Queensland dishes out rugby lesson

Press, 9 April 1979, Page 36

Queensland dishes out rugby lesson

NZPA Brisbane Queensland gave South- < land an object lesson in 1 pressure rugby when it trounced the New Zealand ■ side, 44-0, • at Ballymore : Oval, Brisbane yesterday. i The Queensland 15 were < far stronger in both the i backs and the forwards, and ] capitalised on every mistake 1 the visitors made. Queenlsnad took the 1 match in hand after only 1 five minutes of play, when 1 the captain, Mark Loane : came into a back-line move- < ment to score well wide of the posts. 1 The conversion looked di- i fficult, but the reliable goal- ‘ kicking five eighth, Paul 1 McLean was in form to 1 make the score 6-O. 1

The rout then began with Queensland racing away to lead 32-0 by half-time. Southland’s back-line, which in normal circumstances may have proved a match for the Queenslanders, never received enough clean ball to ever seriously pressure the home team’s line. For Queensland, the halfback, Taito Raulini, scored three tries, each of them from either the back of the scrum or rucks which developed after line-outs. The young Queensland t h r e e-quarter. Brendan Moon, proved his Wallaby potential with withering runs down the middle, and the Queensland forward

ipack were always behind him in support. Southland twice had opportunities to get its score moving with penalty kicks almost in front of the posts, but on both occasions the seemingly simple kicks went astray. Southland’s coach, Gus Burns, said he had no excuses to offer for his team’s loss.

“They (Queensland) were a better side, and they proved it,” he said. “Queensland outplayed us, and we have no excuses for that.” Scorers ■ — Queensland: tries, Taito Raulini 3, Andrew Slack, Mark Loane, Jim Miller, Graham Brand, Paul McLean; conversions, Paul McLean.