Black win but never in New Zealand have

the Lions proved easy opponents in a test match. In tests, differences in country and Rugby technique are submerged into a very effective whole, and it is certain that the Lions will be approaching this game not as members of England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland, but as an international team. Also, there is one factor, perhaps an intangible one, that cannot be overlooked. At Dunedin in 1959, D. B. Clarke kicked New Zealand to victory with six penalty goals. That is still a bitter memory to British Rugby and the > Lions will be trying very hard to assuage that memory today. And there is one final point which is in favour of the Lions. Last year a very experienced Australian pack outplayed the Springboks in both tests. This year it proved just a little slower and more cumbersome. The All Black pack, too, is an experienced one and also a year older. The one new forward, Hazlett, is 28. It, too. might find it has lost a yard of speed.